Could it happen again?
"It" being Dragan Kasich making a 47-yard field goal at the gun to give the Gophers a walk-off win in the opening game of the football season.
Hey, it happened once before.
Last year.
From the same distance.
Deja Vu turned into Deja Von't.
The kick by Kasich headed toward the upright, but instead of pushing toward the middle, the attempt by the left-footed specialist faded.
Wide right.
North Carolina hangs on for the 19-17 win.
(For the record, this was the same goalpost the Vikings' Blair Walsh aimed at and shanked a short kick that ended that 2016 playoff game against Seattle)
North Carolina's Noah Burnette made four field goals, three of them after quarterback Max Johnson was sent to a hospital with a leg injury, a clutch performance highlighted by the go-ahead 45-yarder with 1:44 left for the Tar Heels.
“We talked about doing every little thing possible to help with their confidence, to help with their commitment, to help with their discipline,” coach Mack Brown said. “I’m just proud of the change in all of these guys.”
The front seven swarmed Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer for five sacks, and linebacker Amare Campbell — playing with an oversized covering on a broken right hand — forced a fumble on a first-down run by Brosmer at the Minnesota 22 early in the fourth quarter set up Burnette’s first of two go-ahead kicks. Kaimon Rucker had two tackles for loss and a pass breakup. Tom Maginness averaged 51 yards on three punts, including one that was downed at the 2.
With Darius Taylor sitting out with a leg injury, Marcus Major, who transferred from Oklahoma, rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown in his first game for the Gophers.
Justin Walley had a 70-yard interception return that set up Major’s score to give the Gophers a 14-7 halftime lead the Gophers had a golden opportunity to build much bigger.
Za’Quan Bryan dropped an interception at the North Carolina 16 when Jones fell down and the ball went straight into the cornerback’s arms. Kesich’s short kick rattled off the right upright. Then Johnson’s fumble at his own 10 was recovered by Minnesota, until a holding penalty on Aidan Gousby negated the turnover. The Tar Heels went on an 80-yard touchdown drive.
Brosmer had a rushing touchdown and went 13-for-21 passing for 166 yards in an uneven debut. The Gophers will need more accuracy from the sixth-year transfer from New Hampshire if they’re going to strike the offensive balance they’ve lacked for several seasons.
“I would’ve loved for everything to go a little bit better for everybody,” coach P.J. Fleck said, “but I saw a lot of things that I’ve seen for a long time. He’s a really good kid, a really good quarterback.”
Minnesota hosts Rhode Island on Sept. 7, the second of four straight home games for the Gophers to start the season.