Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos got lit up on a run over the middle against Army on Saturday, and it wasn't a Black Knights defender laying the lumber. A member of the officiating team delivered an unlikely forearm shiver to Castellanos as he tried to get out of the path of the rumbling QB.
College football fans around the country might just be wondering if refs can be eligible for scholarships after seeing that big hit. Collisions between officials and players happen all the time, but this just might be the biggest one you'll ever see.
Umpire Mark Wilson laid the boom on Thomas Castellanos ??pic.twitter.com/CWoUQjMEbH
— 247Sports (@247Sports) October 7, 2023
Umpire Mark Wilson did his best middle linebacker impression stopping Castellanos in his tracks just before the line to gain. Castellanos surely thought he would pick up the first down when he scrambled off of play-action and saw lots of green grass in front of him after deceiving the defense with the fake handoff.
The Eagles QB had the first down, and maybe even a touchdown, on his mind as he sprinted downfield. Boston College held a tentative 6-3 lead in the second quarter and thought they had a huge play on their hands. Out of nowhere came the umpire with a hit stick. Wilson did his best to avoid a collision, but the football gods had other ideas. This time the game breaking play was fated to be made by an umpire.
The refs are technically part of the field of play and it is up to the players to avoid them, but Castellanos had nowhere to go on this play. It looked like Castellanos came down just short of the sticks after being hit by the umpire, but the Eagles ultimately received the first down yardage in the officials' judgement. At least the officials were kind with their spot of the football after injecting themselves into the game with an earth-shaking tackle.
