Oct 21, 2015 01:49 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Blake O'Neill may well be immortalized for botching a punt that could have sealed a win for Michigan against in-state rival Michigan State, but he will not let it get to him.

According to ESPN, O'Neill spoke publicly about the play for the first time since Michigan's home loss to Michigan State last Saturday. At a press conference after practice Tuesday, O'Neill told reporters what he thinks led to the improbable play.

"I tried to sort of kick it over my head, and that didn't work out," he said. "That's life. That's football. You learn from it so you can do better and pick up yourself up, dust yourself and move on. We're sort of taught to pick up and move it on. Obviously, that's completely on me. I own this error and very much know better if I was to have my time over again."

O'Neill is from Melbourne, Australia and is attending the University of Michigan (UM) for his second Master's Degree. He indicated his instincts playing Aussie football kicked in when he probably should have just fallen on the ball after failing to catch the snap, rather than trying to attempt the kick. O'Neill was the punter at Weber State last season before he transferred to Michigan.

Despite all the negative messages sent his way, which UM interim athletic director Jim Hackett publicly condemned, O'Neill said he has felt support from people within the Michigan locker room and beyond.

"Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and go again," MLive.com quoted O'Neill telling reporters. "That's the beauty of sports. We'll get another chance against Minnesota to come out and prove that we're improving.

"The Michigan football team all rallied around me and said 'look, mate, one play doesn't define a game and we'll come back stronger from this and, as coach said, put steel in our spine.'"

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