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University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Finish Season On High Note
12/29/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Daniel Kobren
Athletic Communications Student Assistant
Minnesota's season concluded in the same fashion it ended last year: with a victory. The Maroon and Gold hoisted the Holiday Bowl trophy after an impressive victory utilizing a defensive game plan that bottled up one of the nation's most prolific offenses.
After seven straight bowl losses, the 17-12 win marked the Gophers' second straight bowl victory with last season's QuickLane Bowl win. Minnesota had not won back-to-back bowl games since the 2003 and 2004 seasons with victories in the Sun Bowl and the Music City Bowl. With his two bowl victories, head coach Tracy Claeys became the first Minnesota head coach to win his first two bowl appearances.
"Every bowl win is great. It shows you we are moving in the right direction," Claeys said of the team's two straight bowl wins. "For these seniors, it puts another feather in their cap."
Coming into the Holiday Bowl, the Gophers had already reached eight wins for the third time in four seasons. The bowl-win lifted Minnesota to the 9-win plateau for the first time in over a decade. This season marked the program's highest win total since 2003 when they won 10 games and was the second most since the 1905 season.
"We got nine wins for the first time in a really long time," Claeys said. "It has been a great year and a great way to end it."
Senior quarterback Mitch Leidner, who helped the Gophers to their 9-4 record, was proud of all the Gophers accomplished this season and happy to finish his career with a victory.
"It feels great," he said. "To be able to get nine wins with this group of guys is very special. We are so close as a team."
