That was definitely a facemask. You could see his head twist. And his helmet was crooked when he was on the ground.
GRASPING FACEMASK
Article 5 No player shall twist, turn, or pull the facemask of an opponent in any direction.
Penalty: For twisting, turning, or pulling the mask: Loss of 15 yards. A personal foul. The player may
be disqualified if the action is judged by the official(s) to be of a flagrant nature.
A.R. 12.12 Third-and-10 on A30. Runner A1 runs to the A33, where he is tackled by B1, who incidentally grasps A1âs
facemask on the tackle, but it is not a twist, turn, or pull.
Ruling: Aâs ball, fourth-and-seven, on A33. No Foul.
Please check the film once more. It appears one finger may have and I emphasize may have HIT the facemask but there was no grabbing or twisting of the facemask. His hand grabs the shoulderpads at the neckline and twists the pads.