Minnesota Gophers Upset #11 USC with 2nd Half Comeback Sealed by Koi Perich Interception

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NCAA Football: Southern California at Minnesota Gophers
Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Gophers welcomed the USC Trojans to Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday night for the first-ever Big Ten matchup between the two most historic maroon and gold football schools in the country.

And tonight, that’s exactly what it looked like. Two historic powerhouses battling it out for what will probably be a future trophy game of some sort. Whether that is reality or not probably depends on whether or not you remember the Vietman War, but that’s beyond the point.

Tonight’s game was fun. It felt like two teams who have been playing each other for years. Both defenses played well, at times, mostly vs the pass. But both offenses found plenty of success too, especially on the ground. Throw in some costly turnovers on both sides, and we were treated to one beautiful football game.

But in a game that felt like it was slowly slipping away in the 3rd quarter, the Minnesota Gophers true freshman from Elko, MN forced a huge momentum changing turnover on defense that allowed the Gophers to tie the game.

Darius Taylor, Max Brosmer restore Minnesota Gophers run game

From there, the Gophers took control and never gave it back. In the end, the fans were rushing onto Huntington Bank Stadium, when time expired on a 24-17 Minnesota upset over the No. 11 ranked Trojans.

On offense, Darius Taylor reminded the country that he is one of the best running backs at the college football level, pumping out 144 yards on the ground, while leading all receivers with 5 receptions for 56 yards. Max Brosmer also scored all three of Minnesota’s touchdowns, two on tush pushes, including this one to put the Gophers up by a touchdown with less than a minute to play.

On defense, the Gophers again struggled to stop the run. USC put up a total of 173 yards rushing and one touchdown. Much like we have seen all season, the gaps in the defensive line were gaping all night.

The same cannot be said in the pass game. The Trojans put up an even 200 yards through the air. Most of them, however, were on the final drive of the game. The Minnesota Gophers were only concerned with preventing a game-tying touchdown, at that point.

Koi Perich Seals victory with unbelievable interception

Speaking of that final drive. Remember the aforementioned true freshman, Koi Perich? Not only did he have 6 tackles, including one for a loss, and a forced fumble that changed the trajectory of Saturday’s game, but he also caught the game-sealing interception on the goal line.

If you watched a young Antoine Winfield Jr take the souls of opponents like Fresno State (two years in a row), among others, I’m not sure how you would have been able to view tonight’s rise of Koi Perich and not have flashbacks to No 31.

Related: Minnesota Gophers Might Use Koi Perich on Offense…?

Perich’s impact could be felt immediately when he stepped on the field. His six tackles were tied for third most on the team and he only started playing defense every snap, in the second half. But it’s moments like the one above that turn great players into campus legends like Winfield Jr became.

Koi only got on campus four months ago. Most true freshman on the Minnesota Gophers roster have double that time under their belt. But you can’t teach talent, and you can’t teach a hunger for the football like Koi Perich has.

Huge victory for PJ Fleck and the 2024 Golden Gophers

There is no way PJ Fleck takes our hometown hero off the field on defense again. Not for the rest of his collegiate career, unless forced to. Not only was Saturday a coming out party for Darius Taylor and Koi Perich, though. It was a huge win for the Gophers, and one they really needed to keep their bowl hopes alive.

But with the victory now in-hand, you can’t help but feel good about where this team is, entering week 7. Next up on the docket is the UCLA Bruins, who might be the worst team in the Big Ten.

Related: 4 Bold Predictions for Minnesota Gophers’ Matchup vs USC Trojans

Of course, the Gophers can’t afford to take anyone lightly. But without a doubt, their upcoming slate vs UCLA, Maryland, Illinois and Rutgers (with a couple bye weeks sprinkled in) suddenly looks a lot more manageable, than the gauntlet we were looking at just a week or two ago.

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