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University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Postgame Notes
12/31/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
2008 Insight Bowl
Kansas (8-5) 42, Minnesota (7-6) 21
December 31, 2008
Sun Devil Stadium
Tempe, Ariz.
Attendance: 49,103
Bowl Notes
∙ Minnesota’s all-time bowl record slips to 5-8 with tonight’s Insight Bowl loss. The Gophers have now dropped three straight bowl games. Minnesota’s last bowl win was a 20-16 victory over Alabama in the 2004 Music City Bowl.
∙ The Gophers’ loss was their second in two all-time appearances in the Insight Bowl. Minnesota fell to Texas Tech 44-41 in the 2006 Insight Bowl.
∙ Minnesota’s record at Sun Devil Stadium fell to 0-3. In addition to their two Insight Bowl losses, the Gophers also suffered a 48-26 loss to Arizona State in the 1969 season opener here in Tempe.
∙ Junior wide receiver set the Minnesota bowl record with for both receptions and receiving yards. He finished the game with 8 receptions for 148 yards and a touchdown.
Series Notes
∙ Minnesota’s record in its all-time series with Kansas fell to 3-4 with tonight’s loss in the Insight Bowl. The Gophers, who have now lost three straight in the series with the Jayhawks, are 62-38-4 all-time against current members of the Big 12 Conference. Prior to today, the Gophers and Jayhawks had not met since 1973.
Team Notes
∙ Minnesota finishes the season with a 7-6 overall record. The Gophers opened the year with a 7-1 mark before suffering losses in each of their finals five games of the season.
∙ The Gophers trailed 28-14 at intermission and fell to 0-4 when trailing at the half. Minnesota also trailed at the break against Ohio State, Michigan and Iowa.
∙ Minnesota scored on its opening drive, moving 87 yards on four plays in just 1:22. It was the eight-fastest scoring drive of the season for the Gophers and the sixth time Minnesota has scored on its opening offensive possession of a game this season.
∙ The Gophers’ 14 first-quarter points today were a season-high for an opening period.
∙ The combined 28 points scored by Minnesota and Kansas during the first quarter was the most combined points scored in the first quarter of any Gophers’ game this season. The previous high was 13 at Purdue (7 by Minnesota, 6 by Purdue).
∙ Minnesota collected three sacks tonight and finished the season with 34. The Gophers had just 11 sacks last season.
Individual Notes
∙ David Pittman’s 75-yard pass to Eric Decker on the Gophers’ first offensive play from scrimmage was Minnesota’s longest play of the season. It was also Pittman’s first pass attempt of the year.
∙ Decker’s 75-yard reception was a career-long and the junior’s sixth catch of more than 30 yards this season.
∙ Decker cracked the 100-yard receiving mark for the fourth time this season and the seventh time in his career, hauling in 8 passes for 149 yards. He finishes the season with 84 receptions for 1,074 yards. His 84 receptions are a school record, while his 1,074 yards are the second-most in school history.
∙ Decker ends his junior season with 177 catches (second in school history) for 2,363 yards (fourth in school history).
∙ Adam Weber completed 19 of 34 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown. He finishes his sophomore season with 255 completions (the second-most in school history) for 2,761 yards (third-most in school history).
∙ For his career, Weber will ends his sophomore season ranked second all-time in career completions with 513 and fourth in career passing yards with 5,656.
∙ Jon Hoese scored his first career touchdown on his first career carry, scoring on a 1-yard plunge to cap the Gophers’ first offensive possession of the game. He added a 2-yard touchdown run on his third carry of the night and finished the game with 4 carries for five yards.
∙ Freshman Troy Stoudermire’s 60-yard kickoff return was a career long.
∙ Senior Willie VanDeSteeg collected a 5-yard sack and finished his career 21.5 sacks (fourth most in school history) and a school record 44.5 tackles for losses. He finished the season with 10.5 sacks (fifth in school history) and 19 tackles for losses (fifth in school history).
