Did Pack really lose? Photo casts doubt
Published: Mon, Sep. 11, 2006 01:19PM
Modified Tue, Sep. 12, 2006 10:53AM
E-Mail
Print
tool name
closeRALEIGH -- Did Akron score the winning touchdown on the last play of its football game on Saturday against N.C. State, or were the Zips held short of the goal?
Akron won the game at Carter-Finley Stadium 20-17 on a 1-yard run on the final play by Dennis Kennedy.
But a photograph taken at the game appears to show that Kennedy touched the ground before reaching the end zone.
More Sports
According to the NCAA's Rule 4, Article 3, b, the ball is declared dead when any part of the runner's body, except his hand or foot, touches the ground.
Wolfpack fan Chris Coker, who was in the second row of the stands, took a photograph of the final play that appears to show Kennedy's right elbow touching the ground before the ball crosses the goal line.
However, ACC coordinator of football officials Tommy Hunt said the camera angles his crew was given showed that Kennedy scored. Hunt said officials on the field also said it was clearly a touchdown.
Hunt has said the replay officials had three shots of the play but no camera on the goal line. But he said the replay official, in a booth at the stadium, "can slow it down, re-run it, frame it, and he said it was a touchdown. Officials [also] said it was clearly a touchdown."
Staff writer A.J. Carr can be reached at 829-8948 or ajcarr@newsobserver.com.
Get it all with convenient home delivery of The News & Observer.
The News & Observer is pleased to be able to offer its users the opportunity to make comments and hold conversations online. However, the interactive nature of the internet makes it impracticable for our staff to monitor each and every posting.
Since The News & Observer does not control user submitted statements, we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted on our website. In addition, we remind anyone interested in making an online comment that responsibility for statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not The News and Observer.
If you find a comment offensive, clicking on the exclamation icon will flag the comment for review by the administrators, we are counting on the good judgment of all our readers to help us.
