Preston Stone completed 25 of 30 passes for 305 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Northwestern rallied for a 38-35 win over Minnesota in a Big Ten Conference showdown on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Jack Olsen kicked three field goals, including the 33-yard, go-ahead kick for Northwestern (6-5, 4-4) with 53 seconds to play. Minnesota (6-5, 4-4) had a chance to send the game into overtime in the final seconds, but Brady Denaburg hooked a 40-yard field-goal attempt wide left as time expired.
For Northwestern, Caleb Komolafe had 129 rushing yards and a touchdown, and Griffin Wilde caught 11 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown.
The Wildcats secured bowl eligibility for the second time in three seasons under David Braun. Players celebrated on the field before heading toward the sidelines to applaud their fans.
For Minnesota, Drake Lindsey completed 20 of 30 passes for 264 yards and four touchdowns. Javon Tracy caught three TD passes, Le’Meke Brockington hauled in one scoring pass, and Darius Taylor rushed for a touchdown.
Northwestern stormed back from a 15-point deficit in the second half.
Minnesota grabbed a 28-13 lead with 12:43 remaining in the third quarter when Lindsey connected with Tracy for a 28-yard touchdown, marking Tracy’s third score of the afternoon.
Stone started Northwestern’s comeback on the next possession. He led a nine-play, 86-yard drive that culminated with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Wilde with 7:01 left in the third quarter.
The Wildcats evened the score at 28 with 28 seconds remaining in the third quarter when Joseph Himon broke free for a 20-yard touchdown run.
Northwestern pulled ahead 35-28 with 10:20 remaining on its third straight touchdown. Stone found Komolafe for a 2-yard touchdown completion.
The Gophers bounced back with a touchdown drive to even the score at 35 with 8:20 to go. Brockington capped it with an 8-yard touchdown catch from Lindsey before Olsen’s game-winner in the final minute.
