Gophers can’t keep pace as UCLA’s big plays turn close game into 14-point loss

The Minnesota Gophers had another chance to pull off a major Big Ten upset Saturday. Instead, the unbeaten UCLA Bruins exposed the vulnerabilities of P.J. Fleck’s program in a 34-20 victory at Huntington Bank Stadium. A week after falling short of an upset against the Indiana Hoosiers , the Gophers (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) couldn’t keep pace with UCLA (9-0, 6-0) and its explosive passing attack. The Gophers rallied to tie the game 17-17 early in the fourth quarter, but UCLA quarterback Ty Dieffenbach connected with Aidan Mizell for two 75-yard touchdowns on consecutive Bruins offensive plays, turning a potential upset into another missed opportunity for Minnesota. Dieffenbach completed just eight of 16 passes but amassed 303 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 37.9 yards per completion. The Bruins finished with 466 yards of offense, including six completions of at least 20 yards. Advertisement Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey completed 19 of 37 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown but threw an interception. The Gophers managed just 296 yards of offense, including 91 rushing yards on 29 carries. Minnesota’s defense forced two turnovers and kept the Gophers in contention into the fourth quarter, but UCLA repeatedly delivered big plays when it mattered most. The Gophers need one more victory in their final three regular-season games to become bowl eligible, starting with a road trip to Penn State on Nov. 14. UCLA entered Saturday ranked No. 5 in the AP poll and No. 8 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.