It was the sort of play that college football is trying to eliminate. At least, that’s how it looked at first glance.
A Stanford receiver caught the ball over the middle and was nailed, helmet-to-helmet, by a UCLA defensive back. The force of impact sent Francis Owusu spinning through the air, leaving him face-down on the turf.
As medical personnel scrambled onto the field, Stanford Coach David Shaw hollered at officials.
"One player had the ball, another player initiated contact with his helmet,” Shaw said later. “That should be a penalty.”
There was no flag.