Illinois stuns Minnesota 27-26 on TD pass by Paddock in final minute after late QB switch for injury
MINNEAPOLIS - John Paddock has been so happy at Illinois that being a backup hasn't bothered the sixth-year graduate transfer from Ball State.
He'll finish his college career with quite a highlight.
Paddock relieved the injured Luke Altmyer and went 3 for 3 for 85 yards to lift Illinois from a huge hole and deliver the go-ahead 46-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Williams with 50 seconds left for a 27-26 victory over stunned Minnesota on Saturday.
"It can always happen at a moment's notice. You never know when it's going to hit," Paddock said.
The Illini last left the field in frustration after their homecoming collapse against Wisconsin on Oct. 21, when the Badgers scored 18 straight points in the fourth quarter for a 25-21 win.
"I don't want to be 4-5, but we have done so much growth in the last three games,'' Illinois coach Bret Bielema said. "Our guys feel where they're starting to get, and we can only go up.''
Altmyer passed for a career-high three touchdowns and Williams had 13 catches for 131 yards and two scores for the Illini (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten), who had two of their three turnovers in the fourth quarter. They almost committed a fourth when Danny Striggow's sack jarred the ball loose and forced Altmyer out. Left tackle Julian Pearl scrambled to recover it.
Facing fourth-and-11 from their 15-yard line with 1:24 left after the clock stoppage for the injury, Paddock came in cold with the drive of his life that knocked the Gophers (5-4, 3-3) out of their tie for first place in the diluted Big Ten West Division. Iowa took sole possession of the lead with the losses on Saturday by Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
Paddock hit Williams for 22 yards to keep the Illini alive, found Pat Bryant for 17 yards and then called a timeout. His on-the-money heave to Williams allowed the junior wide receiver to split the safeties, sprint into the end zone - and make amends for his earlier fumble.
"Just got to make that play," said Gophers safety Tyler Nubin (St. Charles North), who found no consolation in his 12th career interception - with 4:04 left at the Minnesota 39 - that tied the program record.
Athan Kaliakmanis (Antioch) threw a career-high three touchdown passes for Minnesota, including the go-ahead 31-yard scoring strike to Daniel Jackson with 5:53 left, two plays after Williams coughed up the ball. But the Illini, who forced five punts and gave up just 69 total yards in the second half, weren't done.
"There's a lot of teams that are in that moment that don't understand how much time is left on that clock," said Bielema, who improved to 10-0 in his career against the Gophers and guided the Illini to their first three-game winning streak against Minnesota since 1993-95.