Perich’s Pick-6 Punctuates Comeback as Minnesota Beats Purdue 27-20
Saturday, October 11, 2025
One play after Minnesota tied the game, Koi Perich intercepted a pass from Purdue’s Ryan Browne and returned it 27 yards to give the Gophers a 27-20 win in front of a Homecoming crowd of 49,254. The Boilermakers controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides—racking up 456 yards to 262 for the Gophers—but were done in by turnovers and penalties.
Just as the back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter turned the game around, Minnesota had a four-play sequence in the first half that led to the erasing a 10-pont deficit. Purdue had taken the opening kickoff and made it to the Minnesota 40, where it faced a fourth-and-two. After lining up and getting a look at the defense, the Boilermakers took a time out to ruminate. Malachi Singleton entered at quarterback, ran up the middle, and dragged tacklers into the end zone.
In the second quarter, Spencer Porath’s 33-yard made it 10-0. Following a touchback on the ensuing kickoff, Drew Lindsey threw a screen pass to Darius Taylor, who turned it into a 40-yard gain to the Purdue 35. Taylor took another short pass and got to the 24, and a third straight catch and run, this one by Le’Meke Brockington for a touchdown, got the Gophers on the board.
On the next play from scrimmage, John Nestor intercepted a pass from Purdue’s Ryan Browne and returned it to the 29. The Gophers turned it into a 35-yard field goal from Brady Denaburg to tie the game.
The Boilermakers went back in front as Browne, through the air, and Devin Mockobee, on the ground, drove 75 yards, capped by a 12-yard touchdown scramble by Browne. The Gophers were able to get another field goal from Denaburg as time ran out to cut the Purdue lead to 17-13 at halftime.
The only scoring in the third quarter was a 20-yard field goal by Porath, who came up short on another attempt, this one from 47 yards, early in the fourth quarter.
Taking over at the Purdue 30, the Gophers got a break after a rough start on the drive. On third-and-11, Lindsey was sacked, but Demeco Kennedy was called for a facemask penalty, giving Minnesota a first down at the 44. After moving into Purdue territory, Lindsey scrambled on fourth-and-two and managed to get three yards and a new set of downs at the 25.
The Gophers got inside the 10 when Lindsey was sacked again with Kennedy being called for a facemask penalty again. From the 4, Lindsey went to the right with a pass to tight-end Jameson Geers, who bulled into the end zone for a game-tying touchdown.
Then came Perich’s interception and return to put Minnesota ahead for the first time.
The Boilermakers came back down the field, converting a fourth-and-five with a seven-yard pass from Browne to Michael Jackson to the 7. A holding penalty moved Purdue back, but the Boilermakers got those yards back and faced a fourth-and-goal from the seven at the two-minute time out. Browne threw to Jackson on the goal line, but Jai’Onte’ McMillan broke it up to give the Gophers the ball on downs and preserve the win.
Lindsey completed 21 of 45 passes with one interception for 232 yards. Browne was 21-for-40 with two interceptions for 203 yards. Taylor led Minnesota rushers with 32 yards while Mockobee had 98 yards.
Purdue dropped to 2-4, 0-3 in the Big Ten while Minnesota went to 4-2, 2-1 in the conference.