Curt Cignetti joked afterward that Indiana wanted to make its homecoming game entertaining. It certainly succeeded, although hardly in the way the Hoosiers intended.
No. 4 Indiana needed a 60-yard field goal as regulation expired, a backup quarterback and another overtime defensive stand to escape Minnesota 23-16 Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The overtime win improved Indiana to 8-1 and sent the Hoosiers into their bye week with plenty to evaluate.
Here are five takeaways from the dramatic victory against the Golden Gophers:
Special teams go from disastrous to heroic
For nearly the entire afternoon, Indiana’s special teams were its biggest liability. Billy Gowers shanked punts of 15 and 27 yards, handing Minnesota possessions at the Indiana 27 and 39-yard lines. Both resulted in scores, allowing the Golden Gophers to take a 10-7 halftime lead despite producing just 89 yards of offense and three first downs.
The mistakes continued elsewhere. Nico Radicic had a 52-yard field goal blocked and missed a 31-yard field goal. Charlie Becker fair-caught a punt at his own 3-yard line. A botched snap later prevented another field goal attempt that could have tied the game with just under nine minutes to go.
Then came Paddy McAteer. After Minnesota took a three-point lead on a 60-yard kick with 19 seconds remaining, McAteer answered from the same distance as time expired.
“As soon as he hit it, you knew it was good,” Cignetti said.
The defense remains Indiana’s backbone
While the offense sputtered and special teams repeatedly surrendered field position, Indiana’s defense barely budged.
Minnesota managed 215 total yards, converted just 3 of 15 third downs and finished with 120 passing yards. The Hoosiers recorded 11 tackles for loss and four sacks, consistently disrupting an offense that found little success outside of a 39-yard trick-play touchdown.
Byron Baldwin Jr.’s first-quarter strip sack gave Indiana the ball at Minnesota’s 14-yard line and set up its only touchdown of regulation. When the Golden Gophers reached the Indiana 3-yard line in overtime, Jeff Utzinger and Tobi Osunsanmi delivered consecutive sacks to preserve the victory.
“They’re definitely a strength of the team, no doubt about that,” Cignetti said.
That has become increasingly apparent as Indiana’s margin for error shrinks.
Grant Wilson makes the most of his opportunity
After another uneven half, also riddled with a possible injury to Josh Hoover, Indiana turned to seventh-year quarterback Grant Wilson coming out of the locker room. Hoover finished 8 of 19 for 119 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and absorbed another hard hit late in the half.
Wilson wasn’t flawless, but he brought a needed spark. He completed 9 of 17 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown while adding 26 rushing yards.
His biggest contributions came with virtually no time to spare. Wilson’s 33-yard throw to Becker down the right sideline set up the tying kick, then he found Becker again for a 25-yard touchdown on the first play of overtime.
Cignetti expressed confidence in Wilson, specifically pointing to his arm strength. With Hoover’s health and Indiana’s offensive consistency both in question, Wilson gave the Hoosiers an encouraging alternative.
Charlie Becker delivers when it matters most
Indiana has several capable playmakers, but it could not afford to be without Becker on Saturday.
The junior caught eight passes for 149 yards and the winning touchdown. Three receptions accounted for 105 of those yards. A 47-yard gain in the fourth quarter, the 33-yarder that set up McAteer’s field goal and the 25-yard score on the first play in the overtime period.
Those catches came in vastly different circumstances, but each demonstrated Becker’s value as both an explosive threat and a dependable target. Even as Indiana struggled to establish a rhythm at quarterback, Becker consistently found ways to make a difference.
Indiana’s passing game may still be searching for answers. Finding ways to get the ball to Becker should not be one of them.
The bye week arrives at the right time
Indiana is 8-1, but its last four games have been decided by one possession, including consecutive overtime victories. The dominant, mistake-free formula that characterized much of the Hoosiers’ early season, and the entire Cignetti era, has been harder to find.
Saturday offered another reminder. Indiana outgained Minnesota 419-215 yet scored only one touchdown in regulation, converted just two third downs and repeatedly failed to capitalize on promising drives.
The team’s first third-down conversion came with 4:50 remaining in the third quarter, having been 0-7 previously.
There is something to be said for continuing to win under those circumstances. There is also only so much a defense and a handful of late-game plays can overcome.
After nine straight games without a bye, Indiana finally gets time to recover and address its offensive and special teams issues before hosting USC on Nov. 14. The Hoosiers survived another scare. The next step is making sure they don’t need one.
