Riley, Mora weigh in on Gerry call

SANTA CLARA, Calif.- As Nebraska safety Nate Gerry’s ejection was announced after a targeting penalty during the second quarter, the social media world erupted in anger Saturday night.

It was the second straight game Gerry was ejected for a targeting penalty, but what was different about Saturday’s was it seemingly was a routine football play against UCLA.

Luckily for the Huskers the ejection didn’t cost them the game. Even afterwards Bruin head coach Jim Mora said he was surprised with the call.

“I thought that it was a clean hit,” Mora said. “I thought that it was a good hit. If you saw me standing next to the young man on the field that’s what I was telling him. I said ‘that was a really good football play, I’ve seen a lot seen a lot of good football plays and I thought that was a good football play.’

“I was stunned that he got thrown out of the game quite frankly. (Gerry) is a good player. He told me as we were standing there talking ‘I can’t believe I’m going to get thrown out for the second game in a row.’ I didn’t see that as a dirty play at all. I thought it was a good football play.”

NU head coach Mike Riley expressed similar sentiments to Mora after the game.

“That would be exactly my take too,” Riley said agreeing with Mora. “From what I saw on the film first of all I didn’t think that was a penalty and secondly I couldn’t believe it wasn’t overturned.”

The only positive that came out of the play was it happened in the second quarter, which means the suspension won’t carry over into next season. If Gerry was ejected in the third quarter, he would’ve had to sit out the first half of the 2016 season opener as well.

Gerry was unavailable for comment after the game.