It’s not just “coach speak” at SEC Media Days. On Tuesday the SEC Coordinator of Officials announced rule changes, including the ‘Zach Cunningham‘ Rule
Last year Vanderbilt linebacker Zach Cunningham stunned Auburn’s Daniel Carlson with an incredible field goal block. He hurdled over the line and was at the ball nearly before Carlson was. Auburn would win the game 23-16, so the three points didn’t prove to be consequential.
Plays like that are what makes college football fun. But that play isn’t going to happen again any time soon, at least not without a cost. The SEC Coordinator of Officials detailed rule changes in Tuesday’s session at SEC Media Days. Some of those changes were minor: dress code and the sideline behavior of coaches. Others were a bit more significant, including a modification to the horse collar rule and leaping the line on place kicks.
Here’s the fine print:
"No defensive player who runs forward from beyond the neutral zone may leap or hurdle in an obvious attempt to block a field goal or try.It is not a foul if the player was aligned in a stationary position within one yard of the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped."
Safety is a good thing, and we should do everything we can to keep players safe. Still, how can you watch a play like this and not get pumped up?
Zach Cunningham has moved on to the Houston Texans. He was the 57th overall selection in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He might not have any college eligibility remaining, but he’s made his mark on college football and the SEC forever.
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For coverage of the rest of SEC Media Days be sure to check out the full schedule here. There have been plenty of fireworks so far and there’s no telling when the next ridiculous statement might come out.