Voltar
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana coach Curt Cignetti always believed in backup quarterback Grant Wilson.
When the seventh-year player got his chance Saturday, he delivered.
Wilson took over for the injured Josh Hoover in the second half and threw a 25-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime to help No. 4 Indiana rally for a 23-16 victory over Minnesota. The defense closed out the win by sacking Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey on fourth down to end it.
“This is entertainment, so I thought we'd bring some entertainment to this game,” Cignetti joked. “Minnesota played great and we just made some plays, but this team just finds a way (to win).”
Indiana (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) needed overtime for the second straight week to avoid a damaging second loss as it tries to repeat as national champions. Last week, the Hoosiers won 13-6 at Michigan.
This one appeared to be over when the Golden Gophers (5-3, 3-2) took a 16-13 lead with 19 seconds left on Luke Drzewiecki's career long 60-yard field goal. But Becker's 33-yard catch on the next play from scrimmage set up Paddy McAteer for a career-long 60-yarder to tie the score as time expired.
It marked the second season in Big Ten history that multiple field goals of 60 or more yards were made — and it happened in the same game.
For Minnesota, it was a crushing blow after leading most of the game on the road and on national television. Instead, the Gophers fell to 0-13 against defending national champs, and they still have beaten Top 25 opponents in back-to-back weeks since 1956.
“They made some big-time plays, and we did everything we could to put ourselves in position to win,” Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said. “But our kids never blink, never back down. We expected to win this game. That's a hurt locker room in there."
Indiana pulled struggling starting quarterback Josh Hoover at halftime after he took a big shot on his second interception of the season, and two late replay reviews overturned potential game-winning situations — one erased a go-ahead TD pass, the other took away an interception that would have put Indiana deep in Minnesota territory with 2:59 left in regulation.
Wilson was 9 of 17 for 156 yards and one score after Hoover went 8 of 19 for 119 yards with one TD and the interception in the first half. Becker caught eight passes for 149 yards and the decisive score.
Quarterback Drake Lindsey led Minnesota by going 20 of 37 with 120 yards and one TD. Javon Tracy had seven receptions for 40 yards.
Minnesota: The Gophers played well enough defensively to give themselves a chance in a huge game. But the two late pass coverage breakdowns proved costly, and an offense that finished with only 215 total yards couldn't bail them out at the end.
Indiana: While the offense struggled through a fourth straight game, one of the Football Bowl Subdivision's stingiest continues to stand tall. So far, it's been good enough in all but one game. But it's a dangerous combination with November and the College Football Playoffs looming.
Indiana's not so special teams may have been even worse the offense Saturday. It started with a 5-yard running into the kicker penalty on the first punt of the game though Fleck argued it should have been a 15-yard roughing the kicker call.
Billy Gowers' punts of 15 and 27 yards in the first half set up Minnesota's first two scores as the Gophers took a 10-7 halftime lead. And Nico Radicic had a 52-yard field goal blocked, missed a 31-yard field goal wide left and never got to try a 27-yarder with 9:11 left in regulation because of a bad snap.
Indiana: LB Rolijah Hardy hurt is back in pregame warmups and did not play. Hoover started the game with an injured right shoulder and landed hard on the shoulder before his head bounced off the turf on the interception return. RB Turbo Richard did not return after leaving in the third quarter after hurting his left shoulder and CB A.J. Harris left with an undisclosed injury in the fourth.
Minnesota: TE Julian Johnson was injured on an incomplete pass in the third quarter that left him on the ground for several minutes as his teammates took a knee. Eventually, he was helped off the field and went to the injury tent before going to the locker room.
Minnesota: Hosts No. 7 UCLA next Saturday.
Indiana: Hosts Southern California on Nov. 14 following an off week.
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