Football Question: 2 Funmbles recovered by opposite teams

The Game Room
1

I’m partially paying attention to Mississippi State at Arkansas, and this just happened:

[ol][li]Arkansas’ quarterback was stripped at Mississippi State’s 20 yard line.[/li][li]Mississippi State recovered, and ran it back to about Arkansas’ 30 yard line.[/li][li]Mississippi State then fumbled (later, the player was ruled down before the ball came out). This was again recovered by Mississippi State.[/li][/ol]

What would have happened if Arkansas recovered the second fumble? Would they have had a fresh set of downs, or would they have been on 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) and 50?

2

I believe it would have been 2nd and 50. You do not get a new set of downs no matter how many times possession changes during the course of a single play, provided of course you retain possession, is my understanding.

3

Actually I was incorrect. It would be first and 10 Arkansas, as per the rule:

4

This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Specifically, there was an Indiana/Purdue game some years back where there were two fumbles on the same play. (Ah…found it here.) The upshot after the second fumble rolled out of the back of the endzone and was ruled a touchback was that the possession remained with the original team (as per the rule DCnDC quoted) who also got a fresh set of downs.

5

This actually isn’t all that uncommon. The most famous example is probably Leon Lett in Super Bowl XXVII. Buffalo ball, 1st and 10 from the 20 after the touchback.