Drake Lindsey rushed for two touchdowns, including a game-winning 3-yard scramble in the first overtime, to lift Minnesota to a 23-20 win over Michigan State in a Big Ten Conference battle on Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Fame Ijeboi rushed 17 times for 108 yards and a touchdown for Minnesota (6-3, 4-2), which secured bowl eligibility. Lindsey completed 26 of 39 passes for 197 yards in addition to rushing for a pair of touchdowns.
Alessio Milivojevic completed 20 of 28 passes for 311 yards and a touchdown in his first career start for Michigan State (3-6, 0-6). Elijah Tau-Tolliver rushed 11 times for 127 yards, and Rodney Bullard Jr. added four catches for 102 yards and a touchdown for the Spartans.
Lindsey won the game on a wild dash toward the left pylon. The play went to video review, which confirmed that the ball crossed the goal line before he stepped out of bounds.
The Golden Gophers erased a 20-17 deficit, which the Spartans held after Martin Connington kicked a 36-yard field goal on the opening possession of overtime.
Minnesota forced the extra session by evening the score at 17-all with 24 seconds remaining. Lindsey scored on a 2-yard quarterback sneak.
On the previous drive, Michigan State grabbed a 17-10 lead with 1:52 to go. Brandon Tullis rushed for a 1-yard score two plays after Tau-Tolliver sprinted for 85 yards to put the Spartans in the red zone.
The Golden Gophers grabbed a 7-0 lead with 2:24 remaining in the first quarter. Ijeboi opened the drive with a 49-yard run to the Spartans’ 14-yard line, and four plays later he finished things off with a 1-yard touchdown run off the right side.
Minnesota made it 10-0 on Brady Denaburg’s 30-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
The Spartans sliced the deficit to 10-7 in the opening minute of the second half. Milivojevic rolled right and completed a pass to Bullard Jr., who caught the ball just shy of midfield and sprinted 55 yards untouched for a 71-yard touchdown.
Michigan State evened the score at 10-all with 14:16 remaining. Connington made a 34-yard field goal to finish a 12-play, 50-yard drive.
–Field Level Media
