Can anyone tell me why the defensive holding call flag was picked up in the third quarter? I watched the replay today and it seemed like a legit hold of Kolar. There had been two PI calls during that drive against OSU, so I guess the refs were reluctant to call a third penalty on the Cowboy defense in that one series?
I'm not saying this answers anything, especially since I haven't looked recently at a replay. Also, this is from 2018 and I don't know if there have been changes to the rules:
What Are the College Football Defensive Holding Rules? (sportsrec.com)
My best guess at the time wass that it was deemed legal due to being less than 5 yards downfield. Emphasis mine:
A defender cannot prevent a running back or receiver from advancing downfield beyond the blocking zone. A defender may jam the offensive player at the line of scrimmage, using legal hand movements, but must release them after five yards. A defender may not intentionally restrain an opponent from recovering a loose ball or fumble.
Additionally, the refs might have thought Kolar was blocking the defender? Emphasis mine:
Defensive players may use hands and arms to push, pull, and ward off offensive players obviously attempting to block them.
And finally, maybe they thought Kolar wasn't an eligible receiver:
If an offensive player is reported as an eligible receiver before the play, the defensive player must break contact with that player after five yards.