Hartman: With comeback victory, Gophers ready to break into polls

After rallying to beat Purdue 39-38 on Saturday, taking the lead on Ryan Santoso's career-long 52-yard field goal with 4 minutes, 59 seconds to play, look for the Gophers football team — unbeaten in conference play and leading the Big Ten West Division — to be ranked in the top 25 for the first time since 2008.

You have to give Jerry Kill and his coaching staff credit for adjusting defensively to stop a Boilermakers team that led 31-20 at halftime while generating 304 yards of offense. In the second half, Purdue was held to 147 yards and one touchdown, as the Gophers shut down the Purdue passing game and quarterback Austin Appleby. After halftime he was 4-for-10 for only 18 yards, and he threw the interception to Cedric Thompson with 2:28 left that just about wrapped up the first second-half comeback for Kill with the Gophers in 22 chances.

Before Saturday, under Kill, the Gophers had won every game they led at halftime and lost every game where they trailed. This victory gave Kill a career winning record with the Gophers at 23-22.

Kill talked about how he approached the team at halftime while trailing by 11.

"I said, 'Hey men, this is going to define who you are,' " he said. "Can you fight back from adversity? Can you fight back through some tough things? You're going to do it your whole life.

"We're going to find out what kind of team we are. I said, 'Hey, we have a great opportunity, we're going to get the ball back, but we have to execute and take care of some things. If we have to score every time, we have to score every time. But the bottom line is we can do some things better. We can tackle better, we can block better, and we certainly can coach better.' I thought we did a good job at halftime and I thought our coaches did a great job of adjusting, because they did some things."

The Gophers scored the game's final points with Santoso's kick, but Purdue still had plenty of time to try a go-ahead field goal. However, Thompson's interception gave the ball back to the Gophers, who were then able to get a first down and run out the clock thanks to a good run by David Cobb, who finished with 194 yards on 35 carries, including one touchdown.

"It's pretty good for him to come back in the game after he got hit on a peel-back block and laid there on the turf," Kill said. "He got hit right on the shoulder, and I had to wait for the trainer to tell me he's out or in, and he said, 'Hey, he's ready to go.' Then he comes back and makes a pick."

Thompson talked about not wanting to miss any playing time.

"As soon as I got hit I'm like, 'I'm not coming out of the game,' " he said. "I need to be out there with my team.' It did hurt when I got hit, but as soon as I got hit and went to the sideline they checked me out and I knew I was going to be fine. I just wanted to go out there and help my team.

As for that critical interception, Thompson said film study really helped.

"When I saw the play and saw the motion, from watching film, I knew kind of what was going to come," he said. "Once I saw the tight end bend across my face, I kind of trailed him because I didn't want to get on top of him because he wouldn't throw it. I said, 'If this quarterback throws this ball it's mine.' Once he threw it, I grabbed it from him."

"But our kids are going to be confident that, 'Hey Mitch is going to get it to us, we're going to be open, and we can go get that ball.' I think it's a two-way confidence with the staff, knowing that we can do it and the kids knowing we can do it. We made critical plays and I think that will help us as we move on, no question about that."

Kill added that one of the keys to the game was the replay reversal of a Leidner lost fumble with Purdue up 38-29 in the third quarter. Had the Boilermakers gotten the ball there, the game might have been over in their favor.

There were a number of plays that didn't go in the Gophers' favor, though. "We had opportunities early in the game to get some momentum, too," Kill said. "We jumped offsides and we had a pick for a touchdown, there was a fumble we didn't get and we've been getting those. You have to make plays in critical times, and we made plays in critical times."

Kill pointed out that good teams often have to win games in a variety of ways.

"I think it's a sign of a good group of kids is how you fight back," he said. "It's a good win, got to find a way to do that, and I'm happy for the kids. We move onto the next one."

• Former Gophers receiver Eric Decker is back healthy with the New York Jets and led the team with 65 receiving yards in their 27-25 loss to the Patriots on Thursday. Decker has 24 receptions for 323 yards and three touchdowns on the season, and now he will be joined by former Vikings star Percy Harvin after Friday's surprising trade between the Jets and the Seahawks, who reportedly got tired of Harvin's attitude.

• Former Gopher Tom Lehman, 55, is still golfing on the Champions Tour and recently finished second at the SAS Championship. He is ranked 11th in tour earnings this year at $994,875.

• Twins President Dave St. Peter reports the opening game on March 4 at remodeled Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Fla., will have the Gophers facing the Twins. He also said the Big Ten baseball tournament will be held at Target Field for a second year in a row in 2015.