College football is back and, unfortunately, so is targeting.
On Thursday, the Penn State Nittany Lions were visiting the Purdue Boilermakers in a Week 1 Big Ten matchup. With the Nittany Lions up 7-3 and the Boilermakers with the ball midway through the second quarter, linebacker Abdul Carter checked in for his first ever play.
On a dropped ball, Carter attempted to possibly recover a fumble before the whistle blew, tackling Tyrone Tracy with a shoulder to shoulder hit. The play was reviewed by officials, who ejected Carter for targeting, ending his night early. While a close call, Carter initiates point of contact at the shoulder with his shoulder, with the play only looking awkward because Tracy was attempting to recover the ball.
"To me he's trying to get to that ball." @MikePereira weighs in on the targeting call against Penn State pic.twitter.com/RGo1Ox9RZG
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 2, 2022
That is… definitely not targeting. And college football fans knew it too, immediately taking to social media to vent their frustrations and annoyance at the ticky-tacky call.