Quote Originally Posted by IndyBison View Post
I don't remember the play where the runner's helmet came off. Helmets pop off all the time because players don't always wear them tight enough. Unless you saw the defender grab a helmet opening (face mask, ear hole, outside edge) you can't flag it for a face mask personal foul. This sometimes happens in a pile of players or the covering official is shielded from the helmet of the runner. You can't guess that it was pulled off.

I think I saw the play by 94 you are talking about. It jumped out at me live as a possible hit out of bounds. The runner was going up the sideline with him behind the runner. There was another defender between 94 and the runner who legally hit the runner near the sideline and rode him out of bounds. The contact by 94 appeared to be while the runner was out of bounds, but all his contact was against his teammate. I assumed that was why the official passed. Doesn't mean he was right or he will be graded as a correct call, but that's what I saw on video.
Quote Originally Posted by 1998braves64 View Post
From replay in dome it wasn't real clear, definitely not a facemask that was grabbed but appeared to me he got his fingers inside the edge in the eyes area of the helmet where it is a bit wider gap. Somehow in the process off the tackle he was able to pull on that edge hard enough that when Sproles bounced his helmet popped off but it wasn't an obvious pull and only seeing one replay in dome and I haven't gone back and watched TV broadcast. Sproles didn't get up for awhile but he did trot off the field and did return to the game, so obviously something didn't feel good for him for awhile. My memory may be bad on this as I kind of moved on and didn't think much of it I guess.

Not saying it should have been called one way or another. just his hand placement in live action I thought it was a facemask but then saw the replay wasn't really sure after that.
They had the play on the Coach's show (4:18 mark if the video doesn't automatically start there):



Looked like he got his fingers in the earhole or in the opening under the earhole and flung him down with that grip causing the helmet to come off. Didn't seem like a malicious play by the UNI defender (who was their punt returner involved in the incident later in the game) but it certainly seemed just as dangerous as a traditional facemask grab/yank and it looked like Sproles helmet-less head smacked the turf and that's why he was slow to get up.

EDIT: The play where #94 for UNI piles on Kobe Johnson out of bounds starts at the 5:30 mark as well.