The Gophers somehow, someway took down Michigan State 23-20 in overtime for their sixth win of the season.
Minnesota entered Saturday’s game with a laundry list of injuries, and none were more significant than Darius Taylor missing his third game of the year due to injury. Redshirt freshman Fame Ijeboi filled into the role, and a 49-yard run in the first quarter gave the Gophers some early offensive juice.
A five-play, 63-yard touchdown drive was Minnesota’s first first-quarter touchdown since Week 2 against Northwestern State. Their 7-0 lead after the first 15 minutes was the first time they led at the end of the first quarter against an FBS opponent all season.
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After forcing a Michigan State punt, the Gophers went on a 10-play, 51-yard drive, which was their longest of the day, but it resulted in only three points. They got in the red zone one more time before half, but missed a 33-yard field goal. Minnesota controlled much of the first half, but only led 10-0 heading into the locker room.
Stagnant offensive play-calling was how the Gophers opened the second half, and it was a constant theme throughout the game. Greg Harbaugh Jr. is in his third season as Minnesota’s play-caller, and the offense is no better than it was when he replaced Mike Sanford Jr. after the 2022 season.
Michigan State found the endzone on a fluke 71-yard touchdown, but true freshman QB Alessio Milivojevic was having his way with the Gophers’ secondary all afternoon in the first start of his college career. He finished with 20 of 28 for 311 yards and one touchdown.
Rodney Bullard Jr. with a 71-yard TD for @MSU_Football 😤
📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/rZRBGca4kq
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 1, 2025
The Spartans were driving down the field, and it looked like they were about to take the lead near the end of the fourth quarter, but a missed 23-yard field goal opened the door wide open for Minnesota to put together a game-winning drive. The Gophers quickly punted the ball back to Michigan State after only one first down.
Michigan State drove 88 yards down the field on only three plays and took a 17-10 lead with less than two minutes to go. Minnesota’s backs were against the wall, and the offense delivered with a nine-play, 65-yard touchdown drive to tie things at 17 with 29 seconds to go. The Gophers went to overtime for the first time since their 2023 loss at Northwestern.
The Gophers’ defense delivered a three-and-out to open overtime. Landing on the right side of two pass interference calls set Minnesota up for a game-winning rushing touchdown from Drake Lindsey on a bootleg rollout that was converted by mere inches to win 23-20.
The Gophers are now 6-3, and they will enter their final bye week of the season before a marquee trip to the West Coast to face Oregon on the road for a Friday night contest on November 14.
