Minnesota keeps B10 West hopes alive with 28-24 comeback win over No. 21 Huskers

Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill, left, shakes the hand of Nebraska running back Ameer Abdulla, right, as Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini, center, looks on, before an NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik) (The Associated Press)

Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. (4) throws before an NCAA college football game against Minnesota in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik) (The Associated Press)

Briean Boddy-Calhoun ripped the ball out of Nebraska receiver De'Mornay Pierson-El's hands at the Minnesota 2-yard line after Mitch Leidner scored the go-ahead touchdown, and the Gophers overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat No. 21 Nebraska 28-24 on Saturday.

The Gophers big defensive stop kept alive their hopes in the Big Ten West. They can win the division and go to the conference championship game on Dec. 6 with a win at Wisconsin next week.

The Cornhuskers, humiliated at Wisconsin a week ago, lost back-to-back conference games for the first time since 2009.

Nebraska led 24-14 in the middle of the third quarter. But Minnesota, with running back David Cobb on the sideline with his left leg heavily wrapped, churned out a couple of long drives to take the lead.

The Huskers started their final possession with 3:25 to play and drove to the Minnesota 30. Pierson-El caught Tommy Armstrong's third-and-9 pass at the 2, but Boddy Calhoun stripped him of the ball with 1:19 left.

Minnesota ran out the clock and secured its first road win against a Top 25 opponent in 21 games since 2000. It's also the Gophers' second straight win over the Huskers and their first in Lincoln after seven straight losses since 1960.

Leidner ran 22 times for a season-high 110 yards and two touchdowns and completed 8 of 17 passes for 135 yards. Cobb had 15 runs for 80 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game in the third quarter.

Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah had 98 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Armstrong was 12 of 19 for 233 yards.