Louisville's Jackson: Gesture was 'zip it,' not throat slash

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson says a gesture he made after scoring his final touchdown at Boston College is being misunderstood.

The Heisman Trophy front-runner accounted for seven touchdowns in the No. 5 Cardinals' 52-7 beating of the Eagles on Saturday, with his last score coming on a 53-yard burst through the middle. Upon celebrating with teammates Jackson drew his hand across his face in what some on social media wondered was a throat-slashing gesture. He was not penalized.

Jackson said in a statement issued by the school Saturday night that wasn't his intention. He said: ''After my 53-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, I made a motion that is being interpreted incorrectly by some. I moved my hand over my mouth in a gesture that my teammates and I refer to as `zip it.'''

Jackson completed 12 of 17 passes for 231 yards and four TDs. He also rushed 15 times for 185 yards and three more scores.