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University of Minnesota Athletics
GOPHERS STRUGGLE AT NORTHWESTERN; FALL 23-17 TO WILDCATS
10/13/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Johnson also had three catches for 65 yards, moving him past Tutu Atwell's career receptions record of 171. For his career, Johnson now has 172 catches for 2,478 yards, just 162 yards behind Atwell's career yardage mark.
Minnesota (1-4, 0-3 Big Ten) moved the ball on the ground throughout the game, sparked by Tellis Redmon's 143 yards on 25 carries. Quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq, starting for the first time since the season opener versus Toledo, carried th ball nine time for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Freshman Marion Barber had eight carries for 57 yards with a team-high 7.1 yards per carry average to aid the Gophers' cause.
A 17-yard run by Barber set up Abdul-Khaliq's 1-yard run that pulled Minnesota within 13-10 in the second quarter, following Dan Nystrom's 15 yard field goal in the first quarter. But Nortwestern's Sam Simmons returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown and caught a 29-yard pass for another score to give the Wildcats (4-1, 2-1) the victory.
Abdul-Khaliq completed only 4 of 17 first-half passes. When he threw his third interception in the second half, he was replaced by Travis Cole.
It was Cole who hit Johnson on a fourth-down, 35-yard TD pass with 32 seconds left. Cole ended the day six-of-16 for 107 yards.
Minnesota 3 7 0 7-17 Northwestern 13 7 3 0-23 First Quarter Nor-Anderson 4 run (Wasielewski kick), 8:25 Min-FG Nystrom 42, 4:56 Nor-Simmons 29 pass from Kustok (kick failed), 4:26 Second Quarter Min-Abdul-Khaliq 1 run (Nystrom kick), 12:57 Nor-Simmons 71 punt return (Wasielewski kick), 2:46 Third Quarter Nor-FG Wasielewski 40, 6:57 Fourth Quarter Min-Johnson 35 pass from Cole (Nystrom kick), :32 A-31,097. Min Nor First downs 24 21 Rushes-yards 50-257 46-113 Passing 143 237 Comp-Att-Int 10-34-3 22-32-1 Return Yards 117 131 Punts-Avg. 8-37.1 8-45.9 Fumbles-Lost 4-0 4-0 Penalties-Yards 9-65 7-75 Time of Possession 29:43 30:17 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING-Minnesota, Redmon 25-143, Barber 8-57, Abdul-Khaliq 9-55, Henderson 2-12, Johnson 1-7, Cole 5-(minus 17). Northwestern, Anderson 22-86, Lawrence 5-33, Simmons 1-21, Kustok 16-13. PASSING-Minnesota, Abdul-Khalig 4-18-36-3, Cole 6-16-107-0. Northwestern, Kustok 22-32-237-1. RECEIVING-Minnesota, Henderson 4-47, Johnson 3-65, Burns 2-16, Eugne 1- 15. Northwestern, Simmons 7-97, Patrick 6-46, Schweighardt 5-58, Foster 2-16, Aikens 1-11, Jordan 1-9.
