Mizzou TD taken away for excessive celebration after RB dives into end zone
Does diving into the end zone at the end of a 75-yard touchdown put the excessive in excessive celebration? According to the officiating crew in charge of Missouri’s game vs. Missouri State on Saturday, it certainly does.
Mizzou running back Damarea Crockett busted off a long touchdown run in the third quarter and jumped headfirst into the end zone at the end of it. It wasn’t flashy, just a simple dive. Take a look.
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It was too much for the officials, who called Crockett for excessive celebration. The NCAA rule book says any act that is “very demonstrative” or considered to be taunting can get a touchdown wiped off the board.
Was Crockett taunting the Missouri State defense? Or was he just having fun? Or was he unaware if anyone else was close to him? We side much more with the latter options and penalties like these also depend on the officials working the game. It’s entirely conceivable that another crew wouldn’t penalize Crockett for the dive.
Missouri had to settle for a field goal after the penalty, so it ended up costing the Tigers four points. Mizzou didn’t need them for the win. After a crazy first half, the Tigers pulled away for a 72-43 win. But had Crockett’s TD scored, the game would have set a record. The SEC record for total points in a non-overtime game is 116. The Missouri-Missouri State total finished at 115.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of Dr. Saturday and From the Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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