An appeal of Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown’s targeting ejection in the second half of last week’s 41-20 victory over UTSA has been denied, Big 12 vice president for communications Bob Burda told Horns247 on Wednesday.
“The ruling on the field was upheld,” Burda said.
Overshown, Texas’ second-leading tackler (23) behind linebacker Jaylan Ford (25), will have to sit out the first half of the Longhorns’ game at Texas Tech Saturday at 2:30 pm CT (on ESPN).
Under a new rule this year, schools can submit an appeal — known as a “request for review” — of a second-half targeting call that results in a player’s ejection and suspension from the first half of his team’s next game.
A Big 12 school’s appeal is made through the conference’s coordinator of officials — Greg Burks — who then submits the appeal to Steve Shaw, the NCAA’s national coordinator of officials.
Shaw then delivers his ruling to Burks – who then relays the ruling to Texas.
“Steve Shaw’s decision is final as far as the appeal process,” Burda said.
Burda said 11 such appeals of second-half targeting calls have been filed by FBS schools thus far this season with only one on-field ruling being overturned (from the Boise State-New Mexico game on Sept. 10).
On the play in question involving Overshown, he was facemask-to-facemask with UTSA quarterback Frank Harris on what was ruled initially on the field as an 8-yard sack with no flag.
A targeting review was called for by the Big 12’s booth official, and Overshown was then flagged for targeting and ejected from the game as well as from the first half of this Saturday’s game at Texas Tech.
Steve Sarkisian said he was told by the officials after the play “they deemed the quarterback a defenseless player at that point.”
Burks told Horns247 on Wednesday there are two types of targeting: 1) When a defender uses the crown of his helmet to deliver a blow; and 2) When any defenseless player is hit above the shoulders with any part of the defender’s body.
“In this situation, he (UTSA quarterback Frank Harris) was clearly a passer with his eyes focused downfield and thus was defenseless and was hit in the facemask – hit in the head – with significant force,” Burks said.
Burks said three second-half targeting ejections in the Big 12 have been appealed and all have been denied.
Sarkisian said Monday Texas was appealing Overshown’s targeting ejection because, “I felt like DeMarvion did everything he could. He never lowered his head. He tried to make a clean hit.”
Sarkisian said Monday if Overshown was to miss the first half of the Texas Tech game, coaches have a lot of confidence in Overshown’s backup at weak side linebacker — Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, who has eight tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble.
“We’ve got a great deal of confidence in (Diamonte) Tucker-Dorsey,” Sarkisian said. “This guy has played a ton of football. He stepped in Saturday (after Overshown’s ejection) and played really good for us. We’ll be OK. Obviously, DeMarvion is a heck of a player. He’s a playmaker for us and can do a lot of different things. But we’ll be OK. Would we love to have Agent Zero out there for us? For sure. But if we don’t, we’ll get through the half and we’ll play good football. We’ve got enough good player to get us through the half and then get him back in the second half.”
