Vikings all-time tournament: Balanced 2017 attack upsets third-seeded 1975

Quarterback Case Keenum and the 2017 Minnesota Vikings team is moving on to the all-time tournament semifinals after defeating 1975 by a score of 19-17.

Keenum wasn’t spectacular, throwing for just 152 yards, no touchdowns and one interception on 11-of-17 passing, but he did enough to edge Fran Tarkenton and the No. 3 seed 1975 squad.

Tied 7-7 at halftime, the ’17 Vikings distanced themselves by scoring the next nine points – two field goals by Kai Forbath and an eight-yard touchdown scamper by Latavius Murray (with Forbath missing the extra point).

Tarkenton and the ’75 Vikings trailed 19-7 with 12:45 to play. After Chuck Foreman’s 41-yard run, Tarkenton steered ’75 Minnesota into the red zone only to come up short on third-and-goal from the 6-yard line and settle for a field goal.

The ’17 Vikings turned to their three-headed rushing attack of Dalvin Cook, Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon and burned six minutes off the clock on the ensuing drive.

Stu Voigt’s late 16-yard touchdown grab didn’t matter.

The ’75 Vikings had the edge in passing yards (171) and average yards per rush (4.3) but converted on just 3 of 11 third downs.

Adam Thielen was Keenum’s favorite target, catching four passes for 66 yards. Tight end Kyle Rudolph added three catches for 26 yards.

The 2017 squad will take on seventh-seeded 1976 in the all-time tournament semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, No. 1 seed 1998 matches up against No. 5 seed 2009.

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