Gophers are toast of Champaign

CHAMPAIGN, ILL. — When the game ended, and the Gophers football team was sprinting toward the corner of Memorial Stadium to celebrate with a small group of fans, Willie VanDeSteeg turned to a teammate.

"I was saying, at the end, that was probably the funnest five minutes I've ever had to play in football," the Gophers defensive end said. "Nothing like it."

Notice he said: "At the end."

After enough momentum swings to turn coach Tim Brewster's hair white. After touchdowns, fumbles, interceptions, sacks. After five minutes worth of big plays made the final margin feel so tight.

After the Gophers earned their first Big Ten Conference road victory since 2006.

Fun? You bet.

The 27-20 victory was a testament to big plays by a cohesive team with an iron jaw that kept the Gophers standing where they might have fallen in the past. They turned three turnovers into 14 points and became bowl-eligible with five games to play.

"I tell you what, guys," said Brewster, who left his alma mater with a victory. "This victory is sweet."

Big plays? Count 'em:

• Steve Davis stopping Illinois quarterback Juice Williams at the 1-foot line on fourth-and-goal at the end of the third quarter.

• DeLeon Eskridge breaking loose for a 46-yard TD run to give the Gophers a 20-6 lead early in the fourth.

• Linebacker Simoni Lawrence picking up a Williams fumble after one of VanDeSteeg's three sacks and returning it for a 27-13 lead with 5 minutes, 34 seconds left.

Not that it was easy. The Illini racked up 550 yards. Once Williams got rolling, Illinois forced itself back into the game with two fourth-quarter touchdown drives.

Illinois' last, best chance came after the Illini recovered Ralph Spry's fumble at their 48-yard line, down 27-20 with 2:31 left. Williams moved them to the Gophers 25. But on second-and-10, he was hit by VanDeSteeg while throwing, and the ball floated to cornerback Ryan Collado for an interception.

"We did almost everything to win, and we did almost everything to lose," quarterback Adam Weber said. "Somehow, we came away with a win."

This is becoming a habit for a team that kept finding ways to lose a year ago, when the Gophers might have succumbed on the road to a loud, homecoming crowd. But Saturday, the mostly orange-clad group announced at 62,870 was quieted, while the small pack of traveling fans celebrated.

"We've got kind of a philosophy: 'Why not us? Why not now?' " Brewster said. "The state of Minnesota stands proud this afternoon. The Minnesota Gophers had a program-changing victory today, on the road, against a very good football team, in an extremely hostile environment."

A year ago, the Gophers-Illini game was basically over by halftime, as Williams sparked Illinois to a 24-point lead. This time, the Gophers (3-3, 2-1 Big Ten) took the opening kickoff down the field, scoring on Weber's 25-yard pass to Eric Decker.

Who'd have thought that would hold up so long? The Gophers held the Illini (3-3, 1-2) scoreless in the first quarter for the first time this season and to only three points by halftime.

The lead grew to 14-3 early in the third quarter. Illinois' Daniel Dufrene fumbled on the Illini's first play of the half, and Eric Small recovered it at the 8. Three plays later, Eskridge ran for the first of his two touchdowns and the Gophers seemed on their way.

Of course, things got a little complicated. But, each time, the Gophers did what was necessary. Davis' tackle -- confirmed on review -- is an example. Eskridge's career-long run is another. Then there was Collado, an injury replacement whose interception sealed the victory.

"Resiliency is something coach Brewster has really tried to establish this year," tight end Jack Simmons said. "It's starting to pay off. Two close games in a row, our defense played great. It's neat to be part of something that could be really special this year. The way we're looking at it, our opponents are putting themselves between a bullet and a target, really."

At the very least, the Gophers are doing the things good teams do. Spry's fumble was the Gophers' only turnover. Weber felt pressure but never threw the ball up for grabs. The defense ceded yards, but not a lot of points.

The result was a road victory against a team that went to the Rose Bowl in January.

"Amazing," Gophers linebacker Lee Campbell said. "I cannot describe this. All that work, it's paying off."

Said Decker: "This was a respect game for us, to get our name out there, to show that we're a good program. We can go anywhere from here."