Filed under: Minnesota, Northwestern, Big 10
Northwestern came into TCF Bank Stadium with a 4-0 record. Minnesota came in with a 1-3 record. Neither team played like its record would lead you to believe, but the result was predictable. A 29-yard Stefan Demos field goal with 2:35 remaining gave Northwestern a 29-28 lead, and it held on to win by the same mark.Seriously, how else can Minnesota lose a game? The Gophers have looked past a lower-division opponent, they've been steamrolled by a far superior team and last week they were destroyed by a total breakdown in run defense. The only avenue of heartbreak left open to them was to choke away a winnable game with a questionable play call in the last minute. So that's what they did.
Minnesota had a first down at Northwestern's 39-yard line with 55 seconds remaining and one timeout. Incredibly, the Gophers called for a draw play. Northwestern, equally incredibly, seemed to anticipate the call and stuffed Duane Bennett for a one-yard loss. Minnesota had to burn its final time out. After two incompletions, Northwestern linebacker Ben Johnson intercepted Adam Weber on 4th and 11 and the game was over.
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