A yard is 36 inches and half a yard is 18 inches. So, using your own numbers, you're trying to argue with me over whether it's over a half yard short when the math using your numbers would have it at over a half yard short.
We're miscommunicating somehow. I think he had about 30 inches to go past the 35 yard line. If you set the back of the football at the 35 yard line, there would be 19 inches to go. But clearly the back of the football was past the 35, the question is how much.