Yes, it’s better to be lucky than good.

If you don’t believe that, you didn’t watch what should’ve been a bad Mitch Leidner interception in the third quarter of the Holiday Bowl. By all accounts, it appeared that the Gophers were going to spoil their best touchdown opportunity of the night and settle for a potential game-tying field goal.

Instead, this happened:

That’s about as lucky as it gets. Shannon Brooks got a touchdown catch, and even more amazing, Leidner got his eighth touchdown pass of the year.

The improbable score gave Minnesota a 10-6 lead with the third quarter winding down.

If that proves to be the difference, Washington State will be kicking itself all the way back to Pullman.