The Minnesota Golden Gophers did not want to suffer a second consecutive loss. They had been blown out by Iowa last week and they did not want to lose at home to a Michigan State team that had lost five games in a row. It took a last-second comeback to tie it before Minnesota emerged with a 23-17 triumph in overtime.

Quarterback Drake Lindsey gave his team the victory when he kept the ball on a three-yard run around left end on Minnesota's first possession of the overtime. It came after the Spartans had to settle for a field goal when they had the ball in the extra session.

Minnesota head coach PJ Fleck exploded with happiness and relief after the Gophers withstood a video review on the winning touchdown. It appeared that Lindsey might have stepped out of bounds an instant before he crossed the goal line, but the touchdown was allowed to stand. Fleck ran over to the Big Ten Network's broadcast crew and shouted out “Go Gophers and Big Ten Network.”

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Gophers held off Spartan comeback

It had all slipped away for Minnesota in the second half. Michigan State looked like a beaten team in the first half as quarterback Alessio Milivojevic had been sacked 6 times and the offense was inept.

But the Spartans bounced back as the quarterback threw a TD pass to Rodney Bullard Jr. and Brandon Tullis scored on a 1-yard run. Martin Connington had connected on a 34-yard field goal between the two scores, and the Spartans had built a 17-10 lead with 1:52 remaining. Lindsey led the Gophers on the game-tying drive that he culminated with his 2-yard run into the end zone.

Minnesota improved its record to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten. The Gophers are off next week before playing at No. 6 Oregon November 14.  Michigan State fell to 3-6 overall and 0-6 in the conference. The Spartans will host Penn State November 15.