Toledo Rockets defensive lineman Terrance Taylor delivered one of the most brutally vicious cheap shots in college football history Wednesday night against their Mid-American Conference rival Northern Illinois.
Early in the third quarter, NIU quarterback Ross Bowers ran a designed quarterback sneak out of the shotgun formation but tripped and fell to the ground three yards behind the line of scrimmage, with Taylor still a full five yards back from the play.
College football rules state that ball carriers are down the moment their knees, backside, shins, or elbows hit the ground, and defenders do not have to officially touch the offensive player to rule him ‘down’ on the field.
Taylor apparently (we hope) didn’t know the rule and instead charged at Bowers while Bowers was on in his knees in the process of getting up, and delivered a massive hit to the back of Bowers' head, which was facing the opposite direction when Taylor went for the catastrophic blow.
Taylor was ejected from the game for targeting and launching himself at a defenseless player above the shoulders with the crown of his helmet.
By rule, Taylor will also miss the first half of Toledo’s next game and could face even further punishment from the conference if they deem his hit to contain added malice.
Bowers was able to finish the game and ended up going 15/26 for 193 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions, however the Rockets lost to the Huskies on a late field goal in the dying seconds for a 31-28 heartbreaking loss.
UPDATE: Toledo has suspended Taylor for their entire next game versus Buffalo, which will replace the automatic targeting suspension that would have only forced him out for the first half.