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.
