BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Backup quarterback Grant Wilson threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Becker on the first play of overtime, and No. 4 Indiana came up with a stop on Minnesota‘s possession to close out a 23-16 victory Saturday.
Indiana (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) needed overtime for the second straight week to avoid a potentially damaging second loss as it tries to defend the national championship. Last week, the Hoosiers won 13-6 at Michigan.
This one looked like it was over when the Golden Gophers (5-3, 3-2) took a 16-13 lead with 19 seconds to go on Luke Drzewiecki‘s career-long 60-yard field goal. But Becker’s 33-yard catch set up Paddy McAteer for a career-long 60-yarder to tie it as time expired.
Minnesota fell to 0-13 against defending national champs and still has not beaten Top 25 opponents in back-to-back weeks since 1956.
Indiana pulled struggling starting quarterback Josh Hoover at halftime after he took a big shot on his second interception of the season, and two late replay reviews overturned potential game-winning situations — one erasing a go-ahead TD pass, the other taking away an interception that would have put Indiana deep in Minnesota territory in the final minutes.
Hoover was 8-of-19 for 119 yards with one TD and one interception, and Wilson was 9-of-17 for 156 yards and one score. Becker caught eight passes for 149 yards, including the decisive touchdown pass.
Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey was 20-of-37 with 120 yards and one TD. Javon Tracy had seven receptions for 40 yards.
