Announcers Sean McDonough and Greg McElroy didn’t let the lopsided score in Saturday’s college football game between Notre Dame and Navy stop them from venting about a penalty.
The Fighting Irish went up 44-14 late in the third quarter when linebacker Jaylen Sneed recovered a fumble from Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath in the end zone. Notre Dame linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa forced another fumble on the first play of the ensuing possession, hitting Horvath in his throwing motion. The Fighting Irish recovered the loose ball. The play likely would have been reviewed to see if Horvath’s arm was moving forward. That was quickly moot, though, as Viliamu-Asa was flagged for roughing the passer.
McElroy broke the play down on replay.
“Times it perfectly and delivers a big hit to Horvath,” McElroy said of Viliamu-Asa. “But lands down on the ground with all of his body weight. And that’s been something they’ve really tried to adjust. I know it’s hard to do, for the defensive player to really avoid that contact.”
McDonough could be heard groaning as McElroy explained the penalty. Once McElroy finished, McDonough went off, first asking McElroy, “What’s he supposed to do? What is he supposed to do there?”
“I really don’t know,” McElroy replied. “I think it’s ridiculous.”
“It is ridiculous,” an agreeing McDonough said. “It’s football. It’s absurd.”
“I understand if you hit a guy low in the passing posture, totally get it,” McElroy added. “But man, just driving him to the ground, landing on top with all your body weight.”
“He puts his arm up,” McDonough said. “He’s trying to knock down the pass and he wraps him up. What’s he supposed to do? Not take him to the ground? How do you not land on him in that situation?”
“It’s impossible to play defense nowadays, with RPOs and all the other things that offenses can throw at you,” McElroy said. “They can run triple option or spread all in the same play. And now, you can’t even tackle the quarterback. It’s really a tough spot to be in.”
“What’s he supposed to do? What is he supposed to do there?”
“I really don’t know. I think it’s ridiculous.”
“It is ridiculous. It’s football. It’s absurd.”
Sean McDonough and Greg McElroy after a roughing the passer penalty negates a turnover for Notre Dame against Navy. pic.twitter.com/nQQseFQG7J
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 26, 2024
Also notable is that Viliamu-Asa didn’t really land with all of his body weight on Horvath. As the two players fell to the ground, Viliamu-Asa had his left arm and shoulder draped over the quarterback. The rest of his body was off to the side, not dissimilar to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s WWE finisher, the Rock Bottom.
Notre Dame ended up forcing a turnover on that possession anyway when Leonard Moore intercepted a Horvath pass in the end zone. With the outcome of the game no longer in doubt at the time of the penalty, there wasn’t much of a need to dwell on it.
But while McDonough didn’t dwell on it, he did find one more time to bring it up. This time the roles were reversed, as a Navy Sack was negated by a defensive holding penalty.
“You don’t see that very often,” McDonough said. “Quick pressure, a sack and a flag is thrown by an official 25 yards down the field.”
“Gotta be pretty frustrated if you’re Ramos,” McElroy said of Navy’s Colin Ramos.
“Thank goodness he didn’t take him to the ground with too much oomph,” McDonough replied.
“That would not be good,” McElroy said.
There was more later after a defensive hold negated a Navy sack.
“Thank goodness he didn’t take him to the ground with too much oomph,” Sean McDonough.
“That would not be good,” Greg McElroy. pic.twitter.com/SSAaF0QIrS
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 26, 2024
Indeed, it would not be.
[Photo Credit: ABC]
