DETROIT -- Mitch Leidner found out prior to Minnesota's bowl game that he needs foot surgery. That didn't stop him from using his feet to give the Golden Gophers their first bowl victory in 11 years.

The junior quarterback rushed 13 yards for the go-ahead score with 4:26 remaining as Minnesota snapped a seven-game bowl losing streak by defeating Central Michigan 21-14 in the Quick Lane Bowl on Monday at Ford Field.

"That's what leaders do," said Gophers coach Tracy Claeys, who took over in midseason after Jerry Kill was forced into retirement for health reasons. "You get in ballgames like that and it gets tight at the end, and you've got to have a play to win, your leaders do that. Mitch has stepped up and done that several times this year."

Leidner, who needs a minor procedure on his left foot, also rushed for a crucial first down during the winning drive. He noticed a change in the way the Chippewas were defending the read option.

"On some of the ones I kept, they'd bring two guys off the edge and you have to split them and then they had a guy waiting for me," said Leidner, who completed 24 of 30 passes for 223 yards and won the Most Valuable Player award. "On the touchdown drive there, they had a guy go right to the back and left a nice gap for the quarterback."

Minnesota needed a break just to get into a bowl game. The Gophers (6-7), who lost five of their last six regular-season games, were one of three 5-7 teams selected to fill bowl games. The other postseason teams with losing records -- San Jose State and Nebraska -- also won their games.

"If they don't want 5-7 teams in the bowls, then change the rules," Claeys said. "I'm not going to apologize for any of it."

Gophers freshman receiver KJ Maye, who had eight receptions for 67 yards, caught Leidner's touchdown throw as well as a two-point conversion.

Freshman running back Romello Ross gained a career-high 100 rushing yards and scored on a 13-yard run for the Chippewas (7-6). Junior quarterback Cooper Rush passed for a season-low 145 yards and was intercepted in the late going.

Central Michigan coach John Bonamego asserted that the Gophers used more press coverage than they had shown during the season, which slowed his team's passing attack.

"We feel like we were right there and had our opportunities to win the game," he said. "We just didn't get it done. We'll use this to motivate us moving into next year and we'll come back even stronger."

Ryan Santoso extended Minnesota's three-point halftime lead with a 42-yard field goal midway through the third quarter. The Chippewas couldn't get anything going in the quarter, as 12 offensive plays netted minus-3 yards.

Following a fourth-down stop by its defense, Central Michigan found some offensive rhythm and took a 14-13 lead with 11:08 left. Ross finished off the four-play, 56-yard drive with his 13-yard scoring run, as he twisted, turned and powered his way for the final 5 yards.

The Gophers responded with a methodical 13-play, 74-yard drive, capped by Leidner's 13-yard scoring run. He faked a handoff and burst through a hole up the middle to give Minnesota the lead, then found Maye for a two-point conversion to make it 21-14.

Rush was picked off by senior cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun with 2:10 left. The Gophers then ran out all but the last 13 seconds of the clock.

Rush was about to get sacked before he released the ball and Boddy-Calhoun made a leaping grab.

"I just tried to make a play," Rush said. "Looking back, I probably should have just ate it but he made a heck of a play."

Santoso's 22-yard field goal gave the Gophers an early lead. Rush scored on the first play of the second quarter, a 1-yard quarterback sneak, to complete an 82-yard Chippewas drive.

Minnesota moved back in front with 12:43 remaining in the second quarter on Leidner's 11-yard scoring pass to Maye. Its 10-7 lead held up the rest of the half.

NOTES: Minnesota's last postseason victory came in 2004, when it edged Alabama 20-16 in the Music City Bowl. ... Gophers QB Mitch Leidner surpassed 5,000 career passing yards during the second quarter. ... The Chippewas are 3-6 all-time in bowl games, with two of those victories coming at Ford Field. They lost a 49-48 thriller to Western Kentucky in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl last season. ... Minnesota won the only previous meeting between the schools, 30-10 at the Metrodome in 1987. ... Central Michigan is 6-24 all-time against Big Ten opponents.