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University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Falls to Michigan 29-6
11/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
The University of Minnesota football team (7-3, 3-3) lost to Michigan (3-7, 2-4) 29-6 at the Metrodome on Saturday, Nov. 8.
It marked the third straight year that the Wolverines claimed the “Little Brown Jug” in the 97th meeting between the two programs.
Michigan had 432 yards to 188 for the Golden Gophers, and had 21 first downs to seven for Minnesota.
Offensively, Minnesota was led byDeLeon Eskridge who rushed for a game-high 80 yards on 11 carries, and caught two passes for 14 yards. Adam Weber finished the afternoon 13-for-24 with 105 passing yards. His 102 total yards on the afternoon were a career-low.
Brandon Green had a team-high 36 receiving yards on two receptions, and Jack Simmons had a team-high three catches with 20 receiving yards.
On defense for the Gophers, Tramaine Brock had 10 tackles, a forced fumble, a tackle for a loss and pass breakup. Lee Campbell also had nine tackles and a fumble recovery.
Michigan took a 6-0 lead on a pair of K.C. Lopata field goals in the first quarter. Lopata put Michigan up 3-0 with a 44-yard field goal at the 11:03 mark of the first quarter. The key play of the drive was a 29-yard one-handed reception by Greg Mathews. On that play, the Wolverines got to the Minnesota 33-yard line on a third-and-5 play from their own 39.
His second field goal was a 35-yard field goal with 31 seconds left in the first quarter to make the score 6-0. On that drive, the Wolverines started in Minnesota territory at the Gopher 49-yard line. Michigan quarterback Nick Sheridan got the Wolverines into field goal range with a nine-yard pass to Martavious Odoms, and an eight-yard run to the Golden Gopher 25-yard line. The Wolverine eventually got the ball down to the Minnesota 18-yard line for the field goal attempt.
Lopata added to Michigan’s lead with a 26-yard field goal at the 8:23 mark of the second quarter to make it 9-0. The Wolverines started the drive at their own 21-yard line, but got a pair of big plays to get them deep into Minnesota territory. The first play was a 39-yard pass from Sheridan to Sam McGuffie to get to the Golden Gopher 36-yard line. Feagin followed with a 20-yard completion to Toney Clemons to get to the Minnesota 16-yard line. Michigan got to the Golden Gopher nine-yard line, before the Minnesota defense stiffened and limited the Wolverines to a field goal.
The Wolverines expanded the lead to 16-0 on an eight-yard touchdown pass to Mathews from Sheridan with 1:49 remaining in the second quarter. That capped off a nine play, 77-yard drive that took four minutes and 17 seconds. Feagin had the key play of the drive on a 34-yard run to the Golden Gopher 36-yard line.
Michigan moved ahead 19-0 when Lopata hit his fourth field goal of the game, as he drilled a 48-yarder at the 12:20 mark of the third quarter.
The Golden Gophers got on the board on a 28-yard field goal by Joel Monroe to cut the Michigan lead to 19-3 at the 7:27 mark. Minnesota started the drive on its own 34-yard line, and got down to the Wolverine 40 on a 19-yard reception by Green. On third-and-six from the Michigan 36, DeLeon Eskridge ran for 26 yards to get to the Wolverine 10. The Golden Gophers drive went 53 yards on 10 plays in four minutes and 53 minutes.
Lopata added a 23-yard field goal with 2:15 left in the third quarter to push the Wolverine lead back to 19 points at 22-3.
Minnesota cut the Michigan lead to 22-6 on a 32-yard field goal by Monroe. Eskridge ran for 38 yards on the drive for the Golden Gophers. On the drive, Minnesota ran 14 plays for 48 yards in five minutes and 33 seconds.
The Golden Gophers defense got Michigan off the field on three plays to give Minnesota a chance to get back in the game. Weber completed a 17-yard pass to Green and a 30-yard pass to Nick Tow-Arnett to get to the Michigan 36-yard line. The Wolverines halted Minnesota’s momentum two plays later when Trent Morgan intercepted Weber’s pass at the 50-yard line.
Michigan finished the scoring for the day when Mark Moundros plunged in from three yards out with 34 seconds in the game to give the Wolverines a 29-6 lead. It finished a 53-yard scoring drive for Michigan that took six minutes and 42 seconds.
Sheridan threw for 203 yards, rushed for 33 yards, and was 18-for-30 with a touchdown pass on the game. Mathews had six receptions, for 79 yards and had a receiving touchdown for the Wolverines. Odoms had a team-high seven catches for 43 yards.
Brandon Minor also had 14 carries and had 56 yards, while Michael Shaw rushed for a team-high 72 yards on eight carries.
Minnesota will be back in action when it travels to Wisconsin on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2:30 p.m. That game will be broadcast on ABC.
