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Big Ten team flagged with wildest penalty explanation of 2024
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
A Big Ten team got whistled on Saturday for one of what’s one of the weirdest penalty explanations of the 2024 season.
Minnesota hosted then-No. 11 USC at Huntington Bank Stadium and sprung an upset on the Trojans, holding serve with a 24-17 win. Things were a little tense with less than a minute remaining and the Trojans driving for a possible last-minute score.
That’s when Golden Gophers defensive back Justin Walley made a tackle and lifted his shirt, ultimately being called as he appeared to show a gun holstered on his waist. The flag meant the Gophers were hit with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty call to move the Trojans to their own 40.
Here’s video of the call. You can see Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck disagreeing with the flag:
Minnesota upsets No. 11 USC, overcoming the "Simulating Brandishing a Weapon" penalty – which is a "point of emphasis." pic.twitter.com/5Ee0QLcy6L
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 6, 2024
Ultimately, it didn’t hurt the Golden Gophers as their defense ultimately held on for the victory. They improved to 3-2 and head to UCLA in Week 7. Meanwhile, USC dropped to 3-3.