Instant reaction: Indiana football beats Minnesota 23-16 in overtime

Indiana football got off to what’s now become a familiar start, with the defense dominating while the offense struggled to move the ball. Josh Hoover connected with Nick Marsh for a nine yard touchdown pass, on a two play, 14-yard drive set up by a Minnesota fumble that Indiana forced and recovered.

The offense wasn’t the only thing Indiana struggled with in the first half. Billy Gowers had to punt more than you’d like, but he had some bad ones today, including a 15-yarder that set up Minnesota’s first field goal of the day.

Nico Radicic was sent out for a 52-yard field goal, which was blocked. In the second quarter, he missed a 31-yarder. He redeemed himself with a 46-yarder that tied the game at 10 in the third quarter, but then didn’t even get a chance to tie it at 13 in the fourth quarter, after a bad snap that forced Indiana to just fall on the ball.

Curt Cignetti opted for Grant Wilson in the second half, though it’s not yet clear whether that was due to Hoover’s accuracy, his injury status, or both. He took what looked like a tough shot to his shoulder again on an interception near the end of the first half and never reentered the game.

Either way, by the time his day was over, Hoover finished 8/19 for 119 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Wilson provided Indiana’s offense some spark in the second half, putting together a 14 play drive his second time out, the longest for either team to that point, leading to the field goal that tied it at 10. His third time out, he led Indiana 66 yards down field, but that was the drive that ended in the botched snap field goal attempt.

He missed some throws himself, but his presence definitely helped open up Indiana’s passing game. He hit Charlie Becker downfield for a 47 -yarder, and finally started getting Nick Marsh involved with some big completions in the fourth quarter.

Despite the special teams struggles earlier in the game Cignetti opted for a field goal with 3:48 left in the game, tying it at 13 after a ten play, 46-yard drive. At 4th and one with a running quarterback, it was a tough decision that came back to haunt Indiana.

Cignetti gambled again at the end of the fourth quarter, letting the clock run out and betting on a Minnesota miss from 60 yards. Instead Luke Drzewiecki hit a new career high with a 60 yarder that seemingly put the game away, giving Minnestoa the lead with 19 seconds left.

Then Grant Wilson came back on the field, fired a rocket to Charlie Becker, setting up a 60-yard field goal from Paddy McAteer that sent it to overtime.

Overtime brought more Grant Wilson excellence, as he threw a perfect ball to Becker on the first play of overtime to give Indiana its biggest lead of the game. Drake Lindsey got Minnesota to the four yard line on the ensuing possession, but Bryant Haines unit got one last stop to close out the win for Indiana.