Minnesota’s season opener against North Carolina on Thursday night didn’t end with the walk-off victory many fans had hoped for, but you might have been fooled into thinking otherwise, thanks to a premature fireworks display that lit up the night sky at the end of the game.
The Golden Gophers welcomed the ACC’s North Carolina Tar Heels to Minneapolis, turning the matchup into a gritty, low-scoring battle typical of Big Ten football. Both teams struggled offensively, combining for less than 500 yards and converting just 12-of-28 third-down attempts. With 119 total plays and nine punts, the game was a slog from start to finish.
In the closing moments, North Carolina seized the lead with a 45-yard field goal, leaving just 1:48 on the clock. Minnesota, determined to answer, drove down the field to set up their own chance for a game-winning 47-yard field goal as time expired. Unfortunately for the Golden Gophers, college football’s infamous unpredictability with kickers struck again.
Dragan Kesich, Minnesota’s reigning Big Ten Specialist of the Year, lined up for the kick that could have secured a dramatic victory. The ball sailed through the air, appearing good at first, but then it veered right, narrowly missing the goalpost. The miss sealed Minnesota’s fate, dropping them to 0-1 as North Carolina secured a hard-fought win.
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However, as the final whistle blew and players began shaking hands at midfield, something unexpected happened: fireworks exploded above the stadium, creating a spectacle that would have been fitting for a Minnesota victory—but the Golden Gophers had just lost.
The awkward celebration was not the only mishap of the night. During halftime, Minnesota’s band added to the evening’s blunders with a flag display intended to honor the Big Ten’s newest member, USC. But instead of the iconic USC flag, the band mistakenly displayed the flag of Simpson College, a small private Methodist college in Iowa.
These gaffes capped off what was already a rough start to the 2024 college football season for Minnesota. Losing by two points on a missed field goal stings enough, but the premature fireworks and the flag mix-up added an embarrassing twist to an already disappointing night.
Head coach P.J. Fleck now faces the challenge of regrouping his team quickly, as the Golden Gophers’ schedule only gets tougher from here. And as for the fireworks—next time, they might want to wait for the final score before lighting up the sky.
