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Chris Autman-Bell makes ridiculous 4th down catch, sets up Minnesota TD

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Tanner Morgan and Chris Autman-Bell might be responsible for one of the biggest plays of Friday night’s B1G West showdown between Minnesota and Purdue.

On a 4th-and-8 on the Purdue 34-yard line, P.J. Fleck sent his offense on the field in an effort to pick up a 1st down. That call worked, as Morgan delivered a pass that found the hands of Autman-Bell for a big gain.

Autman-Bell had to fight off a Purdue defender in his face and was falling to the ground while making the catch. It was credited as a 33-yard pickup, putting the Gophers at the 1-yard line.

Mohamed Ibrahim punched the ball across the goal line for the touchdown.

With the touchdown, Minnesota built its lead to 28-17 in the 3rd quarter.

It was a gutsy call by the Gophers, especially after being completely shut down on the 3rd down play. But it paid off in a big way for Minnesota and Fleck.

Could that be the difference in the game? It was certainly a big momentum booster for Minnesota.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB