Did the NC State-Wake Forest ACC football game end too soon on a controversial call?

Did Ricky Person Jr. get there too soon, or did N.C. State scoop the onside kick?

That’ll be the debate Wolfpack fans will chew on for a while after their three-point loss to Wake Forest.

After Devin Leary threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Devin Carter, N.C. State trailed by three, 45-42, with 45 seconds remaining. It was part of a 15-point fourth quarter during which the Wolfpack trailed by as many as 11.

After the touchdown, N.C. State lined up for the onside kick.

Christopher Dunn booted the onside attempt near the Wake Forest sideline. Person, the junior running back, raced in and was the first one to touch the ball. It looked like Person got it right at 10 yards, which is how far the ball has to travel before the kicking team can touch it. The officials immediately flagged N.C. State for illegal touching and the play wasn’t reviewed. The Demon Deacons took over on the 44 and ran out the clock.

“I didn’t get a good enough view of it, if they would have ruled it our ball we probably would have kept it,” Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said after the game. “Sounds like it wasn’t a conclusive enough deal there at the end.”

If it would have been ruled an N.C. State recovery and not illegal touching, Doeren wonders if there would have been enough evidence to overturn the call.

On the replay, it looks like Person launched from the 9-yard mark, but wasn’t quite at 10 when he touched the ball.

You make the call

• Did Person touch the ball early?

• Was it clearly a recovery by N.C. State?

• Should the play have been reviewed by officials?