The Gophers hoped to establish their run game and force some early turnovers in their effort to upset 20th-ranked North Carolina on Saturday. They accomplished both of these objectives, but it hardly mattered. Eventually, the Gophers were worn down by the relentless Tar Heels passing attack, and they succumbed to them in a 31-13 defeat in Chapel Hill.
That air attack was, of course, led by the Tar Heels’ Heisman Trophy candidate, quarterback Drake Maye. He shredded a good Gophers secondary all afternoon. Despite throwing two early interceptions, Maye would go on to throw for 414 yards and two touchdowns in a dominating performance. The Gophers’ defense once again struggled against a mobile quarterback as Maye also ran for 45 yards against an exhausted Minnesota defensive line.
North Carolina QB Drake Maye (10) – Reinhold Matay/Associated Press
Kaliakmanis Struggles
On the other side of the ball, Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis struggled with his accuracy all day, completing only 11-29 passes for 133 yards and an interception. Kaliakmanis remarked after the game, “That was probably the worst game I’ve ever played. I let my teammates down.”
The only saving grace for the Gophers offense was another outstanding performance by freshman running back Darius Taylor. Taylor rushed for 138 yards on 22 carries, and he scored Minnesota’s only touchdown on a two-yard run just before halftime. For his performance, Taylor was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second consecutive week.
Gophers Defense Comes Up Big in First Half
Minnesota was able to stay competitive with the Tar Heels in the first half due to a sack and two interceptions. On Carolina’s second possession of the game, Maye was sacked by defensive linemen Jah Joyner and Kyler Baugh, and they were forced to punt the ball away.
Minnesota Gophers DL Kyle Baugh – Reinhold Matay/Associated Press
Then early in the second quarter, Maye was picked off by defensive back Jack Henderson who returned it to the Carolina 17-yard line. The drive stalled, but Minnesota added their first points of the game on a 23-yard Dragan Kesich field goal.
The Tar Heels’ next drive was halted when Gophers’ defensive lineman Chris Collins intercepted a Maye pass to end their possession at the Minnesota 35-yard line. The errant throw was caused by a furious pass rush by Joyner.
Halftime Brings Hope
The half ended with North Carolina leading 21-10, but it felt as if the Gophers could have suffered a much worse fate. Unfortunately, their second-half play would be their undoing.
The second half started optimistically enough for the Gopher as they marched down the field on a nine-play 48-yard drive that ended with a Kesich 45-yard field goal. Now they were only down by eight, and Minnesota fans had a brief glimmer of hope.
Gophers Gain Momentum
The optimism grew on the Tar Heels next series as the Gophers were able to stop Carolina at their own 45-yard line. The Gophers received the punt on their own 13-yard line. The 5,000 faithful Minnesota fans in attendance hoped that this drive would lead to a tie game and an eventual Minnesota victory.
Unfortunately, fate was not smiling on the Gophers on this evening, halfway through the Minnesota possession. Kaliakmanis was forced to temporarily leave the game with muscle cramps. Much to coach P.J. Fleck’s chagrin, this problem would repeat itself numerous times over the course of the evening, affecting several Gophers players.
The Start of the End
On first and ten at the Carolina 34-yard line, backup quarterback Cole Kramer would throw an errant pass into the end zone intended for Minnesota wideout Daniel Jackson. Instead, the ball was intercepted by Tar Heels defensive back Armani Chatman for a touchback.
This would eventually lead to a North Carolina 42-yard field goal by kicker Noah Burnette late in the third quarter. The quarter ended with North Carolina leading 24-13. Gophers fans could feel the game slipping away.
It was anti-climatic the rest of the way home. Minnesota went three and out on three fourth-quarter possessions that all ended in Mark Crawford punts. North Carolina tacked on a late rushing touchdown by British Brooks to extend their lead to 31-13. And that is how the game would end as Carolina ran out the clock.
Minnesota Picks Up the Pieces
The Gophers next game is against the struggling Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston, Illinois. Coach Fleck hopes to get his sagging passing game back on track after hard lessons learned from the North Carolina game. Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi hopes to turn up the heat on the Gophers pass rush to produce more sacks and turnovers. This will be a big test for the Gophers as they try to rebound from a disappointing loss.
