Backup quarterback Grant Wilson tossed a 25-yard touchdown strike to Charlie Becker on the very first play of overtime, clinching a wild 23-16 victory for No. 4 Indiana Saturday. The Hoosiers then shut down Minnesota’s possession to seal the deal, but man, they needed a miracle just to get there.
The Wildest Finish You’ll See This Year
Seriously, if you didn’t watch this game, you missed some bonkers football. It looked like No. 4 Indiana was cooked. Minnesota took a 16-13 lead with just 19 seconds left on Luke Drzewiecki’s career long 60-yard field goal. Sixty yards! That should have been the game. But then, Charlie Becker snagged a 33-yard catch, setting up Paddy McAteer for *his* career-long 60-yard bomb to tie it as time expired! Unbelievable. This is the second straight week Indiana has needed overtime, after winning 13-6 at Michigan last week. You gotta give it up to them for fighting, but man, they’re making it hard on themselves trying to defend that national championship. For Minnesota, this one had to sting. They blew a shot at a massive upset, now falling to 0-13 against defending national champs. They still haven’t beaten Top 25 opponents in back-to-back weeks since 1956, and this one felt like it was theirs for the taking.
Quarterback Carousel and Offensive Woes
This game was a roller coaster for the Hoosiers, especially under center. Starting quarterback Josh Hoover got pulled at halftime after taking a big hit and throwing his second interception of the season. Ouch. Backup Grant Wilson stepped in and, credit where it’s due, he delivered when it counted. Wilson went 9 of 17 for 156 yards and that decisive touchdown. Hoover, meanwhile, was 8 of 19 for 119 yards with one touchdown and that pick before getting benched. And let’s talk about Charlie Becker again. Eight catches for 149 yards and that game-winning score. The guy was huge. It also didn’t help that two late replay reviews went against Indiana, overturning a potential go-ahead touchdown pass and later taking away an interception that would have put them deep in Minnesota territory. Coach Curt Cignetti’s squad definitely isn’t looking pretty on offense, struggling like this for the fourth straight week. But hey, when Wilson and Becker needed to make plays, they absolutely did. For Minnesota, Drake Lindsey had a decent outing, going 20 of 37 for 120 yards and a touchdown, with Javon Tracy adding seven receptions for 40 yards. But they just couldn’t close it out.
So, Indiana (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) keeps their title defense alive, but not without some serious heart palpitations. They’ve got a bye week before hosting Southern California on November 14. Minnesota (5-3, 3-2), on the other hand, will look to bounce back when they host No. 7 UCLA next Saturday. That’s another tough one on the schedule, but after this nail-biter, you know they’ll be hungry for a win.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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