University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
3-1
Ohio (Homecoming)
3-1
Gophers Rally Past Ohio on Homecoming 27-24
9/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Final Stats | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery 
MINNEAPOLIS -- True freshman Shannon Brooks rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns -- the last a 3-yard plunge with 30 seconds remaining -- to lift Minnesota to a 27-24 victory over Ohio on Saturday.
Embattled quarterback Mitch Leidner led the 78-yard game-winning drive after Minnesota (3-1) fell behind 24-20 with 2:26 to play after Josiah Yazdani's 41-yard field goal. Leidner completed 4 of 6 passes for 42 yards on the drive and finished with a career-high 264 yards passing for the Golden Gophers.
Derrius Vick completed 17 of 27 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns and A.J. Ouellette rushed for 59 yards and another score for Ohio (3-1). But Vick's Hail Mary pass with the clock expiring was batted down, and the Gophers escaped.
Leidner completed 22 of 32 passes and Rodney Smith rushed for 94 yards on 16 carries for the Gophers, who found themselves in another battle with a Mid-America Conference opponent for the second week in a row.
In a weird twist, it was the Gophers defense and special teams that were letting them down. Vick utilized his big receivers on the outside for long passes down the field. He hit Papi White for a 39-yard touchdown to open the scoring, and then hit Sebastian Smith on a 10-yard strike for a 14-7 lead.
The Gopher defense gave up three pass plays of at least 30 yards for the first time since 2013.
Punt returner Craig James muffed two punts in the first half -- one after being hit by a teammate -- that were recovered by Minnesota. But he coughed the ball up a third time in the fourth quarter when he was stripped by Cody Grilliot. Keith Heitzman scooped it up and returned it 23 yards deep into Gopher territory before Ouellette plowed through the line on his way to an 11-yard touchdown run for a 21-17 lead.
Minnesota responded with Ryan Santoso's second field goal of the game cut it to 21-20, but after their late touchdown, Ohio's Daz'mond Patterson returned the ensuing kickoff 56 yards to give the Bobcats one more shot.
Yazdani lined up to try a 53-yard field goal in the closing moments. The Gophers called timeout just before the snap to try to ice Yazdani, who then kicked the ball anyway. But the officials flagged him for delay of game, and an incensed Ohio coach Frank Solich decided not to try a 58-yarder.
Brooks averaged 8.2 yards per carry, a stat padded by a nifty 40-yard TD run in the first half.
Team Stats
OHIO 7, MINN 0
OHIO - WHITE, Papi 39 yd pass from VICK, Derrius (YAZDANI, J. kick) 4 plays, 87 yards, TOP 1:28
OHIO 7, MINN 7
MINN - Brooks, Shannon 40 yd run (Santoso, Ryan kick), 6 plays, 87 yards, TOP 2:49
OHIO 14, MINN 7
OHIO - SMITH, S. 10 yd pass from VICK, Derrius (YAZDANI, J. kick) 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP 6:33
OHIO 14, MINN 14
MINN - Leidner, Mitch 1 yd run (Santoso, Ryan kick), 9 plays, 87 yards, TOP 4:26
OHIO 14, MINN 17
MINN - Santoso, Ryan 49 yd field goal 8 plays, 31 yards, TOP 3:35
OHIO 21, MINN 17
OHIO - OUELLETTE, A.J. 11 yd run (YAZDANI, J. kick), 1 plays, 6 yards, TOP 0:05
OHIO 21, MINN 20
MINN - Santoso, Ryan 24 yd field goal 13 plays, 88 yards, TOP 5:55
OHIO 24, MINN 20
OHIO - YAZDANI, J. 41 yd field goal 12 plays, 51 yards, TOP 6:08
OHIO 24, MINN 27
MINN - Brooks, Shannon 3 yd run (Santoso, Ryan kick), 10 plays, 78 yards, TOP 2:06
