Watch: Kenny Pickett scores touchdown on what should be illegal play

Once the defense stopped pursuing, Pickett decided to keep running and scored.

That 58-yard touchdown helped give Pitt a 7-0 lead. The Panthers won 45-21.

That touchdown should never have counted. As soon as a player begins to give himself up, the play should be dead. Both college and pro football are trying to protect quarterbacks by penalizing defenders who hit them when they’re giving themselves up. If you are penalizing the defenders and ejecting them from games to discourage them from hitting a quarterback who is giving himself up, you can’t also incentivize quarterbacks to fake the slides.

Think about it this way: as soon as a punt returner signals a fair catch, he can’t advance the ball. As soon as a quarterback begins to slide, the play should be blown dead, just the same as a fair catch. Otherwise, you are completely putting a defender in the unfair position of choosing between risking a penalty or risking a touchdown.