Texas/Oklahoma game question

[silvanthalas]

Late in the game, Texas scored the TD and went to kickoff to Oklahoma.

They did a 'squib' kick that they were trying to get to land as deep into Oklahoma territory as possible. However, it went into the end zone. I recall the Oklahoma player running back to get it and waiting for the ball to break the plane.

The ball did so, and at that point the Oklahoma player bent over to pick up the ball.

However, the player was standing up when he picked up the ball, and as soon as he stood back up, the refs blew the play dead. The player never downed it for a touch back.

You are required to down it for the touch back, right?

 

[kuhntz]

Soon as the ball lands in the endzone on a kickoff it is a touchback.

 

[silvanthalas]

Soon as the ball lands in the endzone on a kickoff it is a touchback.

Hmm. I guess I just never thought about that before, and they didn't mention the rule during the broadcast.

But now I have to wonder then why do guys bother catching it at all in the back of the end zone if they're simply going to take a knee.

 

[austinhawk]

They should have kicked an onside kick. I didn't understand why they would give OU the ball with 2:00mins left.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

Hmm. I guess I just never thought about that before, and they didn't mention the rule during the broadcast.

But now I have to wonder then why do guys bother catching it at all in the back of the end zone if they're simply going to take a knee.

Because a lot of the time the returners are just tracking the ball and getting ready to run it out. It's usually up to the other returner back there to tell him when to stay in the end zone and just take the touchback. Plus you rarely see guys catch the ball real deep in the end zone, if the kick is that far, they usually just let it go.