Trailing 27-24 Saturday against Michigan in Ann Arbor, P.J. Fleck opted for an onside kick to give Minnesota one last gasp at a would-be colossal upset.
It nearly happened. A perfect hop found the arms of Matt Kingsbury, who successfully recovered the ball. However, the Big Ten officials thought otherwise and ruled Kingsbury was offside. This negated the recovery, allowing for a re-kick and Michigan to earn its third-straight win.
Another angle of the play showed Kingsbury was not offsides. Even though it was close, it should have been enough for the Golden Gophers to have a final offensive series.
When speaking to the media, Fleck was asked about it and kept his sentiments brief, revealing the Big Ten had been notified of his concerns.
PJ Fleck reacts to missed offsides call in loss to Michigan
“Yeah, okay, here’s what I’ll say about that,” Fleck said. “[I] had a conversation with the Big Ten commissioner [Tony Petitti], the officials. We know they are reviewing it and we expect to hear something this afternoon. So, that’s all I’ll say about the last play.”
Fleck’s demeanor seemed distraught, especially considering the Gophers had to claw their way back into the game for a chance to win late.
Minnesota now sits at 2-4 and will attempt to avoid three consecutive losses when it hosts No. 11 USC Saturday night in Minneapolis. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
