Scoggins: Victory shows how much progress Gophers have made under Kill

LINCOLN, NEB. – Jerry Kill shared a quiet moment as his players left the practice field late this week. The Gophers coach looked upbeat, but it was the tone of his voice that offered a glimpse into his deep affection for his team.

"I tell you what," he said almost in a whisper, "these kids have worked their tails off. I mean, they've given us everything they've got. This is a special group."

He smiled. He had a twinkle in his eye. He loves this group of players. Loves their character, their toughness, their drive to chart a new direction for this program.

This Gophers team is different.

How different?

Two years ago, the Gophers came to Lincoln and were defeated before the conclusion of the national anthem. They had no chance against the Cornhuskers that day.

On Saturday, the Gophers ended the game in Victory formation after a resolute second-half effort left an unmistakable statement on the scoreboard: Minnesota 28, Nebraska 24. They weren't going to be denied.

Think about that for a second. Then go ahead and pinch yourself, Gophers fans.

Enjoy this team, this moment, this week. They've earned this.

"We've come a long way," senior running back Donnell Kirkwood said. "I was part of two 3-9 seasons. I've been a part of those seasons, and being a part of this one now, you can just see how a program develops and how guys kind of buy in."

Kill preached patience after inheriting a mess from Tim Brewster. Kill told university administrators that a turnaround won't happen overnight. Might take seven, eight years, he said.

The Gophers still have areas in need of growth and improvement, but they sit here with a chance to win a Big Ten championship in Year 4 of Kill's regime.

The Gophers are 9-4 in their past 13 Big Ten games. They have won five conference games in a season for the first time since 2003.

They won at Michigan and at Nebraska this season. They treated Iowa like a chew toy. They made Ohio State work until the final minute to secure a win.

Say what you will about the state of the Big Ten these days, but that doesn't diminish the strides the Gophers program has made under Kill.

They are trending the right way. They have become a legitimate program that can compete with the big boys.

"I wouldn't put anything past our kids right now, that's for sure," Kill said.

Not much went right for the Gophers in the first half. They dropped interceptions and missed throws and had a field goal blocked and returned for a touchdown.

A 21-7 deficit would've snowballed on previous Gophers teams and turned the game into a laugher. This team just keeps fighting.

The defense allowed only three points in the second half, and Mitch Leidner showed a lot of maturity in guiding the comeback in the absence of star tailback David Cobb.

No Cobb, no problem. Just find a way.

Leidner ran tough all game and then dropped a beauty into the arms of KJ Maye along the sideline for a critical 38-yard completion on a make-or-break drive.

"He's definitely the leader of the team, leader of the offense," guard Zac Epping said. "And he fights through everything."

The entire team does that. The second half became the very definition of team effort.

Backup tailback Rodrick Williams scored on a 19-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1. Leidner bullied his way for 111 yards rushing. Briean Boddy-Calhoun saved the game with a forced fumble on a catch that would've given Nebraska the ball at the 2-yard line.

"I love all of those guys," Leidner said. "Just being able to see everybody having success on the field is just a great feeling for us."

And now they enter the final week of the season still in control of their fate.

Sums up everything perfectly, doesn't it?

Chip Scoggins • chip.scoggins@startribune.com