The hit itself didn't cause the firestorm, but Gophers defensive end Theiren Cockran's roughing-the-passer penalty Saturday against Michigan's Shane Morris has been replayed repeatedly this week.
Michigan coach Brady Hoke is under intense scrutiny for leaving Morris in the game. And the school's athletic director, Dave Brandon, is being ridiculed for his handling of the situation. Brandon issued a statement Tuesday, at 12 a.m., saying Morris suffered a "probable mild concussion," and "there was a serious lack of communication that led to the confusion on the sideline."
Michigan President Mark Schlissel later called the handling of Morris' injury "an extreme disappointment," and students gathered on campus to call for Brandon's resignation.
When Cockran delivered his helmet-to-helmet hit, ABC analyst Ed Cunningham said he should be ejected for targeting. The referee didn't call it, though, sticking with the 15-yard, roughing-the passer penalty.
But that was only a small part of Cunningham's rant.
Morris had been limping on a sprained ankle before the hit, and when he stayed in the game, Cunningham called it "appalling." Moments later, after Devin Gardner entered the game at quarterback and lost his helmet, Morris returned for one play. "This is atrocious," Cunningham said.
Asked Tuesday about Cockran's hit, Gophers coach Jerry Kill said, "I think there's a fine line. Nobody wants to get somebody hurt, and we need to err on side of safety for the player. … There wasn't anything intentional or anything like that, at all."
The SEC and ACC have defined a "strike zone" that defenders should aim for on dangerous hits — below the neck and above the knees.
