Safety Devin Studstill Ejected for Targeting

ESPN commentators wondered what it would take for the booth to initiate a review and make the call to eject a player for targeting. In the Notre Dame world, we’ve been wondering that since week one. Apparently, it takes a Notre Dame player to be on the delivering end of a bad hit to the head.

You cannot disagree that the call was absolutely correct, and like the commentators said, good on the booth for making the call. It’s all about safety, and what Devin Studstill did was dangerous. It seemed to me that the hit came without intent, but you could tell that as soon as Studstill stood up, he’d known what he did.

This is a learning point for the safety, who is a true freshman and only playing in his fourth game. I’m of the opinion that the targeting rules as they stand are a long way from where they need to be, and that further discussion needs to take place in the offseason to adjust the way these dangerous hits are handled (and preferably eliminated). That’s a discussion for another day.

For now, however, Studstill is out of the game, and thankfully Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey is ok.