Gophers, Hawkeyes still strongly disagree about the invalid fair-catch call

“That’s part of what rivalries are all about,” Fleck said Monday. “They come down to, usually, a one-possession game, and then some of the best players are making the biggest plays.”

What made last year’s finish special — at least from Minnesota’s perspective — was the backdrop.

The Gophers were seeking their first victory over Iowa since 2014 and first triumph at Kinnick since 1999. Holding a 12-10 lead with 1:40 left in the fourth quarter, the Gophers faced fourth-and-7 at their 16-yard line and were forced to punt to the game-changing DeJean.

As Marc Crawford’s 37-yard boot angled toward the right sideline in front of the Minnesota bench, DeJean pointed with his right hand and waved with his left, seemingly alerting teammates to stay away from the ball when it hit the turf.

DeJean played the ball on a hop near the sideline, spun out of an attempted tackle, made another move and raced 54 yards across the field for an apparent touchdown that sent the crowd of 69,250 into a frenzy. The Floyd of Rosedale trophy appeared destined to spend a ninth consecutive year in Iowa City.

Except … officials wanted to take a further look at the play via video review, and Ferentz said he initially was told it was to see if DeJean stayed in bounds. After a delay of a couple of minutes, they ruled that DeJean made an improper fair-catch signal — the wave with his left hand — that negated the return. Instead, the Hawkeyes got the ball at their 46 with 1:32 to play. The Gophers defense made sure Iowa wouldn’t drive for a winning field goal. Cornerback Justin Walley intercepted Deacon Hill’s third-and-17 pass with one minute left.