Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Dan Lyons

College Football Fans Are Split on the Controversial Stetson Bennett Fumble

Earlier in Monday's national championship between Alabama and Georgia, a potential scoop and score for the Bulldogs was reversed and deemed an incomplete pass by Bryce Young. Fast forward to the fourth quarter, and the Crimson Tide benefited from a similar play, this time off the hand of Stetson Bennett IV.

Get SI's Georgia Bulldogs National Championship Commemorative Issue

Facing pressure from the Alabama defense, Bennett tried to throw the ball away. Instead, the ball began to roll before his forward passing motion. It just about reached the sideline, but Crimson Tide defender Brian Branch casually snagged it, as his toe was either right on or just shy of the line. The play wound up having two huge judgment calls: did Bennett throw or fumble the ball, and did Branch stay in-bounds? Ultimately the ACC referee crew made both calls in favor of the Crimson Tide.

Five plays later, Young found Cameron Latu for a go-ahead touchdown, pushing Alabama's lead to 18–13.

Both parts of the call were about as close as it gets, so naturally Twitter is exploding in disagreement.

Thanks to Bennett's fourth quarter heroics, the controversial play did not ultimately decide the game.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.