NC State is Appealing Targeting Call on Safety Sean Brown

With a couple of minutes left in the 3rd Quarter, NC State Free Safety Sean Brown was hit with an absurd targeting call. After reviewing the hit, the call was confirmed to be targeting, and Brown was ejected for the remainder of the game, and will miss the beginning of the Marshall game this Saturday.

I’m all for penalizing intentionally dangerous tackles, where the intent is blatantly to harm. That is not what happened in this instance. Brown’s tackle was textbook. For starters, the receiver squats. Secondly, Brown drives his face into the chest of the receiver. The helmet in no way makes initial contact with the opposing players helmet.

Here’s the “targeting” call in question. Watch it in slow motion. Hit pause and zoom in.

Wolfpack Head Coach Dave Doeren shared at his weekly press conference yesterday that NC State is appealing the targeting call on Brown.

“Yes. We’ve submitted the paperwork through the league office. They turn it in and then eventually we’ll find out can he play in the first half or not. Right now we don’t have an answer.”

If the targeting call is upheld, then Brown will have to miss the first half this Saturday against the Thundering Herd. If it is overturned, he will be free to play.

Prior to the targeting call, Brown was having a career day. He had 8 tackles, 2 sacks and a forced fumble.