Daniel Jackson’s game-tying touchdown catch in Minnesota’s season-opening win over Nebraska was so good that there are already T-shirts of the catch available for purchase, but lost in the bedlam was what appears to have been a missed false start call against the Gophers.
It was 4th and 10 from the Nebraska 13-yard line and the Gophers were trailing 10-3 when redshirt sophomore quarterback took the shotgun snap and found Jackson for the touchdown. But the replay shows Minnesota left tackle Aireontae Ersery and left guard Karter Shaw clearly moving before the ball was snapped.
4 and 10 / TD pic.twitter.com/lCxPtOOQ3q
— Huskers Talk | 𝙉𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙖 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 (@HuskersTalk) September 1, 2023
Here’s the replay at full speed and you can still see the left tackle move early.
DANIEL JACKSON ARE YOU SERIOUS pic.twitter.com/jLAjR65POF
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) September 1, 2023
Had a false start been called, the Jackson catch wouldn’t have counted and the Gophers would’ve faced 4th and 15 from the Nebraska 18-yard line. If that would’ve failed, Nebraska would’ve taken over on downs with under 2 minutes, 30 seconds left in the game, maintaining a 10-3 lead.
Nebraska still had a the ball in a tie game with a chance to go down the field and win, but quarterback Jeff Sims was intercepted by Gophers star safety Tyler Nubin and six plays later Dragan Kesich drilled a 47-yard field goal as time expired for the Minnesota victory.
