Miscues doom Gophers in 27-14 loss to California

BERKELEY Calif When P J Fleck connected the Gophers in July to a pie-in-the-sky goal of making the College Football Playoff the U head coach underscored it with a need to take care of business in one-score games The dream was alive late Saturday night when Minnesota took a - second-half lead over California But after Cal took a - lead Minnesota s special teams failed to step up in the fourth quarter Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey throws a pass against the California Golden Bears in the first quarter of an NCAA college football event in Berkeley Calif on Saturday Sept Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group via AP Kicker Brady Denaburg missed a potentially game-tying -yard field goal and then U returner Koi Perich attempted to pick up a bouncing punt but couldn t grab it Cal recovered it at Minnesota s -yard line and scored a touchdown three plays later in the Bears a - win at Memorial Stadium It obviously didn t finish a one-score match but it was nip and tuck when Minnesota s miscues added up and eventually devastated the U s minuscule chance of making the CFP After two nonconference games against lesser competition the Gophers - started a string of games against opponents from Power Four conferences over weeks The U was a -point underdog to Cal - Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele out-performed redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey The Cal quarterback threw for yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions Lindsey passed for yards and one touchdown and was picked off once Lindsey bounced back from the interception to start second half finding Jameson Geers for a three-yard touchdown pass and a - lead in the third quarter On the following drive Sagapolutele completed of passes and capped it with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Mason Mini to retake the lead - Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back John Nestor breaks up a pass intended for California Golden Bears wide receiver Trond Grizzell in the second quarter of an NCAA college football competition in Berkeley Calif on Saturday Sept Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group via AP Perich who received preseason All-America praise also made a mental mistake in fair catching a punt at the U s three-yard line in the first quarter After a Minnesota punt Sagapolutele gave the Bears a - lead The -foot- -pound signal caller had completions of and yards before an easy three-yard touchdown pass He often kept plays alive in the pocket and completed percent of his passes for yards in the first half Counterpart Lindsey started more slowly the U punted on their first four drives He got into a rhythm on the final drive of the half including three completions to Le Meke Brockington Running back Cam Davis finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run With only seconds left Minnesota s defense gave up - and -yard completions to help set up a -yard field goal from Abram Murray as time expired At halftime Fleck recounted KFAN the U didn t play well to start the challenge but weathered the storm and he loved the response before the prevent defense s lapses in the final meager seconds Minnesota played without leading rusher Darius Taylor who was ruled out after exiting the - win over Northwestern La State with an apparent hamstring injury on Sept Another running back A J Turner went down in the second quarter He appeared to injure his left knee and didn t put any weight on it as he left the field The Gophers were - in games on the West Coast under Fleck with victories over UCLA last season Fresno State in and Oregon State in To prepare for Saturday s late kickoff the Gophers flipped their schedule and practiced at night midweek to best resemble the kickoff time of p m PDT The NCAA doesn t allow practices after p m and the U was on the field until approximately on Tuesday and Wednesday Related Articles Gophers tailback Darius Taylor ruled out for Cal competition Frederick With a perfect - season Gophers can make college playoff Gophers football has a fun road schedule Could Ireland be next Gophers football P J Fleck shares one of his dying wishes Gophers football vs California Keys to competition how to watch who has edge