Scoggins: ‘Calm and poised’ Drake Lindsey delivers when he has to for Gophers

Drake Lindsey ran onto the field for the first true “got-to-have-it” drive of his college career. Down four, 6½ minutes remaining, anything less than a touchdown might have sent the Gophers to a second consecutive loss and a lot of questions about where their season is headed.

The freshman quarterback handled that moment as if on a leisurely stroll across the Stone Arch Bridge.

What pressure?

“Just be calm and poised,” he said of his mindset stepping into the huddle with the game on the line.

Drake delivered a dagger, carving up the Rutgers defense with precision to engineer a go-ahead touchdown that proved to be the final points in a 31-28 victory on a postcard Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium.

Lindsey completed six of seven passes for 72 yards on the drive, culminating on a 4-yard touchdown completion to Javon Tracy.

P.J. Fleck’s message to his young quarterback before he took the field for that series?

Added Fleck postgame: “The faster I can get to saying that, the better we’re going to be.”

Good plan. The youngster can handle it.

The Gophers needed every bit of Lindsey’s brilliance and a lucky break to avoid a nightmarish outcome. Rutgers treated its “must-have” moment in cartoonish fashion when the snap rolled between former Gophers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis’ legs when he wasn’t expecting it, resulting in a 15-yard loss that forced a long field-goal attempt that missed wide right.

Kaliakmanis, a senior, got off to a blistering start against his former team, but the Gophers had the best quarterback on the field.

Lindsey completed 31 of 41 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns. His 31 completions tied for fifth most in program history and were the most in a game since Adam Weber in 2010.

Not even remotely. He looks like the real deal with his poise, accuracy, arm strength and overall presence in operating the offense.

The surest sign of Fleck’s confidence in Lindsey came in the second half play calls. Missing their top two running backs (Darius Taylor and A.J. Turner) to injuries, the Gophers managed only 13 rushing yards on nine carries in the first half.

Fleck and offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. essentially said, “forget it,” and ripped up their game plan.

The new plan: “Put the ball in No. 5’s hands and let 5 go win the game.”

No. 5 accepted the challenge. He attempted 19 passes in the third quarter alone and went 23-of-28 for 202 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.

One play changed the game abruptly.

Kaliakmanis celebrated his second touchdown pass that gave Rutgers a 14-0 lead by looking up at the Gophers student section with his hand cupped to his ear.

The stadium was silent.

Lindsey fixed that.

First play next drive, Lindsey hit Jalen Smith with a pass that traveled 50 yards in the air and netted 78 yards by the time Smith was tackled at the 3.

“Obviously, when you see that as a quarterback,” Lindsey said, “it’s the best feeling in the world.”

The Gophers scored on that possession, and then again on the ensuing drive when Lindsey found Le’Meke Brockington in the back of the end zone.

The second half was all Lindsey, who found a rhythm and kept feeding his receivers. Seven receivers caught at least three passes.

Lindsey’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Smith in the third quarter was the result of a quick pre-snap read. Lindsey fired a quick pass, and Smith muscled his way into the end zone.

“It was just some communication between me and him,” Smith said. “He recognized that the corner was off, and that’s something about him that he does at a high level. He recognizes things like that. He made the decision to throw the ball my way.”