Gophers Take Axe Lead in Snow
The Minnesota Gophers came into this season with the potential to win nine or ten games . Instead they found themselves battling for six…or seven.
P.J. Fleck fumbled in multiple spots this season , and a loss against Northwestern had the season hanging by a thread. With The Axe on the line, and both Minnesota and Wisconsin tied, everything was on the line in the snow.
Fleck and company delivered a potentially season-saving win, and the Gophers will head into bowl season with a 7-5 record .
Related Headlines
Darius Taylor handles snow game for Minnesota Gophers
With snow falling in droves at Huntington Bank Stadium, the Minnesota Gophers passing game was unlikely to factor in significantly on Saturday. Drake Lindsey finished 18-of-24 for 90 yards and a touchdown. It was running back Darius Taylor that got the job done.
Taylor finished with exactly 100 yards on 19 carries. It was his third century-mark game of the season , and first since the tilt against Nebraska on October 17 .
Minnesota has struggled to keep Taylor on the field for the majority of his career. He has dealt with a nagging hamstring injury this year, and that has allowed him to play in just 9-of-12 games for Minnesota.
A junior, Taylor can return for another season under P.J. Fleck. If he does, the pairing alongside transfer A.J. Turner could prove to be electric if each remains on the field.
Lock down defense returns with John Nestor healthy
For the last two season John Nestor experienced the unfortunate reality of playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes . He transferred to the Minnesota Gophers this season and has been unquestionably the best player in P.J. Fleck’s secondary. Saturday that showed up again.
Despite playing 20 games for the Hawkeyes, Nestor never picked off a pass. This season with Minnesota he has five, and two of them came on Saturday against the Wisconsin Badgers.
Nothing has been worse for Bucky than their quarterback play this season, and it sank them again on Saturday. Both schools had 63 wins , and they tangled for eight ties. With Nestor holding the opposing offense in check, Minnesota was the first to grab the 64th win and The Axe will stay in Dinkytown for another year.
It remains to be seen how Fleck will factor into the coaching carousel this offseason . UCLA came hard for him recently , and Arkansas could lure the head coach and Drake Lindsey with him. For now though, it’s bowl season, and Fleck will look to make it 7-0 in postseason contests with the Gophers.
Related Headlines
