It took an acrobatic touchdown catch, late-game interception by one of the Big Ten’s best safeties and a walk-off field goal but the Minnesota Golden Gophers earned a 13-10 win in a dogfight with the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the college football opener Thursday night in Minneapolis.
KESICH CALLS GAME 🙌@GopherFootball WINS IT IN THE FINAL SECONDS 😱 pic.twitter.com/mg9U8lVfZi
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 1, 2023
“That’s poise,” said head coach P.J. Fleck on the field during the FOX broadcast.
Minnesota was down to its last gasp when redshirt sophomore quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis connected with Daniel Jackson for a 13-yard touchdown on 4th and 10 while trailing 10-3. Jackson dragged his back foot and made the catch for what will surely be one of the best touchdown catches of the season in college football.
TOUCHDOWN MINNESOTA 😱
On 4&10 Daniel Jackson comes up with a HUGE catch for @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/84QofhnsEe
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 1, 2023
Nebraska had more than two minutes to march down the field for the win, but Minnesota All-American hopeful safety Tyler Nubin intercepted Jeff Sims for the second time and gave the Gophers a shot to win.
Six plays later, Gophers kicker Dragan Kesich drilled the game-winning 47-yard field goal as time expired.
Minnesota’s game-tying drive happened after Justin Walley forced a fumble to give Minnesota the ball near midfield with 4:53 remaining. The next 10 plays were grueling.
- 1st and 10 at the 47: 3-yard run to the 50
- 2nd and 7 at the 50: incomplete deep pass to Daniel Jackson
- 3rd and 7 at the 50: 6-yard pass to Daniel Jackson
- 4th and 1 at the 44: Face mask penalty on Nebraska
- 1st and 10 at the 28: incomplete pass
- 2nd and 10 at the 28: 15-yard pass to Brevyn Spann-Ford
- 1st and 10 at the 13: incomplete pass to Daniel Jackson in the end zone
- 2nd and 10 at the 13: incomplete pass to Brevyn Spann-Ford
- 3rd and 10 at the 13: incomplete pass into the end zone
- 4th and 10 at the 13: touchdown pass to Daniel Jackson
It was a tale of two halves for the Minnesota offense. The Gophers had the ball three times in the first half and each drive chewed up big chunks of clock. The first drive was nine plays and lasted 5 minutes, 10 seconds. The second drive went 13 plays for 67 yards and took 7 minutes, 41 seconds. The third drive lasted 5 minutes, 3 seconds and took 12 plays.
In the second half, the Gophers went 3-and-out two of their first three offensive possessions and the other lasted seven plays but ended on an interception deep in Nebraska territory.
While the Gophers were struggling the Cornhuskers were making just enough plays, including a big kick return to start the second half followed by a reverse pass back to quarterback Jeff Sims, who fired deep to a wide open Alex Bullock for a 34-yard score and a 7-3 lead.
After Kaliakmanis was intercepted late in the third quarter, Nebraska went 80 yards on 13 plays – carving more than seven-and-a-half minutes off the clock – and kicked a field goal for a 10-3 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Kaliakmanis finished 24 of 44 for 196 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Jackson was his go-to receiver, finishing with nine catches for 68 yards and the touchdown. Corey Crooms had seven receptions for 63 yards.
Minnesota’s running game was non-existent, totally just 55 yards on 25 carries, led by Sean Tyler’s 10 carries for 41 yards. But it was Tyler who busted off an 11-yard run to set up Kesich for the winning 47-yard field goal. Without that run, the game very well could’ve gone to overtime.
Up next: Gophers vs. Eastern Michigan, Saturday Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. CT.
