No. 4 Indiana needed overtime to shake off Minnesota, but the Hoosiers kept their unbeaten run in one-possession games alive with a 23-16 win Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
It was the kind of game that never let either side breathe. Indiana and Minnesota traded field-position messes, stalled drives and special-teams swings all afternoon, and the Hoosiers eventually survived when redshirt senior defensive lineman Tobi Osunsanmi buried Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey on fourth down in overtime.
Indiana’s offense didn’t exactly come out firing. The Hoosiers opened with a negative-4-yard possession after Minnesota started with minus-1 yard on its first drive, and sophomore punter Billy Gowers then shanked a punt that handed the Golden Gophers the ball at Indiana’s 27-yard line. Minnesota turned that gift into a 37-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead despite generating only 7 yards of offense.
Indiana answered with its first real spark. After Josh Hoover finally got a chance to throw on the Hoosiers’ second possession, he hit junior wide receiver Charlie Becker for 4 yards, then later found junior wide receiver Nick Marsh for a 9-yard touchdown after sophomore safety Byron Baldwin Jr. forced a fumble and redshirt senior defensive lineman Josh Burnham recovered it in the red zone. That score gave Indiana its first lead midway through the first quarter.
The opening 15 minutes were ugly on both sides. By the end of the quarter, the teams had combined for just 63 yards, and Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey had completed 8 of 9 passes while managing only 9 passing yards.
Indiana had a chance to add to the lead early in the second quarter after starting on Minnesota’s 38-yard line, but senior kicker Nico Radicic’s 52-yard try was blocked. The Hoosiers also watched Gowers shank another punt later in the quarter, this one a 27-yarder that went out of bounds at Indiana’s 39. Minnesota made the most of the short field with a trick play, using three laterals behind the line before Lindsey found freshman tight end Roman Voss wide open up the sideline for a 39-yard touchdown and a 10-7 lead late in the half.
The Hoosiers had chances to respond before the break and couldn’t cash in. Radicic missed a 31-yard field goal wide left after Indiana drove 62 yards in eight plays, and Hoover was intercepted on the next possession when his pass was tipped to Minnesota senior defensive lineman Jaxon Howard. Indiana went into halftime trailing by three and was greeted by boos from the home crowd.
Hoover did not return to start the third quarter. He was replaced by seventh-year senior quarterback Grant Wilson after appearing slow to get up on the final play of the first half. Indiana’s first possession of the second half ended in another punt, but Wilson settled in on his second drive, steering a 65-yard march that ended with Radicic’s 46-yard field goal to tie the game late in the third.
Minnesota answered with a drive that included a key fourth-down conversion, but Indiana junior defensive lineman Mario Landino got home for a sack and forced the Golden Gophers into a 51-yard field goal from fifth-year senior kicker Luke Drzewiecki to go back in front.
Indiana then produced its biggest pass play of the day, with Wilson hitting Becker deep for 47 yards. Redshirt senior running back Lee Beebe Jr. helped push the Hoosiers inside the red zone, but the drive unraveled when Preston couldn’t secure the ball in the end zone before stepping out of bounds. On the next snap, junior place holder Quinn Warren fumbled the snap and Radicic never got the kick off.
The Hoosiers still found a way to tie it. Six minutes later, facing fourth-and-1 at Minnesota’s 16, Radicic drilled a 34-yard field goal to make it 13-13 with 3:05 left.
Minnesota nearly stole it in regulation. With one minute remaining, redshirt senior linebacker Isaiah Jones tackled Minnesota senior wide receiver Noah Jennings at Indiana’s 42-yard line, and Cignetti chose not to use a timeout. The Golden Gophers let the clock bleed down to 24 seconds before Drzewiecki hammered a 60-yard field goal to put Minnesota back ahead.
Indiana answered again. Wilson connected with Becker on the sideline for 33 yards, then threw incomplete toward Marsh. That set up redshirt senior kicker Paddy McAteer, who drilled a 60-yard field goal as time expired to force overtime for the second straight week.
In the extra period, Indiana wasted no time. Wilson hit Becker for a 25-yard touchdown on the first play, and Radicic added the extra point to make it a seven-point edge.
Minnesota’s turn in overtime started poorly, with its first two plays producing no yards. Lindsey eventually found Jennings for 17 yards on third down to reach the Indiana 8, but the Golden Gophers couldn’t finish the job. On fourth down, Osunsanmi got to Lindsey before he could release the ball, ending the game with a sack.
Wilson finished 9 of 17 for 156 yards and a touchdown. Becker led the receiving effort with eight catches for 149 yards and the overtime score, while Beebe ran for 84 yards.
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