Former Gophers and current Michigan State defensive coordinator Joe Rossi looked livid over a pass interference call that weighed heavily in Minnesota’s 23-20 overtime win on Saturday.

Postgame, however, Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith didn’t take much issue on that flag given to defensive back Malcolm Bell for contact on U receiver Le’Meke Brockington.

Drake Lindsey’s third-down pass had fallen incomplete, and without the penalty it would have been fourth and 4 from the 19-yard line.

“Not every call is going to go your way,” Smith said. “Dang, this is an emotional game. Those are the calls.”

That wasn’t the only pass interference call that weighed heavily on the outcome. In the first overtime, the officiating crew picked up a flag for pass interference on Gophers safety Kerry Brown. Instead of a first and goal for the Spartans, it was fourth and 3 from the 18, and Michigan State kicked a 36-yard field goal.

“The explanation was — there is not just one referee out there, they got eight of them — the communication of the group of eight that put eyes on the call, one came in with a stronger opinion to pick it up,” Smith said. “I felt it was delayed in getting there, but that was what the explanation was.”

The Gophers would score the game-winning touchdown on the next series.

Tribute

The Gophers welcomed back the friends of Fletcher Merkel — the 8-year-old boy who was murdered in the Annunciation Church shooting in August.

That group of kids and parent chaperones shared a great moment with Merkel during the Gophers’ upset of Southern California last October.

On their return trip to the U this weekend, the group attended the U’s practice Friday and Saturday’s game. They received game balls from head coach P.J. Fleck after the win.

In the wake of the tragedy that killed two and injured 30, Fleck said it was an small opportunity for some to start healing and creating new memories.

“They could smile,” Fleck said. “And I thought they did.”

Injuries

Gophers top running back Darius Taylor missed the Michigan State game. The junior from Detroit pick up an undisclosed injury before the Iowa loss last weekend and played only three snaps against the Hawkeyes.

The leading rusher has now missed three games and parts of three others.

In warmups Saturday, starting cornerback Za’Quan Bryan injured his shoulder and couldn’t play. Minnesota was already without defense backs Garrison Monroe and Mike Gerald, who have been dealing with ailments for weeks.

Cornerback John Nestor, who left the Iowa loss with an injury, returned and contributed six tackles.

Minnesota was also without role-playing receivers Logan Loya and Kenric Lanier against the Spartans. Loya also missed the Iowa game, while Lanier’s absence is new.

Other Gophers who remained out: linebacker Jeff Roberson,  defensive tackle Theorin Randle, receiver Cristian Driver, offensive lineman DJ Shipp and others.

A handful of Gophers got hurt during Saturday’s game to varying degrees: Star defensive end Anthony Smith (but he returned), linebacker Joey Gerlach, safeties Kerry Brown and Darius Green and Brockington.

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Minnesota generally gets colder and darker come November. But for a Minnesota Wild team that stumbled out of the gates in its first dozen games, flipping the calendar to the eleventh month seems to have provided some vital daylight.

On the first night of November, the Wild turned in a much-needed start-to-finish effort and got rewarded, beating the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 to snap a five-game losing skid.

Clinging to a one-goal lead in the third period, the Wild got a clincher from an unlikely source, when third liner Vinnie Hinostoza snapped a rising shot off the glove of Vancouver goalie Thatcher Demko. It was Hinostroza’s first goal of the season, and gave them some vital breathing room.

Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and two assists, while Marco Rossi, Jonas Brodin and Ryan Hartman also scored as Minnesota won for the first time since Oct. 20.

Drew O’Connor scored his first two goals of the season for Vancouver, but Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson had 26 saves in the win as Minnesota improved to 4-6-3 on the season and 2-3-2 at home.

Minnesota’s power play, which opened the day ranked fourth, statistically, in the NHL, got two chances in the first period. They failed to get a shot on the first man-advantage, but cashed in on their second chance.

After a set-up pass from Joel Eriksson Ek found him behind the Vancouver defenders, Tarasenko streaked across the top of the crease and tucked a backhand shot past Demko. It was Tarasenko’s second goal since joining the Wild via a trade with Detroit over the summer.

Almost as important, for a Wild penalty kill that entered the evening statistically last in the NHL, they negated the only penalty taken by the home team in the first period, icing the puck three times.

Vancouver began the middle frame with a strong push, recording seven of the period’s first eight shots and tying the score on Drew O’Connor’s first goal of the season. Gustavsson made the save on a wide-angle shot by Mackenzie MacEachern, only to have the rebound bounce right to the stick of O’Connor, who was crashing the net.

Tarasenko played the set-up role as the Wild regained the lead later in the second. His shot from the blue line made it through a crowd in front of Demko, and the goalie knocked it down, but was unable to stop Rossi’s crack at the rebound.

After Hinostroza provided a two-goal lead, Brodin’s shot from along the goal line found an imperceptible gap between the post and Demko’s blocker to put Minnesota up 4-1. O’Connor scored off a faceoff to the left of Gustavsson a short time later to keep things close.

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Demko finished with 22 saves for the Canucks, who fell to 6-7-0 under first-year coach Adam Foote. The coach brought his goalie to the bench with four minutes to go in favor of an extra attacker, only to see Hartman fire the puck from the far goal line into the empty net.

The Wild and Canucks will meet two more times this season – Dec. 6 in Vancouver and April 2 in St. Paul.

The Wild’s six-game homestand concludes on Tuesday with the Nashville Predators’ first visit of the season. It is a 7 p.m. start at Grand Casino Arena.

An Isanti County man charged with hiding a Forest Lake teen in a tent in rural Pine County, Minn., for months was sentenced to four years in prison Friday.

Shawn Patrick Bellach (Courtesy of the Pine County Sheriff’s Office)

Shawn Patrick Bellach, 39, of Dalbo, Minn., pleaded guilty in August to felony charges of kidnapping and second-degree criminal sexual conduct and was sentenced in the 10th Judicial District Court, which includes Pine County. Each count includes a sentence of four years, which will be served concurrently. Bellach was credited for 25 days served.

One count each of soliciting a child to engage in sexual conduct, deprivation of custodial or parental rights, and second-degree criminal sexual conduct were dismissed as part of a plea agreement Bellach reached with the prosecution in August. Bellach is required to register as a predatory offender for the remainder of his life.

Bellach was arrested in July 2023 after the teen girl, who was then 14, was found living in a tent north of Grasston, Minn., late that month. She had been missing since May after leaving her house on a bicycle with an attached trailer, taking her cat and $3,000 in baby-sitting money.

The girl’s mother told the Pioneer Press in June that the girl left a note saying she was going to be “traveling around the United States with her boyfriend.”

Bellach knew the girl’s mother and agreed to help the girl run away to a home belonging to friends of his in Grasston, according to the complaint. The friends agreed to let the girl stay in a tent on the property temporarily after Bellach told them that the girl was abused at home, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, a search of the girl’s cellphone showed videos of Bellach and the girl living together in the tent. In one video, Bellach asks the girl what it is like “dating someone who is 20 years older than her.”

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Julius Randle scored 30 points to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Charlotte Hornets 122-105 on Saturday night, their first victory since All-Star Anthony Edwards was sidelined with an injury.

Without Edwards, who has a right hamstring strain, Minnesota had lost home games to Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Donte DiVincenzo and Naz Reid added 18 points each, Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 15 rebounds and Jaden McDaniels added 14 points for Minnesota.

Miles Bridges had 30 points and LaMelo Ball had 18 points, seven rebounds and eight assists to lead Charlotte, which has lost its last three games.

Charlotte led 56-50 at halftime before Minnesota dominated the third quarter 36-18 to take and 86-74 lead into the final quarter. The Timberwolves’ strong play extended into the fourth quarter as they eventually built a 20-point lead.

Minnesota made 17 of 36 3-pointers (47.2%) , getting conversions from DiVincenzo (5 of 12), Randle (3 of 6), Rei (3 of 5), McDaniels (2 of 2), Johnny Juzang (1 of 1) and Bones Hyland (1 of 3).

The Hornets were 13 of 45 (28.9%)from 3-point range.

This was the first game since the Hornets announced they had exercised their fourth-year team option on guard Brandon Miller and third-year team option on forward Tidjane Salaun.

Miller, the second overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has appeared in 103 career games, but missed 65 games last year after needing right wrist surgery and missed his fourth straight game Saturday with a left shoulder injury.

Timberwolves guard Rob Dillingham was playing in his second career game near his hometown of Hickory, North Carolina, 60 miles northwest of Charlotte. He had four points and three assists in 15 minutes.