College Football Conference Makes Incriminating Statement About Game-Winning Touchdown Catch

The Sun Belt Conference admits that Arkansas State's game-winning touchdown in the final seconds of its win over Central Arkansas should have been called an incomplete pass, according to an official release.

After entering the fourth quarter down 27-10, Central Arkansas scored 21 straight to take a 31-27 lead with 55 seconds remaining. Then Arkansas State drove the length of the field to set up a 1st-and-goal from the 7-yard line. The next play, a touchdown pass from Jaylen Raynor to Corey Rucker, technically won the game for Arkansas State.

The "catch" was reviewed by video officials, but despite the wide receiver, as many fans believe, clearly dropping the ball while attempting to complete the catch process, the call was ultimately reversed.

Arkansas State withstood one last effort from Central Arkansas with two seconds remaining and walked away with a 34-31 win.

"The replay official was focused on the firm control and body part down aspects of the act of a catch and failed to evaluate the surviving the ground aspect of a catch during the review of the play in question," the release says.

Central Arkansas head coach Nathan Brown had this to say on Monday following the controversial call that caused the Bears a season-opening loss.

“You just wish and hope the nature and the reasoning for a replay is to get it without a shadow of a doubt,” Brown said on his radio show. “No reason why it’s not a correct call is the whole point of having a replay..."

Central Arkansas will visit Lindenwood in Week 2, while Arkansas State hosts Tulsa.

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