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University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Defeated By North Dakota State, 27-21
10/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Minnesota was defeated by North Dakota State, 27-21 on Saturday, in front of 63,088 fans at the HHH Metrodome. The Golden Gophers fall to 1-7 on the season. North Dakota State continued its unbeaten season, improving to 7-0.
A decisive roughing the punter penalty against Dominique Barber with just under 2 minutes remaining in the game, extended North Dakota State’s final drive and sealed the victory.
The North Dakota State defense forced the Gophers into a three-and-out and Bison offense took over with 5:40 remaining on the clock. The Gopher defense, which had allowed 352 yards rushing at that point, held firm and forced the Bison into a punting situation. Barber broke through the middle of the line and made a diving attempt to block Mike Dragosavich’s punt but fell into the punter’s legs drawing the flag.
Minnesota collected 307 yards of total offense to North Dakota State’s 585. Bison junior running Tyler Roehl was the star of the game, running for a school-record 263 yards on 22 carries. Adam Weber led the Gophers with 162 yards passing and one touchdown.
Minnesota took its first lead of the second half with 1:23 left in the third quarter on a 32-yard screen pass to Duane Bennett. Bennett caught the pass from Weber, hesitated as his blockers set up, then turned on the speed for the go-ahead score. Wide receiver Ernie Wheelright’s block was key to Bennett’s path to the end zone. The 74-yard drive was aided by a NDSU roughing the passer penalty on a third-down play; a Weber pass that fell incomplete.
The Bison were not down for long. North Dakota State efficiently marched 75 yards in 10 plays scoring on a 7-yard pass from Walker to tight end Thor Brown to take a 24-21 lead. After Nate Agbetola intercepted a Weber pass at the Minnesota 48, NDSU extended its lead to 27-21 on a 21-yard Shawn Bibeau field goal.
North Dakota State used a four-play, 73-yard drive resulting in a Shawn Bibeau 37-yard field goal as time expired to take a 17-14 lead into halftime. The Bison started the drive on their own 7-yard line with 34 ticks on the clock and was ready to run out the clock before Roehl’s run up the middle went for 68 yards to set up the field goal. A diving Barber tackle saved the touchdown. Roehl finished the first half with 200 yards rushing on just nine carries.
From the opening kickoff, both offenses served notice they would take center stage in this contest. Minnesota received the opening kick and promptly marched 60 yards for a touchdown in three plays. Eric Decker was on the opposite end of a scoring strike on a 20-yard touchdown pass, taking the handoff on an end-around to the left and finding a wide-open Ralph Spry in the corner of the end zone.
The Gophers’ momentum was short-lived as North Dakota State answered immediately on a three-play, 80-yard drive of their own. Roehl swung out of the backfield catching screen pass from Walker and dashing 77 yards to pay dirt. The play was ruled a backward lateral, thus is a scoring rush and not a pass.
North Dakota State grabbed their first lead at 14-7 in the last play of the first quarter capping a 71-yard drive. Steve Walker found fullback Tyler Jangula for a five-yard touchdown.
The Minnesota defense came up big to force a turnover and later the Gopher offense capitalized on it to tie the score at 14-14. Roehl had broken free on the Bison sideline and after a 33-yard when Kevin Mannion took the angle to catch up with the play and punched the ball our of Roehl’s grasp. Barber alerted gathered in the recovery at the Minnesota 48.
The Gophers looked to the run on this drive. Jay Thomas bulled his way for 15 yards to open the drive but was hurt on the play and did not return. Amir Pinnix became the workhorse rushing six times for 26 tough yards, including a 1-yard TD. Minnesota kept the drive alive converting a fourth down-and-one on the Bison 3-yard line. Weber faked a handoff to Pinnix and bootlegged to the right diving for a first down. Pinnix scored on the next play.
A decisive roughing the punter penalty against Dominique Barber with just under 2 minutes remaining in the game, extended North Dakota State’s final drive and sealed the victory.
The North Dakota State defense forced the Gophers into a three-and-out and Bison offense took over with 5:40 remaining on the clock. The Gopher defense, which had allowed 352 yards rushing at that point, held firm and forced the Bison into a punting situation. Barber broke through the middle of the line and made a diving attempt to block Mike Dragosavich’s punt but fell into the punter’s legs drawing the flag.
Minnesota collected 307 yards of total offense to North Dakota State’s 585. Bison junior running Tyler Roehl was the star of the game, running for a school-record 263 yards on 22 carries. Adam Weber led the Gophers with 162 yards passing and one touchdown.
Minnesota took its first lead of the second half with 1:23 left in the third quarter on a 32-yard screen pass to Duane Bennett. Bennett caught the pass from Weber, hesitated as his blockers set up, then turned on the speed for the go-ahead score. Wide receiver Ernie Wheelright’s block was key to Bennett’s path to the end zone. The 74-yard drive was aided by a NDSU roughing the passer penalty on a third-down play; a Weber pass that fell incomplete.
The Bison were not down for long. North Dakota State efficiently marched 75 yards in 10 plays scoring on a 7-yard pass from Walker to tight end Thor Brown to take a 24-21 lead. After Nate Agbetola intercepted a Weber pass at the Minnesota 48, NDSU extended its lead to 27-21 on a 21-yard Shawn Bibeau field goal.
North Dakota State used a four-play, 73-yard drive resulting in a Shawn Bibeau 37-yard field goal as time expired to take a 17-14 lead into halftime. The Bison started the drive on their own 7-yard line with 34 ticks on the clock and was ready to run out the clock before Roehl’s run up the middle went for 68 yards to set up the field goal. A diving Barber tackle saved the touchdown. Roehl finished the first half with 200 yards rushing on just nine carries.
From the opening kickoff, both offenses served notice they would take center stage in this contest. Minnesota received the opening kick and promptly marched 60 yards for a touchdown in three plays. Eric Decker was on the opposite end of a scoring strike on a 20-yard touchdown pass, taking the handoff on an end-around to the left and finding a wide-open Ralph Spry in the corner of the end zone.
The Gophers’ momentum was short-lived as North Dakota State answered immediately on a three-play, 80-yard drive of their own. Roehl swung out of the backfield catching screen pass from Walker and dashing 77 yards to pay dirt. The play was ruled a backward lateral, thus is a scoring rush and not a pass.
North Dakota State grabbed their first lead at 14-7 in the last play of the first quarter capping a 71-yard drive. Steve Walker found fullback Tyler Jangula for a five-yard touchdown.
The Minnesota defense came up big to force a turnover and later the Gopher offense capitalized on it to tie the score at 14-14. Roehl had broken free on the Bison sideline and after a 33-yard when Kevin Mannion took the angle to catch up with the play and punched the ball our of Roehl’s grasp. Barber alerted gathered in the recovery at the Minnesota 48.
The Gophers looked to the run on this drive. Jay Thomas bulled his way for 15 yards to open the drive but was hurt on the play and did not return. Amir Pinnix became the workhorse rushing six times for 26 tough yards, including a 1-yard TD. Minnesota kept the drive alive converting a fourth down-and-one on the Bison 3-yard line. Weber faked a handoff to Pinnix and bootlegged to the right diving for a first down. Pinnix scored on the next play.
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