Minnesota-Illinois: Gophers Stumble Against Illini in 35-32 Loss

The score suggests that the Gophers played well against Illinois.

However, the truth is that the Fighting Illini controlled the game from the opening kickoff to the end, and Minnesota was fortunate to pull within three points.

The loss was one of the worst during the tenure of coach Tim Brewster.

If Minnesota plays poorly this week against South Dakota State, office pools will begin in earnest with everyone seeking to guess which game will be Coach Brewster’s last.

On the first possession of the game, Illinois, led by quarterback Juice Williams, drove 80 yards in 10 plays to take an early 7-0 lead. Illinois clearly came ready to play, wanting to prove that last week’s game was not a fluke. Unfortunately, there would be no redemption for Williams, as he would leave the game at the end of the first quarter with an injury. 

On Minnesota’s next possession, quarterback Adam Weber was intercepted by Terry Hawthorne. Hawthorne ran 44 yards to the house to run the score to 14-0.   

In the second quarter, Minnesota put together a nice drive and scored a touchdown. However, the Illini, twice taking advantage of a short field, scored two touchdowns. The first short field was created by a holding penalty and a sack of Weber on the subsequent play. The second short field was created by a short 22-yard punt.

At halftime, the Illini led the Gophers 28-7.

The Gophers, playing at home and needing only one win to become bowl eligible, came out flat to start the game.

The Gophers running game was virtually nonexistent, accumulating only 18 yards in the first half. Normally sure-handed MarQueis Gray even lost a fumble in the first quarter.

As good as Weber was against the Michigan State Spartans in the Gophers' last game, he was as bad against Illinois in the first half. Weber had only five completions despite attempting 17 passes for a total of 73 passing yards. 

Weber’s difficulty in connecting with his receivers was not entirely his fault. The offensive line did not give him time to throw, allowing Weber to be sacked three times and hurried on several occasions.

The Gophers, to their credit, did not quit in the second half in that they made a late charge in the game, getting as close as 28-25 after kicking a field goal, scoring two touchdowns, and making a two-point conversion attempt.

Could the Gophers overcome their largest deficit of the season? Gopher fans didn’t have to wait long to find out the answer.

On the ensuing kickoff, Minnesota kicked the ball out of bounds, giving the Illini the ball on their own 40-yard line. With good field position, Illinois decided to take a shot down the field, and quarterback Jacob Charest found Eddie McGee for a 42-yard gain. Illinois scored a few plays later, making the score 35-25.

Minnesota would later block an Illini punt for a touchdown in the final minutes, but the Gopher offense would never see the ball again, as Illinois on their last possession picked up enough first downs to exhaust the clock.

The Gophers could not get out of the first half hole that they had dug for themselves. 

The Gophers loss was demoralizing and was one of the worst losses for Coach Brewster and his team for several reasons.

First, Minnesota played with no emotion as if they were sleepwalking through the first half. Fans were expecting the Gophers to come out playing hard after having just won an emotional roller coaster game against Michigan State. Instead, Minnesota committed two turnovers and rolled over as the Illini scored 28 points in the first half.

Second, Weber had another erratic game leading the team. As a two-year starter, much is expected of Weber, especially in the area of consistency. Weber, however, struggled during the game, going 14-of-31 for only 221 yards. Weber had a touchdown pass, but he also threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. 

Third, the running game was abysmal. In fairness to Weber, some of his troubles can be explained by the inability of Minnesota to run the ball. The Gophers rushed the ball 36 times for 50 yards. No major college football program can hope to be successful if they can’t even manage to get 1.5 yards a carry.

Minnesota has one final remaining home game this season as they take on the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State. Minnesota needs to win to become eligible to go to a bowl game. 

After South Dakota State, Minnesota travels to Iowa City to face the Hawkeyes to close the season. Minnesota’s chances to get a win have significantly increased now that Iowa’s junior quarterback Ricky Stanzi has been lost for the regular season.

The Gophers, however, can’t take it for granted that they will win either game. If Minnesota plays as poorly as they did against Illinois, Minnesota could lose to both South Dakota State and Iowa. 

A 5-7 season for Minnesota and Coach Brewster in his third year at the helm will not be viewed as merely growing pains but a step back.

A 5-7 Gophers team will be home for the holidays, and the office pools regarding Coach Brewster will begin.