Minnesota stuns No. 11-ranked USC with fourth quarter comeback

DOWN GO THE TROJANS

Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck lamented on Monday in his weekly press conference that his team had yet to play “60 total minutes of really elite football.”

Well it only took 59 minutes and 53 second to secure a stunning 24-17 upset of the No. 11-ranked USC Trojans on Saturday, as true freshman safety Koi Perich intercepted Trojan quarterback Miller Moss in the end zone with 7 seconds left on the game clock to seal the victory.

It is the program’s first Top 25 win since defeating No. 24-ranked Iowa last year, and its first win over a Top 15 team since Minnesota beat No. 14-ranked Wisconsin in 2021.

The game-winning touchdown came on a quarterback sneak by Max Brosmer on 4th & 1 at the goal line with less than a minute left. He was initially ruled short of the goal line, but the play was ruled a touchdown upon review. It was a gamble by Fleck, who had seen his team get stopped short of the end zone on three straight run plays before the go-ahead plunge by Brosmer.

It was Brosmer’s third rushing touchdown of the game.

Minnesota struck first, taking a 3-0 lead on a 32-yard field goal attempt by Dragan Kesich in the closing seconds of the first quarter. USC responded by putting together a 15-play scoring drive, converting four third downs en route to a go-ahead three-yard touchdown pass from Miller Moss to Duce Robinson. Not to be outdone, the Gophers retook the lead on their next drive. Darius Taylor broke loose for a 40-yard run to set up Minnesota inside the 10-yard line, where Brosmer punched it in from a yard out to tilt the score back in the Gophers’ favor.

On the Trojans’ next drive, their offense converted yet another third down and were in Minnesota territory when Koi Perich used his helmet to punch the ball out of USC running back Quinten Joyner’s hands. Cornerback Ethan Robinson recovered the fumble, giving the Gophers the opportunity to add to their 10-7 lead with two minutes left in the half. But head coach P.J. Fleck didn’t seem all that interested in extending their lead, calling for three straight run plays. Only then did the offense pick up the tempo, only for Taylor to be stripped of the ball fighting for extra yardage near midfield. The USC defense recovered the fumble, and former Gopher kicker Michael Lantz’s career-high 54-yard field goal erased Minnesota’s lead before halftime.

The Trojans took the lead in the third quarter with a methodical 12-play, 91-yard drive capped by a one-yard touchdown run by running back Woody Marks.

The game turned in the fourth quarter when Moss dropped back to pass on 3rd & 5 at the Minnesota 34-yard line. Rush end Jah Joyner got to Moss on a speed rush and struck his throwing hand, sending the ball into the air. Linebacker Devon Williams snagged it for an interception, which the Gophers were able to convert into points thanks to a touchdown drive powered largely by Darius Taylor. Taylor never found the end zone but did a lot of work to get the offense there, racking up 25 carries for 144 rushing yards in addition to five receptions for 56 receiving yards.

USC went three-and-out on their next offensive possession, giving Minnesota the opportunity to mount a touchdown drive for the go-ahead score. It nearly started at their own 10-yard line, but the Trojans were flagged for unnecessary roughness after Perich was picked up and slammed to the ground on the punt return. The 12-play, 75-yard drive drained five minutes off the clock and allowed the Gophers to take the lead with less than a minute left.

This a huge — and much-needed — win for the Gophers, who came up painfully short in their bid to upset No. 12-ranked Michigan a week ago. They get their first Big Ten win of the season in spectacular fashion and get back to .500 on the season.