It's quite difficult for a football team's offense to score when it's on the sideline, and the Gophers found that out the hard way Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill.
Chase Brown rushed 41 times for 180 yards, and Tommy DeVito completed 25 of 32 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown as No. 24 Illinois defeated the Gophers 26-14, handing Minnesota its second consecutive Big Ten loss.
The Fighting Illini (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) repeatedly gashed the Gophers defense, amassing six scoring drives of 60 yards or longer on their way to dominating the time of possession 40:04 to 19:56 against a Minnesota team that led the country in that category. Illinois ran 86 offensive plays to 42 for Minnesota (4-2, 1-2). The Illini converted three fourth-down situations on their four first-half possessions, leading to 13 points.
And on the few times the Gophers had the ball, they didn't do a lot with it — aside from Mohamed Ibrahim's 15 carries for 127 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Tanner Morgan completed only four of 12 passes for 21 yards with one interception and added a TD run. He took a hit to the head in the fourth quarter, spent time in the injury tent and was taken by cart to the locker room. Redshirt freshman Athan Kaliakmanis replaced Morgan, going 2 for 6 with two interceptions.
The Gophers trailed 13-7 at halftime but took a 14-13 lead after Quentin Redding's 92-yard kickoff return set up Ibrahim's 4-yard TD run 26 seconds into the third quarter. Minnesota's offense, however, couldn't respond after Illinois grabbed the lead back.
Illinois received the opening kickoff and promptly drove 75 yards in nine plays for a 7-0 lead, the second consecutive game the Gophers have allowed an opening-possession TD. DeVito hit a wide-open Brown out of the backfield for a 40-yard TD pass with 10:56 left in the first quarter. DeVito was 4 for 4 for 60 yards and had a 2-yard sneak on fourth-and-1 from the Minnesota 42.
On their first possession, the Gophers reached the Illinois 37 on the strength of 13- and 19-yard runs by Ibrahim, but Morgan, under pressure from Seth Coleman, underthrew Mike Brown-Stephens, and Kendall Smith intercepted the pass at the Illini 8.
Illinois rode the hot arm of DeVito to a 10-0 lead, with Fabrizio Pinton kicking a 31-yard field goal 1:54 into the second quarter. DeVito, who completed his first nine passes, found Isaiah Williams for a 7-yard gain on fourth-and-6 from the Minnesota 24.
The Gophers got a needed boost on the following possession when Ibrahim broke free for a 44-yard gain to the Illinois 22. Morgan then hit tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford, who made a great leaping catch for an 11-yard gain to the 11. Morgan, on a makeshift quarterback draw, faked a handoff and a pass, then sprinted up the vacated middle for a 9-yard TD run that cut the Illini lead to 10-7 with 8:30 left in the second quarter.
Illinois answered back to stretch the lead to 13-7 on Pinton's 23-yard field goal with 20 seconds left in the second quarter. The 19-play, 72-yard march drained 8:05 from the clock, and DeVito's 12-yard pass to Pat Bryant on fourth-and-5 from the Minnesota 31 kept it alive.
Redding gave the Gophers an immediate charge to start the second half, returning the kickoff 92 yards to the Illinois 8. A horse collar tackle on the Illini during the return moved the ball to the 4, and Ibrahim dove in for the TD and 14-13 lead.
Illinois, though, quickly responded, taking a 20-14 lead on DeVito's 6-yard TD run with 11:45 left in the third quarter. Key plays on a seven-play, 75-yard drive were Brown's 17-yard gain to the Minnesota 39 and DeVito's 35-yard pass to Brian Hightower to the 5.
Illinois made it a two-score game, 23-14 when Pinton kicked a 23-yard field goal with 13:02 left in the fourth quarter. It capped a 15-play, 75-yard drive.
On the ensuing possession, Morgan took a shot to the helmet and rolled his left ankle during a third-down scramble with 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter. He walked off the field and went into the medical tent.
Kaliakmanis replaced Morgan with the Gophers facing fourth-and-1 from the Illinois 38. He bobbled the snap but secured the ball and gained 4 yards. Kaliakmanis was sacked for a 10-yard loss and threw two incomplete passes, forcing a punt.
Illinois added a 30-yard field goal by Pinton with 3:22 to play.
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The Star Tribune did not send the writer of this article to the game. This was written using a broadcast, interviews and other material.
