The celebration itself was awesome, as fireworks erupted at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
One not so itty-bitty issue.
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers had just lost Thursday’s game against the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, as kicker Dragan Kesich’s 47-year field goal attempt failed, according to The Associated Press.
Kesich had missed a 27-yard attempt earlier in the game, which Minnesota lost 19-17.
“There’s no one play that loses you the game. I told him right when he get off the field, ‘Hey, don’t even think about that right now. Keep your head up,” Minnesota linebacker Cody Lindenberg said. “There’s plenty of things that could’ve gone a different way.”
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The fireworks blunder received as much attention as the game.
“This was a sitcom-worthy awkward series of events,” USA Today opined.
“Someone was a bit too quick on the trigger Thursday night, and lit them off, despite the team losing by two to UNC,” David Hookstead wrote on Outkick.
Sports Illustrated highlighted what it called “one really embarrassing moment that had a lot of people shaking their heads in disbelief.”
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Social media was awash in mockery.
“Hey guys just got back from my first day on the job for victory fireworks at Minnesota, I think I did a bang up job Hold on my boss is calling me,” a poster using the name Charles Leclerc Stan posted.
Hey guys just got back from my first day on the job for victory fireworks at Minnesota, I think I did a bang up job
Hold on my boss is calling me https://t.co/AxeCkr0L9L
— Charles Leclerc Stan 🥥🌴 (@ThePiedPhifer) August 30, 2024
My daughter attended her first #Gophers game tonight.
Her reaction to this: “I’m confused.” https://t.co/q9r26yDwwx
— Noel Thompson (@N0ELTHOMPSON) August 30, 2024
Only in Minnesota do they light off fireworks for a missed FG to win the game.
— SB24 (@SkolBros) August 30, 2024
A poster using the name Sean O’Connell suggested a “15-yard penalty and an ejection for fireworks operator at Minnesota.”
Of course, Minnesota’s viral blunder was hardly the only story to emerge from Thursday’s ballyhooed slate of college football games.
Plenty of eyes were also on the polarizing Deion Sanders and his University of Colorado Buffaloes football team, which eked out a win over the North Dakota State Bison to a final score of 31-26.
