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Watch: College punt returner gets confused, calls fair catch at half-yard line
Missouri Tigers wide receiver Luther Burden III (3) celebrates with teammates after returning a punt for a touchdown during the first half against the Abilene Christian Wildcats at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: College punt returner gets confused, calls fair catch at his own half-yard line

By Andrew Kulha  |  Last updated 9/17/22

Returning punts is hard at any level of football, and Abilene Christian punt returner Kendall Catalon found that out the hard way against Missouri on Saturday afternoon.

Missouri's punter was clearly trying to pin the Wildcats down near the shadow of their own goal-line, but he put too much leg on it and it looked like a punt destined to go into the end zone and wind up for a touchback.

That's at least, what fundamental football would suggest. But Catalon clearly forgot where he was on the field, or he got so overwhelmed by playing in Mizzou's Faurot Field, at Memorial Stadium — which holds just over 60,000 — that he forgot the rules of engagement for a moment.

Catalon should have let the ball bounce and it likely would have bounced into the endzone for a touchback, meaning Abilene Christian would have had the ball back at its own 20-yard line. Instead, he decided to get under the ball and fair catch it for some reason — meaning that he couldn't advance the kick and the Eagles would get the ball one offense where he caught it. 

That was at the half-yard line. If a referee was generous that could have maybe been spotted at the one-yard line, but either way, it was a major mental mistake for Abilene Christian.

Perhaps it would have never mattered. The Wildcats did lose 34-17, though, so it wasn't necessarily a blowout.

In those close games, every possession counts. Check that; every play matters. Catalon certainly had to have been kicking himself after that one.

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