Outcomes for Gophers, Vikings reveal tale of two teams

Anyone who has watched enough football knows there are two specific scenarios that give fans a bad feeling about what's to come: 1) A missed extra point early in the game coming back to haunt and 2) Missed opportunities to pad a lead coming back to haunt.

The Gophers (scenario 1) and the Vikings (scenario 2) played games this weekend that followed both of those scripts, and the way both games played out says everything you need to know about each team right now.

1) The moment the Gophers missed an extra point against Purdue, particularly in the manner in which it happened (doinking the upright following a penalty that moved the try back 5 yards), the hardened football fan was wondering if the Gophers would be chasing that point all day. Sure, they were still up 20-14 after the miss, but giving away a free point is dangerous.

Sure enough, Purdue rattled off the next 17 to take a 31-20 halftime lead. Not only did it feel like the miss had altered momentum, but also it led to a score gap that made the failed extra point feel particularly important. So the Gophers scored next, of course, then chased that missed point with a trick play on their next conversion. It failed again, leaving them down 31-26.

By the time it was 38-29 Purdue late in the third quarter, both failed conversions felt like they very well could determine the margin of defeat for the Gophers — and derail a promising season.

Instead, of course, the Gophers rallied for a touchdown to make it 38-36 and then got what proved to be the winning field goal with 5 minutes left — a 52-yarder by freshman Ryan Santoso, the very guy who set the chain of events in motion.

One could even speculate that if the score had been tied 38-38 (with both attempts converted for one point, or the second converted for two points), the Gophers would have had to think twice before trying such a long field goal, since the risky kick is easier to justify when trailing than when tied. Regardless, the Gophers persevered and overcame a potentially fatal mistake because that's what good teams do.

Given a reprieve by the defense, and after moving the ball near midfield with under five minutes to play, the Vikings probably needed another 15 yards for a chance at a Blair Walsh field goal that would have made it 19-10. Instead, the drive stalled, the Vikings punted, and Kyle Orton did to the Vikings what so many quarterbacks did a year ago. Different year, same Vikings.

Better offense would have meant the fourth-and-20 allowed by the defense was a frustrating side note. Instead, Vikings fans were left to curse the fact that their fears with a six-point lead were realized while Gophers fans reveled in that team's ability to overcome a mistake.

MICHAEL RAND