Max Brosmer threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Geers and Dragan Kesich kicked his fourth field goal of the game in the final five minutes, rallying Minnesota to a 25-17 victory over No. 24 Illinois on Saturday.
It was the fourth consecutive win for Minnesota (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten), while Illinois (6-3, 3-3) dropped its second straight.
Brosmer completed 22 of 37 passes for 213 yards and a TD. Darius Taylor ran for 131 yards and a TD on 22 carries and he was the Golden Gophers’ leading receiver with nine catches for 58 yards. Elijah Spencer had six catches for 67 yards.
“We knew there was going to be a great crowd and it would be hostile. So what?” Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said. “Illinois is ranked. So what? We kept it all internal.”
Luke Altmyer was 20 of 33 for 226 yards and a TD for Illinois, but lost two fumbles.
Illinois coach Bret Bielema said Altmyer’s ball security is a problem that needs to be corrected. But he said the issue isn’t entirely Altmyer’s fault.
“When the QB position goes well, the QB gets a lot of credit,” Bielema said. “When things don’t go well, the QB gets a lot of blame. We need to help Luke out.”
Illinois needed a touchdown and two-point conversion on their final drive to tie, and had moved deep into Minnesota territory. That's when a Minnesota defense that had struggled to put pressure on Altmyer came up big. Gophers' defensive end Jah Joyner hit Altmyer's arm - jarring the ball loose - and his fumble was recovered by Danny Striggow on the Gophers 27.
Pat Bryant had five catches for 72 yards and Zakhari Franklin caught five passes for 71 yards and a TD for Illinois. Josh McCray rushed seven times for 71 yards and a TD.
Illinois took a 17-16 lead with 9:03 to go when Altmyer threw a 21-yard TD pass to Franklin after Minnesota punter Mark Crawford’s run on a fake came up short, giving the Illini the ball on their own 46.
Fleck said there weren’t any decisions his players made during the game that he didn’t like. Even the failed fake punt.
“It was the perfect call based on Illinois’ formation,” he said. "Mark has the green light to run when he thinks he has that opportunity. It didn’t work this time and it was risky, but it was the right call.”
Illinois: The Illini are no longer perfect at home this season and Bielema is no longer perfect vs. Minnesota in his coaching career. The Illini fell to 5-1 at home and Bielema is 10-1 vs. Minnesota. He beat the Gophers seven times from 2006-12 while he was the coach at Wisconsin. This is his fourth season at Illinois.
Minnesota: The Gophers haven’t lost since they were defeated by Michigan on Sept. 28. During the four-game stretch, they’ve beaten then-No. 11 Southern Cal and now No. 24 Illinois. A big reason is a stingy pass defense. The Altmyer-to-Franklin touchdown pass was only the sixth TD pass allowed by Minnesota this season.
After being ranked for seven straight weeks, the most since the 2001 Big Ten championship team was ranked for 10 consecutive weeks, Illinois probably will be booted next week. Minnesota could be a candidate to join the poll.
Bielema twice referred to the officiating as a “clown show” while discussing a fourth-quarter targeting penalty on Illinois' Miles Scott and a possible late hit on Altmyer on the Illini's final drive that wasn’t called.
Illinois linebacker Dylan Rosiek, the team’s leading tackler, broke a leg making a tackle in the first quarter. Bielema said Rosiek will have surgery and is out for the season.
Minnesota: At Rutgers next Saturday.
