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Minnesota walks off New Mexico with insane OT touchdown
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The Minnesota Golden Gophers saved their best for overtime in their meeting with New Mexico in the Rate Bowl in Phoenix. Jalen Smith brought the Gophers and head coach P.J. Fleck a 20-17 victory with his diving catch in the end zone.
Smith's catch was a spectacular effort in concentration as he caught it just inches off the ground. It came after New Mexico had taken the lead in the extra session on Luke Drzewiecki's 36-yard field goal.
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It was Smith's second TD catch of the game. He had put the Golden Gophers on the board in the second quarterwhen he caught a 10-yard TD pass from quarterback Drake Lindsey in the corner of the end zone. Smith defeated double coverage with a spectacular reception of a high-arching pass that he was forced to time and then catch at the last possible second.
The Gophers have a remarkable postseason streak going as a result of their last-second win over New Mexico. Minnesota has won 7 postseason games in a row. That ties the record of USC and Utah for the second-longest bowl streak in college football history. Florida State holds the record for the longest streak of consecutive bowl victories with 11.
Victory allows Minnesota to finish the season on a powerful note
The Gophers finished the season with an 8-5 record. They had lost consecutive road games to Oregon and Northwestern and it appeared their season was about to go down the drain. However, the Gophers bounced back with a 17-7 home victory over Wisconsin in the regular-season finale before they recorded their bowl game triumph over New Mexico.
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The Lobos finished the year with a 9-4 record and earned their first bowl game appearance since the 2016 season. The key to their performance was their hard-hitting defense, which had held the Gophers in check until Smith's first touchdowns with less than 2 minutes to go in the first half.
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