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Georgia

Controversial running into the kicker penalty draws scrutiny early in Sugar Bowl

FaceProfileby:Thomas Goldkamp•01/02/25
Drew Miller
Conor Dillon / UGA Sports Communications

It didn’t take long for controversy to hit in the Sugar Bowl, a contest between Georgia and Notre Dame for a trip to the College Football Playoff semifinals.

After Georgia’s opening drive stalled out, Notre Dame put the pressure on a punt and collided hard with the punter.

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The Sugar Bowl officials ruled it a running into the kicker, rather than a roughing the kicker, which would have carried with it an automatic first down. It was fourth-and-21 at the time.

It sure appeared that Bryce Young from Notre Dame made heavy contact through the leg of punter Drew Miller. ESPN’s rules expert thought the play should have triggered a roughing the kicker call.

“Well I know that the defender only hit the kicking leg, but he hit it considerably,” rules expert Matt Austin said on the broadcast. “I think 15 yards would have been more appropriate here.”

The following punt attempt at the Sugar Bowl also incurred a running into the kicker penalty, this time with another defender hitting Miller. Officials ruled it as such, and ESPN’s broadcast crew agreed with the call this time around.

“If the last one wasn’t 15 then that one probably wasn’t,” Greg McEroy said on the air. “That one wasn’t nearly as physical, but a big mistake.”

You can view both instances here.

The end result turned out OK for Georgia. Following the punt, the team’s defense came up with a stop on Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. Both teams traded empty offensive series to start.

Both teams will need to settle into the game, with nerves appearing to be a bit of a factor early on. Both defenses seemed locked in.

The game was knotted at 0-0 with 5:00 remaining in the first quarter at the time of this writing.