Even Michigan legend Charles Woodson calls out ludicrous Jordan Hall targeting

Michigan State's defense just could not catch a break on Saturday night at USC. The Spartans weren't effective on that side of the ball all night, and it could have had something to do with the ejection of Jordan Hall and the scary injury to Wayne Matthews III.

The Matthews injury really overshadowed everything else that happened on Saturday night, and we're all just hoping he makes a full recovery, because no one wants to see that kind of injury.

As for Hall, he was ejected right before halftime for making a play on a USC tight end, accidentally locking helmets before making the tackle. The hit seemed harmless and unintentional, but it was reviewed for targeting, and Hall was sent off.

Seeing an emotional Hall after hearing he was getting ejected was tough, but it shouldn't have been a targeting call, at least according to Michigan legend Charles Woodson.

Woodson took to X when the call happened, and admitted that protecting players is the most important, but that Hall's hit on the USC pass-catcher was not targeting. The Hall of Famer knows a little something about football, and he has a reason to be biased, and he still said that Hall shouldn't have been ejected.

Yeah, I'll take his word for it.

Woodson is right. Hall was in his tackling motion when the USC tight end turned his head into him, initiating the helmet-to-helmet contact. It was not forcible to the head or neck area, and Hall didn't lead with the crown of his helmet. The call was questionable, at best.

Honestly, this rule needs to be revised. Unless players are seeking out this helmet-to-helmet contact or going out of their way to make these unnecessary hits, they shouldn't be ejected on the first call. This should, at the very least, be like an unsportsmanlike penalty where you get two strikes.

Fortunately, Hall was ejected in the first half, so he won't miss any of the Nebraska game.