The loss dropped the Gophers (5-4 overall) to 3-3 in the Big Ten, and they’re tied for second place in the in the West with Wisconsin and Nebraska. Iowa, a 10-7 winner over Northwestern, leads the West at 4-2.

Illinois (4-5, 2-4) got the ball with 2:47 left in the fourth quarter. The Gophers had the Illini backed up to their 15 facing fourth-and-11. Paddock, in for injured starter Luke Altmyer, hit Williams for a 22-yard gain to stay alive. A 17-yard pass to Pat Bryant moved the ball to the Gophers 46, and Paddock found Williams for the winner.

The Gophers got the ball back with 50 seconds left but Athan Kaliakmanis threw three incomplete passes.

Kaliakmanis hit Daniel Jackson for a 31-yard touchdown pass in the right corner of the end zone with 5:53 left in the fourth quarter to take a 26-21 lead. Elijah Spencer’s two-point conversion pass to Kaliakmanis on a trick play fell incomplete.

After safety Tyler Nubin intercepted Altmyer with 4:04 to play, the Gophers appeared to be in line for a victory.

The Gophers got off to a disastrous start when Sean Tyler – who lost a fumble on the second play from scrimmage the previous week against Michigan State – lost another fumble on the opening kickoff return. Tyler gained 19 yards to the 20 on the return, but Illinois’ Ryan Meed forced the fumble and C.J. Bufkin recovered at the 20.

Unlike last week, the Gophers defense couldn’t force a field goal after the turnover. Altmyer hit tight end Tip Reiman for a 15-yard touchdown pass on third-and-5 for a 7-0 lead 1:28 into the game.

The Gophers answered quickly, knotting the score 7-7 on Kaliakmanis’ 15-yard TD pass to Spencer for a 7-7 tie with 10:23 left in the first quarter. It marked the first time this season that the Gophers scored on their first offensive possession.

On the six-play, 65-yard drive, Kaliakmanis went 3-for-3, hitting Corey Crooms Jr. for 11 yards and Daniel Jackson for 24 down to the Illinois 15. Jordan Nubin rushed three times for 15 yards on the drive.

On their second possession, the Illini marched 75 yards in 15 plays to take a 14-7 lead on Altmyer’s 9-yard TD pass to a wide-open Williams with 3:33 left in the first quarter. On the drive that took 6:50, Illinois leaned heavily on 6-3, 250-pound running back Kaden Feagin, who rushed seven times for 26 yards and converted two third-down situations.

The Gophers responded by driving 75 yards in nine plays and evening the score 14-14 on Kaliakmanis’ 31-yard TD pass to tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford. On the TD play, Kaliakmanis hit Spann-Ford over the middle, and he made a couple of moves before powering into the end zone with a defender draped on him. Spann-Ford had three catches for 58 yards on the drive, which also included Kaliakmanis hitting Crooms for a 3-yard gain on fourth-and-3 from the Illinois 36.

Illinois converted on its first six third-down situations and moved the ball to the Gophers 29 on their third possession. Minnesota got its first third-down stop when Altmyers’ tunnel screen pass fell incomplete from the Gophers 29. Caleb Griffin then missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt.

The Gophers got the ball with 8:43 left in the second quarter and drained 7:23 off the clock over 13 plays, taking a 17-14 lead on Dragan Kesich’s 36-yard field goal with 1:20 left in the second quarter. Minnesota reached the Illinois 23 before facing third-and-9. Kaliakmanis handed off to Nubin, who gained 4 yards, drawing some boos from fans who wanted the Gophers to be more aggressive.