It was a moment that Georgia cornerback Parker Jones surely wishes he could have back.
The redshirt sophomore went viral on social media Thursday night for all the wrong reasons when he cost the Bulldogs 15 yards despite being inactive for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against Notre Dame.
The bizarre penalty was drawn during the second quarter of the Sugar Bowl with both teams scoreless.
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Quarterback Gunner Stockton connected with wide receiver Arian Smith for a 67-yard gain before getting taken down on the sideline. However, it was who Jones took down on the sideline that caused the penalty.
Jones, a Georgia native, was animated on the sidelines cheering his teammates on when an unsuspecting official collided with him. Jones had crossed the sideline and drew an interference penalty, erasing the play and pushing the Bulldogs even farther back.
Head coach Kirby Smart, seemingly unaware at the time of who drew the penalty, addressed the incident with reporters following Georgia’s loss.
INACTIVE GEORGIA PLAYER DRAWS PENALTY FOR BIZARRE MOVE IN SUGAR BOWL VS. NOTRE DAME
“Very unfortunate. We had a – they said a coach, but I think it was a player who I’ve been told [was] in the white. The white is reserved for the officials,” Smart began.
“That’s a safety concern. Most of the time they’ll grant you a warning on that, but it was a situation where it cost us 15 yards. We still had first-and-10 and didn’t take advantage of it. But, again, I call those things undisciplined, self-imposed wounds that you lose momentum on. It’s something you can’t have happen.”
All things considered, it was probably the best response Jones could have hoped for.
However, it was not Jones’ lapse in judgement that led to Georgia’s downfall in the playoffs.
Georgia outgained Notre Dame 296-244, but went 0-of-3 on fourth downs, 2-of-12 on third downs and allowed a 98-yard kickoff return to open the second half.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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