Update: Preview and Prediction for Notre Dame vs UNC, in week four of 2022, go here
Roughing the Snapper was trending nationally on Twitter today. So was Everett Golson and #UNCvsND. Yep the nation was watching as a crucial roughing the snapper penalty against the North Carolina Tar Heels gave the #5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish new life on an offensive drive which had stalled out. UNC was up 36-35 at the time and the fourth quarter was about to begin.
That’s when #8 Norkeithus Otis, who plays the Bandit position (yes, I know everything about this screams “future Key and Peele sketch”) committed the roughing the snapper, yes roughing the snapper, penalty that changed momentum, as well as the course of the game.
#TwitterAfterDark RT @PaulMBanks: Roughing the Snapper is a top ten trending term right now #UNCvsND
— Larrold (@LarryVonKurtze) October 11, 2014
Tar Heels Coach Larry Fedora (yes, everyone has an awesome name in this story) said “I’m better off not commenting about it” in regards to the roughing the snapper penalty. Fedora did tell the media what Otis said to him though: “He said I don’t think I hit him too early. I know his head was up. It wasn’t too early.”
Well, the ref called it that way, and even if you believe that UNC got hosed on that play, the Tar Heels weren’t going to do much with that defense anyway.
(Related: turnover issues end the idea of Everett Golson as a true Heisman candidate)
(Related: meet the seven Notre Dame football stars on “The Money Team”)
The 1,029 yards of combined offense (519 yards for Notre Dame, 510 yards for North Carolina) was the highest since October 8, 2011 when the Irish and Air Force combined for 1,125 yards (560 yards for Notre Dame, 565 yards for Air Force). Notre Dame won the contest against Air Force 59-33 win.
The 43 points scored by North Carolina marked the most points scored by an opponent in a Notre Dame win. The previous high was 42 by Hawaii in a 48-42 Notre Dame victory in November 30, 1991 at Hawaii.
And yes, Brian Kelly brought up roughing the snapper in the postgame presser too. He also said that his team can’t be spotting opponents 14 points like that right off the bat, and expect to win.
“North Carolina is good … but they aren’t Oklahoma,” Kelly said.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.