P.J. Fleck commends Big Ten for new officiating change after blown call at Michigan

Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck decided to have some fun with Mike Grimm, the team’s radio play-by-play announcer, at the start of the coach’s weekly radio show.

“You didn’t hear?” Fleck asked Grimm on KFXN-FM. “They said we get to play them one more time. Get everybody back together during the bye week. We get one play. We get the ball at the 39-yard line, one timeout, [1:37] to go.”

No, the Big Ten isn’t giving the Gophers a do-over for the late stages of their 27-24 loss at Michigan on Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich. Instead, the conference received permission from the NCAA to alter the way it positions its head line judge and line judge on onside kicks.

After the Gophers rallied from a 24-3 fourth-quarter deficit and pulled within three points on Max Brosmer’s touchdown pass to Daniel Jackson, Dragan Kesich came on for the onside kick. As Kesich kicked the ball, linebacker Matt Kingsbury crossed the 35-yard line. The ball took a hop toward the Gophers bench and then turned up field, where Kingsbury recovered at the Michigan 38.

Bedlam ensued on the Minnesota sideline as the Gophers had a chance to complete a comeback for the ages. Instead, umpire Keith Vaverchak threw the yellow flag, ruling Kingsbury was offside. The Gophers tried the onside kick again, but Michigan recovered and ran out the clock.

Fleck reiterated that the one play didn’t cost the Gophers the game, pointing to a lost fumble and a blocked punt deep in Minnesota territory in the first half that each led to Wolverines touchdowns.

Rather, he hoped the Big Ten would examine the mechanics of how it handled onside kicks.

“This was not blaming,” Fleck said. “I wanted some type of accountability.”

When the Big Ten announced its decision on Tuesday, he said, “That takes a lot of courage by the Big Ten Conference.”

“They listened to it, they made an adjustment that makes it better for every team in our conference,” he added.