Minnesota Golden Gophers Overcome Halftime Deficit to Defeat UCLA 21-17
The Minnesota Golden Gophers rally in the second half to defeat UCLA 21-17, with key plays by true freshman Koi Perich and running back Darius Taylor. Read the full game recap here.
BollywoodFever: The Minnesota Golden Gophers continued their second-half dominance, overcoming a 10-0 halftime deficit to defeat the UCLA Bruins 21-17 on Saturday night in Pasadena, California. With the win, Minnesota improves to 4-3 (2-2 Big Ten), while UCLA drops to 1-5 (0-4 Pac-12).
As they have done throughout the season, Minnesota flipped the game in the second half, outscoring the Bruins 21-7. The momentum shifted after a three-and-out forced by the Gophers’ defense on UCLA’s first drive of the second half. Minnesota capitalized with a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Max Brosmer to wide receiver Elijah Spencer, making the score 10-7.
A standout on defense was true freshman safety Koi Perich, who recorded two critical interceptions. The first came just two plays after Minnesota’s first touchdown, with Perich intercepting UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers, setting the stage for another Minnesota scoring drive. Darius Taylor, despite being largely held in check with just 30 rushing yards, contributed two crucial second-half touchdowns, including a game-winning four-yard touchdown reception in the final minutes.
Minnesota’s defense was also key, with sacks from Jah Joyner, Jack Henderson, and Anthony Smith. Perich sealed the victory with his second interception, reminiscent of his performance last week against USC.
Despite outgaining the Gophers in total yards (329-234), UCLA’s downfall came from 10 penalties for 105 yards, compared to Minnesota’s four penalties for 21 yards. This marked Minnesota’s first win over UCLA at Rose Bowl Stadium since their victory in the 1962 Rose Bowl.
Next up for the Gophers is a home game against Maryland on Saturday, with the kickoff time yet to be announced.
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