After near misses against Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa following the retirement of head coach Jerry Kill, Minnesota seemed due for a break in its favor.
So perhaps the football gods rewarded the Golden Gophers during Saturday’s 32-23 win over Illinois. Minnesota got dominated statistically in the second half, and it looked to be only a matter of time before the Illini gained control of a back-and-forth game.
But somehow the Gophers kept holding on to a slim lead, until Shannon Brooks closed the door for good. The true freshman running back ripped off a 77-yard touchdown run with 1:25 left, and a two-point conversion run by quarterback Mitch Leidner safely salted away a much-needed victory that might have just saved the season.