Gophers miss game-winning FG as time expires, lose to North Carolina 19-17

Missed field goals to win the game at home for Minnesota football fans isn't a new thing.

The Minnesota Vikings missed one to go to the Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons in 1998 and did it again in 2015 against the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round. The latter came at the then-named TCF Bank Stadium (now named Huntington Bank Stadium).

The Gophers were the victims of a heartbreaking loss Thursday night at the same stadium against the North Carolina Tar Heels, as Minnesota's kicker Dragan Kesich missed the 47-yard game-winning attempt wide right to give the Tar Heels the opening-season victory.

It was an interesting decision for head coach P.J. Fleck to play it safe at the end of the game, as he waited until the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter instead of using available timeouts to move the ball closer into the red zone. The offense let the time bleed from the clock to force a long-range field goal.

Kesich had already missed an earlier 27-yard field goal in the second quarter but made a 30-yarder earlier in the fourth. The kicker won last year's season opener, 13-10 over Nebraska, but evidently failed to repeat that same success.

Outside of the missed kick, the Gophers showed sloppiness all over the field, particularly on offense.

The Gophers were jump-started following a interception by senior cornerback Justin Walley off quarterback Max Johnson, who returned it 70 yards to the Tar Heels' six-yard line.

Gophers transfer running back Marcus Major — who saw the bulk of the carries after Darius Taylor was ruled out before kickoff — punched it into the endzone two plays later, tying the game at seven.

The final minutes of the first half showed how momentum flipped from UNC's favor to Minnesota's, as the Gophers carried a 14-7 lead heading into halftime.

Related: Gophers RB Darius Taylor out vs. North Carolina due to injury

Related: Gophers halftime report: Minnesota finds some late rhythm to take 14-7 lead into locker room

North Carolina's kicker Noah Burnette was the entire offense for the Tar Heels in the second half, as he hit four field goals and gave his team a 19-17 lead with less than two minutes left in the game.

The Gophers surely got lucky earlier on that set up the 30-yard field goal to take a brief 17-16 lead, as wide receiver LeMeke Brockington hauled in a 22-yard reception and fumbled it. However, the ball bounced perfectly in the direction of Major, who picked it up and added 16 more yards on the play.

Minnesota's offense was inconsistent to say the least Thursday night, something they will need to fix if they hope for any success this season as the Big Ten Conference expands.

Related: Can the Gophers offense become explosive again in 2024?

The beginning of the first was also ugly, as besides the offense getting nothing going, the defense hampered itself. Aidan Gousby was called for a downfield holding penalty that erased a strip sack by Jai'Onte McMillan and Cody Lindenberg's recovery. That happened before Walley's pick and would've certainly swung momentum earlier.

Gophers transfer quarterback Max Brosmer, making his debut in Minnesota, finished completing 13-for-21 passes, for 166 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. He had a fumble lost in the second half. Major finished with 20 carries for 73 yards and a score, doing what he can for a dysfunctional Minnesota offense.

North Carolina's Johnson left the game on a cart, as he suffered a serious injury in the third quarter.

Related: North Carolina QB Max Johnson carted off with injury vs. Gophers

To add insult to injury, the stadium's fireworks went off at the end of the game.

Minnesota loses the home-and-home series with North Carolina, as they dropped the first game at Chapel Hill 31-13 last season.

P.J. Fleck is now 6-3 in season openers with the Gophers. Minnesota will take on Rhode Island at Huntington Bank Stadium on Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. CT.