It looked like Cooper DeJean had saved the day once again.
Against all odds, the Iowa Hawkeyes were going to survive and beat the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Whether the final score was 16-12 or 17-12 or 18-12 with a potential two-point try pending, Iowa was once again going to have won in spite of its offense.
There’s another conversation to be had about Iowa being in the situation it was in in the first place and just how unsustainable its offense is, but let’s deal with the immediate aftermath here.
After a potential game-winning drive stalled out at Iowa’s 41-yard line, the Hawkeyes elected to punt it away to Minnesota instead of going for it on 4th-and-10. The Hawkeyes had all three of their timeouts to work with and would turn one final time to their defense to try and get the football back with one final chance to drive and kick a game-winning field goal.
Inexplicably, the Gophers actually chose to throw the football in between runs of just one and three yards from running back Sean Tyler on the ensuing drive. That meant Minnesota would be punting the football away to DeJean and Iowa.
As Minnesota punter Mark Crawford’s punt skipped past midfield, DeJean signaled for his return team to get away from the football, seemingly deciding not to attempt a return.
Then, at the last moment, DeJean sprung into action, snaring the football at his own 46-yard line. DeJean slipped out of an initial would-be tackle from Minnesota’s Brady Weeks and then raced past a host of Gophers and tiptoed the sidelines to stay in bounds.
DeJean then cut back, evaded another Gopher punt coverage member at the Minnesota 32-yard line and ended his dizzying display with a 54-yard punt return touchdown. It sent Kinnick Stadium into a frenzy.
What a moment. Just like Michigan State. DeJean to the rescue.
COOPER DEJEAN! IOWA HAS GONE MAX IOWA AND GETS A PUNT RETURN TD TO LEAD 16-12!!! pic.twitter.com/sAq9NdBa0u
— Sickos Committee (@SickosCommittee) October 21, 2023
Then, of course, the officials decided to get in the way and mar a heroic Hawkeye victory and take away a defining, game-winning moment to capture the Floyd of Rosedale.
After review, the officiating crew ruled that DeJean had signaled for an invalid fair catch, ruling the play dead at the Iowa 46-yard line.
Iowa’s offense did get one final crack at it and of course the sequence led to sophomore quarterback Deacon Hill being sacked and then promptly throwing a game-sealing interception.
Hawkeye fans were collectively outraged. And it feels like the majority of the college football world feels that Iowa was robbed versus Minnesota, too.
Take a look at the reaction and outrage below.