Analysis: Gophers’ victory at Illinois indicates again their ability to gut it out

CHAMPAIGN, ILL. – Last week, the Gophers devoured their dessert, a 48-23 homecoming romp over Maryland that featured a quarterback passing for 320 yards and four touchdowns, a cornerback returning an interception for a touchdown and their freshman phenom lifting fans out of their seats with a thrilling interception return.

All in all, the Gophers faithful savored that apple pie with ice cream and left Huntington Bank Stadium fulfilled and on a bit of a sugar high.

On Saturday at Illinois, however, it was time for the Gophers to eat their vegetables, and they had to grind their way to a 25-17 victory over the No. 24 Fighting Illini like someone trying to make it through a bitter serving of turnips.

No, the victory at Memorial Stadium wasn’t a thing of beauty, complete with a handful of self-inflicted mistakes. It was, though, full of football nutrients, just what the Gophers needed to display the resilience that’s served them so well this season and will be needed in the final three regular-season games.

“It was just a matter of just taking what we got the whole way through and sticking to it,” Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer said. “The guys did an outstanding job just sticking to the game plan, figuring out new things we can do to move the ball down the field.”

Brosmer was front and center in adjusting on the fly. The graduate transfer quarterback was not at his best Saturday, missing some throws he usually completes. Through three quarters, he had completed 16 of 28 passes for 125 yards with no touchdowns. The Illini’s defense was sticking close to Gophers receivers, and pressure up front had Brosmer on the move at times.

When Illinois converted an unsuccessful fake punt attempt by the Gophers’ Mark Crawford (more on that play later) into a touchdown for a 17-16 lead with 9:03 left in the fourth quarter, it was time for Brosmer to step up.

He did so first with his best throw of the day, a deep sideline pattern to Daniel Jackson on which the ball found a small window for the wideout to make the catch with a defender draped on him. That 37-yard gain moved the ball to the Illinois 38-yard line.

“That was a one-on-one shot that we had cooked up for a little bit,” Brosmer said. “Daniel was waiting on the shot, and he ran an amazing route. He did a really good job of delaying his eyes and his hands to make the DB not know where the ball was going to be.”

That led to Brosmer’s one TD pass of the day, a 1-yarder to tight end Jameson Geers on second-and-goal that made it 22-17 with 5:14 left. The play came out of the “tush push” goal-line format when Brosmer rolled to the right and found Geers open on his way to the end zone.

“That’s all [Greg] Harbaugh right there,” Fleck said. “… He called another great game.”

On that go-ahead drive, Brosmer was 4-for-5 for 61 yards. Four times this season, Brosmer has rallied the Gophers back from second-half deficits, and they’ve won three of those games.

Minnesota needed such a drive because Crawford’s fake punt came up 2 yards short, and Illinois cashed it in.

Facing fourth-and-12 from the Minnesota 44, the 31-year-old Australian punter saw an opening in the Illini’s coverage and took off toward the right sideline. Collin Dixon hit Crawford, who fumbled out of bounds for a 10-yard gain.

“Mark Crawford’s 48 years old,” Fleck said, exaggerating the age but not blaming Crawford. “The guy can make a decision on his own. … He has a green light to do that, and that’s my call to put the green light on.

“… You’re not going to be perfect,” Fleck added. “You’re going to make decisions. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t.”

Count Saturday as a day that a specific play didn’t work, but one when the Gophers got just enough from Brosmer, from running back Darius Taylor and his 189 all-purpose yards, and from a defense that made two stops late. The first one led to Dragan Kesich’s fourth field goal and a 25-17 lead, and the second ended the Illini’s final threat with Jah Joyner’s strip-sack and Danny Striggow’s fumble recovery.

“We’re not perfect,” Striggow said, “but if you can chase perfection, you can reach excellence.”