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University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota-Northern Illinois Postgame Notes
8/30/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
MINNESOTA vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
POST-GAME NOTES
Series Notes
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∙ The Gophers are 25-3-1 all-time against MAC opponents after tonight's win.
Team Notes
∙ Duane Bennett's one-yard touchdown plunge with :22 left in regulation marked the first time the Gophers scored a fourth quarter game winning touchdown since Nov. 18, 2000 when Travis Cole connected with Jermaine Mays on a 81-yard touchdown strike with 6:13 left in the game to beat Iowa 27-24 at the Dome.
∙ Bennett's score was the latest game-winning touchdown since Sept. 14, 1996 when Cory Sauter connected with Tutu Atwell on an 18-yard scoring strike with :15 left to beat
∙ Tonight's game marked the beginning of the 125th season of football for the
∙ This evening's game kicked off the 27th and final season of Golden Gopher football in the Metrodome.
∙ The Gophers have at least one rushing touchdown in 60 of their past 67 games.
∙ The Gophers won a game that had been tied at halftime for the first time since Sept. 14, 2002 when they defeated
∙ With Jack Simmons' 53-yard touchdown reception and Duane Bennett's 60-yard touchdown run, the Gophers scored two touchdowns of 50 yards or more for the first time since Sept. 1, 2005 when Laurence Maroney ran for touchdowns of 67 and 73 yards at
Individual Notes
∙ Weber connected with Eric Decker on a seven-yard touchdown pass on the end of a 13-play drive that lasted nearly nine minutes. It was Weber's 25th career touchdown pass and was the 13th career touchdown reception for Decker. The first quarter strike marked the 10th time the duo has hooked up for a passing touchdown.
∙ Weber's two touchdown passes give him 26 for his career, moving him into seventh on Minnesota's all-time list, one ahead of Tony Dungy (1973-76).
∙ Weber's 53-yard touchdown pass to Jack Simmons in the third quarter was the third-longest connection of Weber's career.
∙ Joel Monroe converted his only field goal attempt of the game, a 40-yarder that put the Gophers ahead 10-7 with 6:02 left in the second quarter.
∙ Decker hauled in 10 catches for 89 yards. It was the second time in Decker's career that the Cold Spring,
∙ Decker caught six passes on the Gophers' opening drive, including a seven-yard touchdown reception.
∙ Jack Simmons' touchdown reception in the third quarter was his second career touchdown catch and first since the 2006 Insight Bowl. The 53-yard run and catch was the longest reception of Simmons' career.
∙ Nick Tow-Arnett caught a career-high four catches for a personal best 66 yards.
∙ Five Gophers made their first career starts. They included Ryan Orton (LG), Ryan Wynn (RT), Ben Kuznia (WR), Traye Simmons (CB) and Tramaine Brock (FS).
∙ DeLeon Eskridge recorded his first carry as a Gopher with a five yard scamper in the third quarter.
∙ True freshman Troy Stoudermire got his first career touch with a 39-yard kickoff return in the third quarter. Stoudermire averaged 37 yards on two kickoff returns.
∙ Junior Barrett Moen recorded the first sack of the season for the Gophers when he dropped Chandler Harnish for 12-yard loss in the third quarter. It was his first career sack.
∙ Moen recorded his second sack of the game early in the fourth quarter.
∙ Duane Bennett's 61-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was the longest of his career. The run was the longest running play for the Gophers since Laurence Maroney's 93-yard touchdown run against
∙ Freshman walk-on Mike Rallis recorded the first Gopher tackle of the 2008 season when he tackled NIU kick returner Me'co Brown on the kickoff that followed the Gophers' opening drive touchdown.
∙ The Gophers' first takeaway of the season came when Garrett Brown recovered a fumble forced by Simoni Lawrence in the second quarter.
