Of all the losses Purdue had last season (and there were many) the Minnesota game was among the most frustrating. The Gophers were a mediocre team last year that went 6-7 after making a bowl game as a 5-7 team. They were an opponent that Purdue absolutely should have been competitive with. For a half, they were. Minnesota only led 10-6 at halftime, but a 28 point fourth quarter turned a winnable game into a blowout.
The quarter was highlighted by a 71 yard touchdown run from Shannon Brooks which was a highlight video in how not to tackle someone.