Last Second Scoring

[Theisey]

Originally Posted by agentorange

Can you tell me what the rule is? Is it a new rule?

ESPN - Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Michigan Wolverines Play-by-Play, October 15 2005 - NCAA College Football

The above link is to the 2005 Michigan PSU game. Michigan down by 4 with 1 seconds left throws a TD pass to go up 27-25. This is the last play of the game. If you look at other scores ESPN calls out the extra point attempts as plays.

I remember watching this game. Michigan scored and the fans rushed the field and the game ended (PSU was undefeated #6 at the time). They did not kick the extra point.

At the time I didn't think anything of it but after seeing a few more games where this happened me and a friend started talking about the rule and want to try and get it answered.

Back in 2005, the TRY rule was that a TRY down is mandatory unless the team behind in the score leaves the field. I'll bet that Coach Paterno figured there was no way the field could be cleared in any reasonable period of time and that UM would probably just snap it and down it immediately, so why bother with the down.

As mentioned, that rule has since been changed.