Saturday night got off to a weird start for the Texas Longhorns when a slip in managing the coin toss resulted in UCLA getting to receive the football first in both halves. Texas captain Desmond Jackson inexplicably told the ref Texas wanted to kick off to start the game, after UCLA had won the coin flip and deferred to the second half. This resulted in Texas having to kick off to the Bruins at the start of the first and second half. The bizarre coin flip sequence quickly became a point of ridicule for the Longhorns, and Jackson felt a need to apologize for the error in football judgement. He did so by issuing a public apology via his Twitter account on Tuesday.
UCLA won the football game, 20-17. Would Texas getting one of the half-opening possessions have changed the outcome? It is impossible to guess how things might have been different. The game still went down to the wire. The only time a mistake in the coin flip may have taken a costly toll on the Longhorns might have been if the mistake had taken place in overtime, with Texas choosing to play defense second rather than the more traditional option of playing defense first.
To everyone including longhorn nation.. That’s my fault on the coin toss.. You live and you learn. It won’t happen again.
— SugaRay Jackson (@tank_texasboy99) September 16, 2014
People never can talk about their own mistakes but wanna talk about everyone else.. I’m human an sometimes you freeze up an make mistakes..
— SugaRay Jackson (@tank_texasboy99) September 16, 2014
So I learn from it. And I’m moving forward and continue to be one of the best d-lineman and best teammate I can be in the country.God bless
— SugaRay Jackson (@tank_texasboy99) September 16, 2014
UCLA won the football game, 20-17. Would Texas getting one of the half-opening possessions have changed the outcome? It is impossible to guess how things might have been different. The game still went down to the wire. The only time a mistake in the coin flip may have taken a costly toll on the Longhorns might have been if the mistake had taken place in overtime, with Texas choosing to play defense second rather than the more traditional option of playing defense first.
Mistakes happen, but mistakes are bigger in Texas.
Helmet sticker to The Oklahoman.
