The lead in the Big Ten West Division was all but gifted to Minnesota on Saturday but the Gophers gave up a late touchdown to Illinois and lost at home 27-26, instead gifting the Iowa Hawkeyes sole possession of first place in the division with three weeks to go.
Trailing 26-21, Illinois backup quarterback John Paddock found Isaiah Williams behind the defense for a 46-yard touchdown pass with 50 seconds left in the game and a 27-26 lead. The Gophers had one last chance with but Athan Kaliakmanis threw incomplete three times and ran once for no gain and that was the ballgame.
ILLINOIS TAKES THE LEAD WITH LESS THAN A MINUTE TO GO. 😱
📺: BTN pic.twitter.com/cc0hPmw3d9
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 4, 2023
The loss drops Minnesota to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten. Wisconsin and Nebraska also lost Saturday, both falling to 3-3 in the conference. Iowa got a late field goal to beat Northwestern 10-7 at Wrigley Field, and with the victory improved to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten. So with three weeks to go, the Hawkeyes have a one-game lead over Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska for the Big Ten West crown.
Here’s how the game unfolded between the Gophers and Illinois…
After Illinois recovered Sean Tyler’s fumble on the opening kickoff and then scored three plays later, the Gophers responded with an impressive drive that went 65 yards in six plays, highlighted by Kaliakmanis connecting with Corey Crooms for 11 yards, Daniel Jackson for 24 yards and then hitting Elijah Spencer for a 15-yard touchdown.
Big response from @GopherFootball's @EhSpence1 to tie things up. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/xwlnrhxCwZ
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 4, 2023
Illinois went up 14-7 on Luke Altmyer’s second touchdown pass of the first quarter, hitting Isaiah Williams from nine yards out to finish drive that went 75 yards in 14 plays and ate 6 minutes, 50 seconds off the clock.
But back came the Gophers. again led by Kaliakmanis’s arm as he completed 4-of-5 passes including three for 58 yards to Brevyn Spann-Ford, the last going for 31 yards on a catch-and-run touchdown for the tight end.
Breyvn Spann-Ford finds the end zone for @GopherFootball 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VsgNNZswJ8
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 4, 2023
After a missed field goal by Illinois, the Gophers again moved the ball into Illini territory but on 3rd-and-9 at the 22-yard line Minnesota called a run play to Jordan Nubin, who went just four yards to set up 4th-and-5. The Gophers let the play clock run down and called a timeout and then sent Dragan Kesich on for a 36-yard field goal, which he nailed for a 17-10 lead with 1:20 left in the half.
Minnesota got the ball back at their own 27-yard line with 27 seconds left and one timeout remaining in the first half, but head coach P.J. Fleck decided to take knee despite Illinois getting the ball to start the second half.
The decision to kill the clock worked because Jah Joyner’s pass rush on the second play of the third quarter resulted in a strip sack and the Gophers got the ball at the Illini 12-yard line. The offense stuttered by Kesich hit another short field goal to give Minnesota a 20-14 lead.
But the lead didn’t last long as two minutes later the Illini found the end zone on a pass to the right flat that running back Kaden Feagin took 54 yards to the house for touchdown and a 21-20 lead.
They traded punts the next seven possessions until Illinois, on 3rd-and-3, had the first down on a pass over the middle to Williams only to have Minnesota linebacker Cody Lindenberg punch the ball out of Williams’ possession to force a fumble that the Gophers recovered and two plays later Kaliakmanis lobbed a deep ball to Daniel Jackson for a 31-yard touchdown.
MINNESOTA BALL. 😤
📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/MoNADTge3g
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 4, 2023
MINNESOTA TAKES THE LEAD. 🙌@GopherFootball capitalizes on a turnover and goes ahead late in the game.
📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/uGiEvVL4mI
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 4, 2023
Minnesota’s 2-point conversion attempt failed they led 26-21 with 5:53 remaining.
And then Tyler Nubin jumped a pass over the middle of the field for his fourth interception of the season with 4:04 to play.
Who else but @T_Nubin27⁉️ 😤@GopherFootball takes it back with a late INT.
📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/XjBofpr4kC
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 4, 2023
The defense needed to make one more stop as the Illini got the ball back at their own 16-yard line with 2:47 left and they couldn’t do it as Paddock connected with Williams for the winning score with 50 seconds to play.
