Arkansas State’s controversial game-winning TD against Central Arkansas

In a recent college football game, Arkansas State's last-second touchdown against Central Arkansas has been deemed controversial. The Sun Belt Conference announced that the replay ruling, which awarded the touchdown, was incorrect. Receiver Corey Rucker caught the pass while falling out of bounds, and the initial call on the field was an incomplete pass. However, after review, it was ruled a touchdown based on Rucker having one foot down and maintaining control. Despite this ruling, further footage revealed that Rucker lost control of the ball after hitting the ground, which should have led to the play being ruled incomplete. The Sun Belt stated that the replay official failed to consider the 'surviving the ground' aspect of a catch, which is crucial in determining the validity of such plays. The right end zone camera, which showed the receiver did not survive the ground, was not consulted during the review process. Rucker himself expressed surprise at the touchdown ruling, as he believed the review was focused on possession rather than the catch itself. Central Arkansas coach Nathan Brown commented on the situation, expressing frustration over the lengthy review process and the importance of making correct calls in such critical moments. The incident has raised questions about the effectiveness of the replay system, especially given the shared replay services between the Sun Belt and SEC. As both teams prepare for their upcoming games, the controversy surrounding this decision continues to linger in the minds of players and fans alike.