Tuesday night's Battle of the Bricks in Oxford produced a penalty most of us have never seen called, and a strategy that may have backfired on the team it was supposed to help.
With Ohio up 17-7 and seconds left in the first half at Yager Stadium, Bobcats kicker Brack Peacock lined up for a 34-yard field goal. As he set up, images of goalposts flashed on Miami's video board. Peacock's kick hit the upright.
Then came the flag. On Miami.
"On the previous play, there were depictions of the field-goal uprights on the scoreboard," the referee announced. "That is a foul for unsportsmanlike conduct against Miami. Half the distance to the goal, automatic first down."
That put Ohio in first-and-goal inside the 10 with only a few ticks left. Instead giving Peacock another stab at the attempt, the Bobcats ran a fake. Punter and holder Magnus Haines threw for tight end Evan Herrman in the end zone, and the pass fell incomplete as time expired on the half.
Ohio didn't score again. Miami outscored the Bobcats 27-0 after halftime, kicked two fourth-quarter field goals to tie it and take a 20-17 lead, then scored twice in roughly 30 seconds late, the second on a pick-six, to win 34-17.
The NCAA rulebook, rule 1-1-6 states that "persons subject to the rules, including bands and audio/video/lighting systems operators, shall not create any noise or distraction," and Rule 1-4-2-d says no equipment may be used to confuse opponents.
Video board operators were written into the rulebook after Oklahoma State put yellow lines on its board during a Texas field goal attempt in 2020.
The NFL went through its own version of this earlier this fall. In September, the league told teams it had modified what can be shown on video boards during field goal and extra point tries, after former Eagles, Jaguars and Raiders analytics coach Ryan Paganetti posted a viral clip of a Patriots board shot that included the goalposts, per USA Today.
Ohio entered the night 7-2 and 5-0 in the MAC. Miami was 5-4 and 3-2. The loss is Ohio's first in league play.
Most folks would love to know whether the idea came from the video board booth or the football office. Either way, the officials got it right, and the gamble cost Miami half the distance to the goal and a fresh set of downs.
Thankfully for them, what it didn't end up costing them was points and momentum.
For the rest of us, it's a good reminder to check with your game-day operations folks about what goes on the board during kicks. Nobody wants to explain this flag to their AD on Monday.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.
Referee calls unsportsmanlike conduct on the scoreboard operator then Ohio completely blew the re-do attempt pic.twitter.com/1VptZddF0c
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) November 11, 2026