LINCOLN, Neb. — When things were looking bleak, Minnesota relied on mental toughness to pull out a victory in a difficult road environment.
Quarterback Mitch Leidner ran 22 times for 110 yards, including the game-winning touchdown with 3:25 remaining, and No. 25 Minnesota overcame a 21-7 deficit to defeat No. 23 Nebraska 28-24 on Saturday before 91,186 fans at Memorial Stadium.
Leidner, who completed 8 of 17 passes for 135 yards, engineered a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter that gave Minnesota its first lead of the day and kept the Gophers’ Big Ten West Division title hopes alive.
More Top Picks Best Flexible Seating For Classrooms
(8-3, 5-2 Big Ten) can clinch the division by winning at rival Wisconsin next week.“I give all the credit to the players,” Minnesota coach Jerry Kill said. “They were mentally tough. We talk about mental toughness throughout the season, and to be physically tough. Today our kids were mentally tough and just hung in there and played hard.”
Leidner ran four times on the game-winning touchdown drive and completed a 38-yard pass to KJ Maye to the Nebraska 25-yard line on a third-and-6 play. Leidner scored four plays later on a 3-yard run.
“We always talk about you have to have receivers step up and make big plays in critical moments, and KJ made a great play,” Kill said. “Mitch made a great throw, giving him a chance to catch the ball. It was a huge play.”
Nebraska drove deep into Minnesota territory on its final drive, but defensive back Briean Boddy-Calhounrecovered a fumble by Nebraska freshman wide receiver De’Mornay Pierson-El at Minnesota‘s 4-yard line with 1:19 remaining.
“He is an unbelievable player,” Kill said of Boddy-Calhoun, who is coming off major knee surgery. “He has played as well as anybody in the Big Ten, and we are blessed to have good corners.”
Nebraska (8-3, 4-3) squandered a 21-7 halftime lead and lost its second straight game, and first at home this season.
“We lost because we didn’t deserve to win,” Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said. “We didn’t play well enough. We had too many busts. Our execution was sub-par. Our tackling was horrendous. Too much leaky yardage.”
Quarterback Tommy Armstrong completed 12 of 19 passes for 223 yards, and running back Ameer Abdullah ran 20 times for 98 yards for the Huskers. Pierson-El caught four passes for 87 yards, but lost two fumbles.
“We had too many things where we beat ourselves in a lot of instances,” Pelini said. “We had some opportunities, obviously, on offense and put the ball on the ground. All those things add up to losing against a good football team.”
Trailing 21-7 at halftime, Minnesota forced a three-and-out to start the second half, then drove 35 yards in four plays for a touchdown to pull to within 21-14.
Running back David Cobb scored up the middle on a 17-yard run, but left the game because of a hamstring injury.
Backup running Rodrick Williams Jr., scored untouched on a 19-yard run, bouncing to the outside on a fourth-and-1 play when Nebraska
More Top Picks Best Folding Chairs For Seniors
couldn’t contain the edge, to pull Minnesota to within 24-20Nebraska led 7-0 on Abdullah’s 2-yard touchdown run, set up when senior receiver Kenny Bell hauled in a 73-yard reception on a broken third-and-3 play.
Minnesota answered, with Leidner scoring on a 1-yard quarterback sneak to cap a nine-play, 71-yard touchdown drive.
Armstrong hit Pierson-El on a 15-yard touchdown pass to cap an eight-play, 49-yard touchdown drive for a 14-7 lead, before defensive back Nate Gerry recovered a blocked field goal and ran 85 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-7.