
Have you recovered yet from the rigors of watching two of the most dramatic big Minnesota football games in recent memory, played on back-to-back days?
I can't remember the Gophers and Vikings winning in such a way in such meaningful games on the same weekend in a very long time. Gophers 31, Penn State 26. Vikings 28, Dallas 24. I have to imagine it's going to be a skyway full of smiles today.
In thinking about both last night, this struck me: The endings and outcomes were so similar that it makes sense now to think about them in tandem. So let's take a spin through the final game-turning defensive stops in both games.
The set-up
Gophers: The undefeated Gophers were trying to knock off similarly undefeated and favored Penn State for a signature win. After jumping out to a 14-point first half lead (24-10), things tightened considerably in the second half. A late touchdown brought Penn State within 31-26, and a fumble gave the Lions the ball near midfield. From there, Penn State drove with relative ease to Minnesota's 11 and looked poised to score the go-ahead touchdown in the closing moments.
Vikings: Prime time games on the road against teams with winning records are not exactly easy for anyone, but they've been particularly harsh for the Vikings and QB Kirk Cousins. And after jumping out to a 14-point first half lead (14-0) against favored Dallas, things were tight in the second half. Minnesota still led 28-24, but a punt gave Dallas the ball with 4:34 left and a chance to take the lead. The Cowboys moved the ball with ease, getting to the Vikings' 11 without even needing to convert so much as a third down, and looked poised to score the go-ahead touchdown.
The break
Gophers: On 2nd-and-9 from the Gophers' 10, Penn State appeared to have an 8-yard completion to Minnesota's 2. But instead of third and short, the play was flagged for offensive pass interference, moving the Lions all the way back to the 25. It was the kind of call that would have had Gophers fans howling had it happened to them.