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Minnesota rolls the dice on fourth down late, upsets USC at home

Derek Peterson

By Derek Peterson

Published:

Minnesota kept a slide from becoming a streak on Saturday, outscoring No. 11 USC 14-0 in the fourth quarter to upset the Trojans in Minneapolis, 24-17.

The Gophers had lost back-to-back games to Iowa and Michigan. They were handled by the Hawkeyes, but fought until the bitter end against the Wolverines. On Saturday, Minnesota solved its close-game issues. And it did so in the most dramatic way possible.

Minnesota took possession of the ball with 6:12 to play in the fourth quarter of a tied game. The Gophers drove 75 yards in 12 plays, bled 5:13 off the clock, and punched the game-winning touchdown in on fourth-and-inches.

The Gophers had it first-and-goal from the USC 4 with 1:55 to play in the game. They gained 1 yards, then 2, and then quarterback Max Brosmer was denied on a sneak attempt from a yard out. With 57 seconds remaining in the game, PJ Fleck had a choice — kick a field goal just inches away from the goalline, or go for the heart.

He went for the touchdown, and Brosmer rewarded that vote of confidence.

Officials initially ruled Brosmer short. Upon replay review, they overturned the call on the field and awarded the touchdown to Minnesota.

USC took over with less than a minute to play and no timeouts. Quarterback Miller Moss got the Trojans across the Minnesota 40, but he was picked off by Koi Perich going for the endzone on a first-and-10.

Brosmer finished the day 15-for-19 for 169 yards through the air. He scored all 3 of Minnesota’s touchdowns with his legs. Tailbacks Darius Taylor and Marcus Major produced 181 combined rushing yards and 90 combined receiving yards.

From USC’s perspective, the Trojans are going to feel like they let a game slip away. USC missed a field goal on its opening possession and then went 3-and-out. They fumbled it once and Moss was picked off twice.

USC outgained Minnesota on the evening, 373-362. Moss threw for 200 yards, Woody Marks ran for 134 yards and a score, but costly mistakes at inopportune times were lethal.

The victory for Minnesota is the program’s first home win over a ranked opponent since 2021. It moves the Gophers to 3-3 on the season and drops USC to 3-2.

Derek Peterson

Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.