During the first quarter of Saturday’s game between LSU and Auburn, there was an interesting unsportsmanlike penalty. Following a big stop on fourth down, LSU linebacker Devin White celebrated by doing this:
LSU’s Devin White got flagged for doing Cam Newton’s celebration against Auburn
Come on refs, have a little fun!
If you’re not sure what exactly that is, that’s the “Superman” celebration former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton made famous while he was with the Tigers. He still does it with the Panthers on Sundays:
White’s little gesture got him flagged, which gave Auburn an automatic first down.
Per NCAA rules, “taunting” is an unsportsmanlike flag, which can also include baiting or ridiculing an opponent verbally (it doesn’t appear either of those latter two apply here). The rulebook exemplifies taunting with the following example:
Third and 15 at the A-45. A12 drops back to pass and is sacked by tackle B77 for a 10-yard loss. B77 leaps to his feet, beats his chest, stands over A12 and taunts him, and showboats to the crowd, drawing flags from the referee and the line judge. RULING: Dead-ball unsportsmanlike conduct by B77. Fifteen-yard penalty at the dead-ball spot plus automatic first down.
White did “showboat to the crowd,” sure, but it wasn’t all that different from the average player’s standard celebration after a big play. It’s not like White was in anyone’s face or taunting the Auburn sideline. If anything, the refs could have just given White a warning, imo.
It wasn’t all that costly, since Auburn wasn’t able to score on the drive, but if he gets one more unsportsmanlike penalty, he’ll be tossed.
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