Minnesota struggled much more than they should have with Illinois, but in the end the better team did what was needed and walked away with a 24-17 victory. The win is Minnesota’s first in the Big Ten, and moves the Gophers to 4-3 on the year. The game was put on ice by a huge pick six by linebacker Jonathan Celestin late in the 4th quarter and from that point on fans were just waiting for the clock to hit zero.
On the less exciting front, this team badly needs a quarterback who can deliver at least a game manager level performance every week.