Miami (OH) gets unsportsmanlike conduct for scoreboard visual on field goal attempt

When you're playing your archrival, you have to pull out all the stops.

It's not just the players or coaches. Even the scoreboard operator can play a role in helping ensure the rival leaves town with on the losing end.

That was the case in the Battle of the Bricks, where Miami (OH) defended its homefield and rallied past Ohio, 34-17. The RedHawks trailed 17-0 before rattling off 34 unanswered points in an emotional rivalry victory.

One of the more memorable oddities in the history of Midweek MACtion came during the early stages of Miami's dramatic comeback. With six seconds remaining in the first half, and Ohio clinging onto a 17-7 advantage, the Bobcats lined up for a 34-yard field goal from the left hash. Brack Peacock's attempt doinked off the right upright, and Ohio appeared poised to head into the locker room emptyhanded.

Instead, the missed field goal was negated due to an unorthodox penalty. After a brief discussion, the officials flagged Miami for an unusual unsportsmanlike conduction violation: "depictions of field goal uprights on the scoreboard."

There is a basis for this call in the official NCAA Rules. Per Rule 9-2-1-b-5, "Persons subject to the rules, including bands and audio/video/lighting systems operators, shall not create any noise or distraction that hat prohibits a team from hearing its signals or obstructs play."

The penalty gave Ohio another opportunity to score, but the Bobcats opted for a trick play rather than a closer field goal attempt. Holder Magnus Haines fielded the snap, spun over his back shoulder, and surveyed downfield. He found defensive end Evan Herrmann open in the end zone, and delivered a strike right to the No. 11 on Herrmann's jersey. However, the pass was dropped, allowing Miami to escape the bizarre sequence without surrendering any additional points.

The RedHawks entered halftime trailing by 10 and eventually completed the comeback, taking their first lead with 3:55 remaining before adding two late touchdowns stemming from Ohio turnovers.

"I didn't even know there was such a thing," Miami head coach Chuck Martin said of the penalty. "It didn't even really bother me because we worry about ourselves. Last week, officials' calls probably cost us the game. But I'm more worried about the plays that we're in control of."

As for the field goal depiction, this was not a unique instance in college football.

In 2020, Oklahoma State displayed a series of yellow lines on the scoreboard behind the goalposts to distract Texas kicker Cameron Dicker. Dicker made the kick, but the stunt drew the ire of then-Texas head coach Tom Herman, who escalated the matter to Big 12 offices. The conference subsequently deemed Oklahoma State's display impermissible.

Indiana pulled a similar stunt in its Sept. 5 opener against North Texas, attempting to distract the Mean Green by displaying yellow lines of different sizes, with some of the yellow lines topped with goalpost flags. The Hoosiers were not penalized for this demonstration.

Back in September, a viral social media post referencing the New England Patriots' gamesmanship on opposing field goal attempts drew significant attention. Unlike Miami or Oklahoma State, the Patriots did not display yellow lines or fake field goalposts. Rather, they displayed live footage of the actual uprights, slightly offset behind the real ones, creating a visual illusion for opposing kickers.

Ryan Paganetti, a former staff member with the Eagles, Jaguars, and Raiders who highlighted this practice, noted that the Patriots did not use the same visual effect on their own field goal attempts.

Ultimately, Miami's scoreboard operator did not allow Ohio any points, and the RedHawks prevailed in the Battle of the Bricks to secure bowl eligibility for the ninth-straight season. But unlike previous sly scoreboard operators in Stillwater, Bloomington, and Foxborough, Miami's attempt stood out for another reason. It was a rare instance of a scoreboard operator drawing a penalty for deception.