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GLENDALE, Ariz. — TCU had the Fiesta Bowl won Saturday night. Its coaches were whooping in celebration in the press box and its players were spilling onto the field from the sideline.

After a fourth-down stop seemed to have finished the game at 51-45 in favor of the Horned Frogs, that seemed to be the right thing. But then the celebration was halted and that fourth-down stop was reviewed. As everyone watched a replay that showed TCU’s Kee’Yon Stewart leading with his head in tackling Michigan’s Colston Loveland, it wasn’t so clear cut.

TCU deserved to win. But the play seemed to be targeting, which would have given Michigan a first down at the Horned Frogs’ 40-yard line and a breath of life with 25 seconds left.

The officials, though, ruled that the play was not targeting, though the tackle seemed to meet the precise definition of the rule. TCU’s coaches could keep shouting, the Horned Frogs, who will face Georgia in the national title game, could keep celebrating and the fans in purple could party on.

“They got it right,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said. “They got the call right.”

In the locker room across the hall, the Wolverines felt wronged — and not for the first time on the day.

Michigan’s Roman Wilson had a second-quarter touchdown overturned after officials decided following a review that he was down at the half-yard line. Wilson didn’t take any pains to hide how he felt about the officiating after his team lost the Fiesta Bowl.


  Roman Wilson was ruled down inside the 1-yard line, overturning what would have been a second-quarter touchdown for Michigan. USA TODAY Sports Roman Wilson was ruled down inside the 1-yard line, overturning what would have been a second-quarter touchdown for Michigan. USA TODAY Sports

“I caught the ball and I was in the end zone,” Wilson told The Post. “It’s kind of some bulls–t that they called that back.”

That call proved costly. Michigan, trailing 14-3, had just intercepted Max Duggan and Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy had followed that by hitting Wilson on a post route for what looked like a touchdown. Instead, they had first and goal inside the 1 and Kalel Mullings fumbled the ball on the next play, handing the ball — and the momentum — right back to TCU.

Little did Michigan know a later call was going to conjure just as much angst.

“I felt like it was helmet to helmet right at the back of his head,” Wilson said of Stewart’s tackle of Loveland. “It’s kind of messed up.”

“I’ll take a closer look at it,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Last play, they were looking at targeting and they ruled that it wasn’t targeting. The touchdown, Roman’s, that they ruled it didn’t get in the end zone.”


  TCU defender Kee’Yon Stewart appears to lead with the crown of his helmet to the back of Michigan’s Colston Loveland on the final play of the Fiesta Bowl. ESPN TCU defender Kee’Yon Stewart appears to lead with the crown of his helmet to the back of Michigan’s Colston Loveland on the final play of the Fiesta Bowl. ESPN

In TCU’s locker room, there was no apprehension in declaring the play to be legal.

“It wasn’t targeting,” defensive back Bud Clark told The Post. “That’s what I saw, honestly. It wasn’t targeting. They just wanted a little something late on, there wasn’t much there.”

To hear the Horned Frogs tell it, they were confident in getting a stop even if the call had gone the other way. And to hear most of the Wolverines tell it, they weren’t happy that they put themselves in a spot in which a call could decide things to begin with.

“S–t happens in football,” Michigan offensive lineman Trevor Keegan said. “It’s on us.”

Mullings, whose fumble followed Wilson’s overturned score, echoed that.

“It seemed like Roman was in,” he said. “[But] at the end of the day, if they put it at the half-yard line, I’m supposed to score. That’s my responsibility.”

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