Minnesota made it a lot harder than it should’ve been but they held on to beat the Indiana Hoosiers 38-31 Friday night at TCF Bank Stadium.
The Gophers were crushing the Hoosiers 31-9 to begin the fourth quarter, but fumbles by running backs Shannon Brooks and Bryce Williams and an interception thrown by Tanner Morgan led to three straight Hoosier touchdowns and the game-tying 2-point conversion with just under four minutes left in the game.
The scoring flurry was stunning and concerning, but the Gophers were able to force Indiana to punt with under two minutes to play, and on the very first play of the ensuing drive Morgan launched a perfect deep ball that Bateman caught and sprinted freely to the end zone for a 67-yard, game-winning touchdown with 1:34 left in the game.
Statistical leaders:
- Tanner Morgan: 17-of-24, 302 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
- Shannon Brooks: 22 carries, 154 yards 1 TD, 2 fumbles
- Tyler Johnson: 5 receptions, 102 yards, 2 TD
- Rashad Bateman: 4 receptions, 108 yards, 1 TD
Minnesota needs two more wins to become bowl eligible. They’re back on the field Nov. 3 against Illinois.
