University of Minnesota kicker Matthew Trickett was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after his performance in Minnesota’s 20-13 road win at Nebraska.
The fifth-year senior made his two longest field goals of the season, first from 47 yards on the opening drive of the third quarter to cut Nebraska’s lead to 10-3 and later from 49 yards in the fourth quarter to give Minnesota its first lead in the game at 13-10. He also went 2-of-2 on point-after attempts, scoring eight of Minnesota’s 20 points in the game.
The 49-yard field goal was tied for the second longest of his career and one yard shy of tying his career mark of 50 yards. Trickett made a 49-yard field goal in the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl and also made one against Ohio in 2018 when he was at Kent State.
On the season, Trickett is 10-of-11 on field goals and is a perfect 35-of-35 on point-after attempts His multi-field goal game at Nebraska was the 22nd of his career. He now has eight multi-field goal games as a Gopher, which includes three this year.
Trickett helped lead Minnesota to its biggest comeback win since the Gophers overcame a 14-point deficit at Nebraska on Nov. 22, 2014. In that game, the Gophers trailed 21-7 with 5:18 remaining in the first half, but rallied for a 28-24 victory.
On Saturday, Trickett and the Gophers overcame a 10-point deficit at the end of the first quarter (Minnesota was trailing 10-0 at the end of the first quarter) for the fifth time since 1973. Prior to Saturday, the most recent such comeback took place versus Purdue on Oct. 10, 2009, when the Gophers trailed 10-0 after the first quarter and won 35-20.
(info and photo courtesy of Gopher Sports)
