Refs miss blatant targeting call on USC LB recently suspended ... for targeting

USC linebacker Porter Gustin did not play in the first half of Friday night’s Pac-12 game against Washington State. The reason? A helmet-popping head-to-head hit on Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger six days earlier.

So when Gustin, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound senior, returned to the field for Friday’s second half, you’d have thought he might have learned some sort of lesson, right?

And you’d have thought the game’s referees would have been aware of Gustin’s recent history, yeah?

Nope and nope.

Gustin unleashes another helmet-to-helmet hit

Gustin laid a hit on Washington State quarterback Gardner Minshew that was arguably worse than the one for which he was ejected last weekend:

And yet it didn’t even draw a penalty.

The hit came with Washington State down three, but driving for a potential tying or winning score. It would have given the Cougars 15 yards and a first down. Instead, they eventually settled for a field goal, which was blocked.

USC bled the rest of the clock, and held on for a 39-36 win.

Friday’s hit was even worse than Gustin’s previous one

Gustin’s hit against Texas was pretty bad. He drove his head up into Ehlinger’s head after the quarterback had released the ball:

But Friday’s was worse. The lag time between release and contact seemed slightly longer. Minshew was already being taken down. And it was the textbook definition of targeting: Gustin led with the “crown of his helmet.” He launched himself into Minshew’s head from the quarterback’s blind side. It was disgusting.

College football games have been littered with controversial targeting calls ever since the rule was introduced. It’s the subject of many complaints from purists who whine about the sport being turned into flag football. And many of the calls seem overly harsh, or at least questionable.

This one was unquestionable. Or at least it should have been. But somehow the Pac-12 refs missed it.

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