SEC rules Tennessee onside kick against Texas was incorrectly officiated

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) issued a statement clarifying that a successful onside kick by Tennessee during their 20-17 loss to Texas was incorrectly officiated. The conference noted that the play should have resulted in a five-yard penalty and a replay of the down.

According to the SEC, the kick violated two specific rules: the ball was kicked from at least one yard behind the required 35-yard restraining line, and the kicker, Jackson Ross, moved his lateral position between the hash marks after the ball was ready for play. While the drop-kick itself is permissible, the positioning and movement were illegal.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel addressed the ruling, noting that the team had previously communicated with the league and would adjust to the decision. The error occurred late in the game when Tennessee was trailing by three points. Additionally, Heupel evaluated the performance of true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon, who struggled in the loss against the top-ranked Longhorns despite a touchdown pass earlier in the fourth quarter.