Kyle Whittingham, Utah Football Appealing Cole Bishop Targeting Call

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah football head coach Kyle Whittingham revealed in his post-game press conference that the Utes are already working to appeal a targeting call on safety Cole Bishop.

The controversial call came toward the end of the game, meaning Bishop will have to also miss the first half of Utah’s upcoming game against USC next week in Los Angeles.

The call on Bishop caused extreme ire in the Utah fanbase after the replay on the jumbotron didn’t appear to show any of the typical checkmarks of a targeting penalty but was still upheld:

Crowd is still mad about the Cole Bishop targeting. BIG MAD. (As they should be if we’re being honest.)#GoUtes

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) October 14, 2023

• Launching- aka leaving your feet.
• A crouching + an upward/forward thrust with forcible contact at the head or neck area.
• Leading with helmet, shoulder, forearm, fist, hand or elbow with forcible contact to the head/neck area.
• Lowering the head and initiating forcible contact with the crown of the helmet.

Utes Looking For Answers On Cole Bishop Targeting Call

Whittingham said the process to appeal the targeting call on Bishop was already in motion during his post-game press conference. He also noted Utah isn’t sure what if anything will come of it other than better clarification on why it was called targeting.

Kyle Whittingham said they are appealing the Cole Bishop targeting call. “It was interesting.”#GoUtes

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 14, 2023

“We are appealing it- it’s already in motion,” Whittingham said. “I have to look at it on tape, but I did see it on the board and I don’t know. I just got to look at it again. It was a call that was, uh, interesting. We’ll see what comes of it. I don’t know if there has ever been one turned over- we haven’t had one overturned. We’ll see, but we are taking the steps to at least get some more clarification on it. Why? Why was it targeting?”

Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on X, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports

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