Blown offsides call in Gophers vs. Michigan game spurs Big Ten officiating change

Two days after his Gophers lost 27-24 at Michigan when a late onside kick recovered by Minnesota was nullified by a penalty, P.J. Fleck on Monday morning chose his words slowly and diplomatically.

“P.J., what did you see after watching that onside kick on tape?” a reporter asked.

“Um,” the coach said, followed by a pause. “Here’s what I’ll say about that: I had a conversation with the Big Ten commissioner and the officials. We know they are reviewing it, and we expect to hear something this afternoon.”

On Monday afternoon, the coach had more to say after the Big Ten’s coordinator of officials admitted the game officials erred.

“We submitted the play to the Big Ten coordinator of officials for review,” Fleck said of Bill Carollo. “The coordinator informed us the play was too tight to flag.”

Carollo’s admission won’t change the result. Defending national champion Michigan still won, and the Gophers were denied one last chance at what would have been one of the program’s most thrilling victories in decades. The Big Ten, though, is changing how it officiates onside kicks.

The play in question came after the Gophers had cut what once was a 24-3 fourth-quarter lead for Michigan to 27-24 with 1:37 to play on Daniel Jackson’s spectacular 12-yard touchdown catch on a pass from Max Brosmer.

Dragan Kesich lined up for the onside kick at the Minnesota 35-yard line and sent the ball to the right toward the Gophers bench. After the ball took a turn amid a few bodies at the Gophers 45 and squirted upfield, linebacker Matt Kingsbury pounced on it at the Michigan 38.

Then came a yellow flag on the field. Umpire Keith Vaverchak ruled Kingsbury had been offside, passing the Minnesota 35 before Kesich’s kick. Replays suggest the call was incorrect, with the ball away from Kesich’s foot before Kingsbury passed the 35. The Gophers tried a second onside kick, but Michigan recovered.

At least the call spurred some change. In an effort to make sure it is “putting multiple officials in the best position to consistently make the correct judgment,” the Big Ten received immediate approval from the NCAA to change their officiating alignment on onside kicks. The head line judge and line judge will be positioned on the kicking team’s 35-yard line, giving two views down the line.

Of course, that won’t help the Gophers now. Instead of getting a last chance to pull off the upset of the then-No. 12 Wolverines, the Gophers left Michigan Stadium a 2-3 overall record and 0-2 Big Ten mark.

“Winning’s the objective, and we didn’t do that,” Fleck said. “It took 60-some plays on both sides of the ball to get to that last play. Every play tells its own story. Not one play will lose you a game, but I believe one play can win you a game.”

They’ll try to improve their record against another ranked team, No. 11 USC, which visits Huntington Bank Stadium for a 6:30 p.m. game on Saturday. The Trojans (3-1, 1-1) are coming off a 38-21 home victory over Wisconsin, which followed a loss at Michigan by that same 27-24 score.

“They’re one play away from winning that game,” Fleck said of USC. “… This is our second-straight game of playing a top-12 team. That’s the fun thing about the new Big Ten.”

One of the most anticipated Gophers trips in years — their visit to UCLA and Rose Bowl stadium for the first time since Jan. 1, 1962 — will be played under the lights. The Oct. 12 contest will start at 8 p.m. Central and air on BTN.

The game will be the fourth all-time against the Bruins. Minnesota beat UCLA 21-3 in the Rose Bowl game following the 1961 season and 27-13 in 1977 at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis. UCLA won 17-3 in 1978 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.