Then they got the right defensive play when Jah Joyner’s pass on Moss led to an interception. That turned into Brosmer’s tying touchdown that turned the game on its head with 7:08 remaining. And the Gophers found themselves in a play zone for the second week in a row as their screen play shredded the Trojans’ defense a week after torching the Wolverines.

I’m not sure USC is really good enough to be ranked 11th in the country. Like the Gophers, the Trojans couldn’t stop the run. Coach Lincoln Riley dropped Moss back to pass 21 times in the first half, as his running backs made gains of 9, 12, 13, 10 and 11 yards. But give the Gophers credit for taking advantage of USC’s self-inflicted damage.

And it just might be one of those years in college football. Alabama lost to Vanderbilt on Saturday, for God’s sake.

The 2024 Gophers have bought themselves time to prove their season won’t be the disaster it might have been. I am not demanding that sporting director Mark Coyle prepares a new contract extension for Fleck. But they have a very winnable game at UCLA next week, followed by a home game against Maryland. Start stacking wins and see where this goes.

I’m writing this about 20 minutes after the final whistle. The last few fans dancing on the field walked out of the stadium. Dinkytown was a happy place on Saturday night.

The Gophers then provided an unforgettable evening. Now they have to take advantage of it.