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'Sick to my stomach': Controversial offsides call looms large over Minnesota-Michigan game

The Gophers were called for an offsides penalty on an onside-kick attempt they recovered.

Nolan O'Hara

Michigan defensive end TJ Guy (42) lefts up the Little Brown Jug after defeating Minnesota at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Sept. 28, 2024.
Michigan defensive end TJ Guy (42) lefts up the Little Brown Jug after defeating Minnesota at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Sept. 28, 2024. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
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Wide receiver Daniel Jackson made an incredible 12-yard touchdown grab to get the Gophers football team within three points of 12th-ranked Michigan with 1 minute, 40 seconds remaining in Saturday afternoon’s game at The Big House in Ann Arbor, Mich. Grab your popcorn.

With just one timeout remaining, the Gophers needed to recover an onside kick to keep their hopes of the upset alive. It appeared they did exactly that — until a flag came flying, ruling that linebacker Matt Kingsbury was offsides. The Gophers were forced to redo the kick, and Michigan recovered.

The Wolverines were then able to run out the clock on a 27-24 victory.

But the replay review would appear to indicate that Kingsbury was not, in fact, offside.

FOX rules expert Mike Pereira was among those who didn’t agree with the call. 

“I don’t think he’s offside,” Pereira said on the broadcast. “… Was he offside? I’ll tell you, it’s so technical. To me, he’s not, but it’s awfully close. Nothing can be done, not reviewable obviously.” 

Pereira wasn't the only one who disagreed with the call. FOX colleague and commentator Chris Peterson was another who adamantly disagreed with the call on the field, and he voiced it.

"I'm sick to my stomach right now, I really am," Peterson said on the postgame broadcast. "I just hate to see this when the officials are making something up. Like I don't know why they would throw the flag. ... What are we doing? Let the kids play. We would always say, one play is never gonna lose you the game, one play can win you the game, but when it comes to an official's call?

"You know how hard it is to execute an onside kick?"

Gophers coach P.J. Fleck told reporters all he heard from officials was that Kingsbury was offside. Fleck said he hadn't seen a replay and was standing where the ball would be landing during the kick, not at the line of scrimmage where the call was made.

"We practice that every day. Time it up, right, right there on the edge," Fleck said. "Because you have to be if you're ever gonna recover one of those, you can't be behind. You gotta be right at it. Make sure you're just behind it. ... The call was made, I asked, he said that he broke the plain."

No one appeared to break the plain on the replay review. It's the type of call that will certainly be remembered by Gophers fans for years to come, ultimately ending the U's chance at an upset.

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Nolan O'Hara
NOLAN O'HARA

Nolan O'Hara covers all things Minnesota sports, primarily the Timberwolves, for Bring Me The News and Sports Illustrated's On SI network. He previously worked as a copy editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota's Hubbard School of Journalism. His work has appeared in the Pioneer Press, Ratchet & Wrench magazine, the Minnesota Daily and a number of local newspapers in Minnesota, among other publications.

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