No. 17 Kansas State escapes with win over Tulane after controversial offensive pass interference call

Did Tulane get robbed of a potential go-ahead score against No. 17 Kansas State?

As Kansas State led 34-27, Yulkeith Brown appeared to catch a TD pass with 17 seconds left. However, Dontae Fleming got flagged for offensive pass interference and the TD was wiped out.

Take a look.

Yes, Fleming got in the way of his defender. But the player he was matched up against was engaged with Fleming the entire time and wasn’t making an effort to go cover Brown. Pick plays are commonly called for offensive pass interference when a receiver runs interference on the defender covering another player. In this case, cornerback Jacob Parrish only moved toward Brown after he saw that the pass had been thrown.

Had Brown’s touchdown stood, Tulane could have kicked an extra point to tie the game or gone for a game-winning two-point conversion. Instead, the Green Wave got pushed back 15 yards and Darian Mensah threw an interception in the end zone two plays later.

The penalty could end up having some College Football Playoff ramifications at the end of the season. Tulane is one of the top teams outside the power four conferences and a contender for the Group of Five’s spot in the expanded College Football Playoff. A win over Kansas State on Saturday would have done a lot for Tulane’s resume if the Green Wave won the AAC and ended up with the same record as a team like Boise State.

Instead, Kansas State escaped ahead of a Week 3 home test against No. 20 Arizona. The two Big 12 teams meet on Friday in a non-conference game even though they’re a part of the same conference. The game was scheduled before Arizona’s move to the Big 12 this summer.