NCAA enforcement Question

[DoubleD]

Am not completely familiar with the NCAA book...saw this one in the Music City Bowl (Auburn-Wisconsin). 3rd and 20, incomplete pass. Unsportsmanlike on the defense, dead-ball after the play.
Next play was 4th and 13. Why not 4th and 5? It looked like it was enforced from the spot of the flag (flag was deep in the offensive backfield).
Ideas?

[Snake~eyes]

Well I'm not totally sure about NCAA, but I'm pretty sure that its similar to NFHS. USC is not a spotfoul, neither are defensive penalties. If your yardage is right then they may have marked the spot off wrong? Not really sure what else it could be. Hopefully Bob or Mike will come and give you a better answer because they seem to be the NCAA gurus.

[DoubleD]

I think they just got it wrong. The interesting thing was that neither team seemed to have caught it.
I say seemed, because had it been 4th and 5, the ensuing punt was much more likely to result in a touchback. The distance was just too far for the FG, too close for a coffin-corner. So I think the offense just let it go.
The punt/return ended inside the 20.

Just very interesting how it played out.

Plus, that crew was dealing with a LOT of dead-ball stuff. Prob. had the Hawaii-Houston game on their minds.

[Theisey]

Dead ball fouls are enforced from the succeeding spot.
You sure there wasn't an illegal forward pass call against Team-A on the same play?
If not, the next play should be 4'th and 5.

[Uncle Ernie]

It is hard to tell what happened in this situation. I am sure something is missing or something else must have happened on the play.

I looked up the game stats and here is what the play-by-play stats show

W 3-19 W49 Sorgi, Jim deep pass incomplete to Orr, Jonathan.
W 4-19 W49 PENALTY AU unsportsmanlike conduct 6 yards to the AU45.

Not sure why only 6 yrds were marched off. Hmmmm....

[DoubleD]

Originally posted by Uncle Ernie
It is hard to tell what happened in this situation. I am sure something is missing or something else must have happened on the play.

I looked up the game stats and here is what the play-by-play stats show

W 3-19 W49 Sorgi, Jim deep pass incomplete to Orr, Jonathan.
W 4-19 W49 PENALTY AU unsportsmanlike conduct 6 yards to the AU45.

Not sure why only 6 yrds were marched off. Hmmmm....

If I remember correctly, there was a LOT going on during the dead-ball interval. But, there was still no clear reason for the strange enforcement.

The only thing that makes sense is that it was accidentially marked from the spot of the USC flag, which was the at Wis40 (ie near the QB who had 2 AU players in his face)...so they put the ball down on the AU45.