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University of Minnesota Athletics
Postgame Notes
9/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
September 6, 2008
Doyt Perry Stadium
Bowling Green, Ohio
Series Notes
∙ Minnesota improved to 2-1 all time vs. Bowling Green with tonight’s 42-17 victory. The win, which avenged a 32-31 overtime loss to the Falcons last year in Minneapolis, also improved the Gophers to 26-3-1 vs. the MAC, including a 3-1 mark on the road.
∙ Tonight’s victory was Minnesota’s eighth in its last nine meetings against MAC teams. The lone loss during that stretch was last season’s setback to Bowling Green.
∙ The Gophers’ last victory over a MAC opponent on the road was a 44-0 win at Kent State to open the 2006 season.
Team Notes
∙ Tonight’s win doubled Minnesota’s victory total from last season through just the second game of the year. It also was head coach Tim Brewster’s first road win and marked the Gophers’ first road victory since defeating Michigan State, 31-18, on Nov. 11, 2006.
∙ Minnesota’s 42 points were its most since the Gophers scored 48 last season at Northwestern.
∙ The Gopher defense held Bowling Green to 17 points. It is the fewest points allowed by Minnesota since Oct. 21, 2006, when the Gophers held North Dakota State to just 9, a span of 20 games.
∙ The Minnesota defense forced five turnovers tonight on four fumbles and an interception. It is the most since the Gophers forced the same number in the 2006 regular season finale vs. Iowa on four interceptions and one fumble.
∙ The Minnesota defense held Bowling Green to 10 first-half points. It marked the third straight game dating to last season that the Gophers have held their opponents to 10 points during the opening 30 minutes. Last year, Minnesota trailed Bowling Green 21-0 at intermission.
∙ Minnesota scored on its opening possession of the game for the second week in a row, marching 71 yards on eight plays in 4:40. Adam Weber connected with Duane Bennett on a 34-yard swing pass.
∙ With Eric Decker’s 12-yard second-quarter touchdown run, the Gophers now have at least one rushing touchdown in 61 of their past 68 games.
∙ At halftime, wide receiver Eric Decker was the Gophers’ leading rusher with 31 yards and running back Duane Bennett was Minnesota’s leading receiver with 64 yards.
Individual Notes
∙ Adam Weber’s 34-yard touchdown pass to Duane Bennett on the Gophers’ opening possession was his third this season and the 27th of his career. He added his fourth of the year on the opening possession of the second half for his 28th career TD strike and his fifth of the season in the fourth quarter for his 29th career TD pass. He is tied with Billy Cockerham for the six all time in school history.
∙ With three TD passes tonight, Weber has now thrown for multiple touchdowns in a game seven times in his career, including both games this season. His three TD passes are tied for his third most in a single game. He last had at least three TD strikes in the 2007 season finale vs. Wisconsin.
∙ Weber’s fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Eric Decker marked the 11th time the duo has connected on a TD pass.
∙ Weber added a 3-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. It was the first of the season for the sophomore and the sixth of his career.
∙ Eric Decker’s 12-yard touchdown run was the first TD on the ground of his career. He added a receiving touchdown on a 28-yard pass from Weber early in the fourth quarter. The junior now has 14 receiving TDs and one rushing for a total of 15.
∙ Decker’s 19-yard rush during the first quarter was the longest of his career and marked just the fifth time he had run the ball from scrimmage in his career.
∙ Duane Bennett recorded his seventh career touchdown overall and his second receiving with a 34-yard grab on Minnesota’s opening drive. It was the longest touchdown reception of his career topping a 32-yarder he had last year vs. North Dakota State and was the second-longest reception of Bennett’s career, coming up just one yard shy of a 35-yard grab he had against NDSU.
∙ Bennett’s finished with a team-leading eight receptions for 100 yards. Both figures were career highs. He also had a team-high 14 rushes for 48 yards.
∙ Shady Salamon got his first career carry tonight, ripping off a 19-yard run in the first quarter. He finished the game with a team-best 64 rushing yards, including his first career touchdown on a 5-yard run with 3:55 to go in the fourth quarter.
∙ Derrick Onwuachi’s first quarter forced fumble was the second of his career the first came last season at Michigan. Lee Campbell hopped on the loose ball for his first career fumble recovery. Minnesota forced its second turnover of the game on the opening kickoff of the second half when Jay Thomas stripped the ball loose and Ryan Collado fell on the fumble. Deon Hightower forced and recovered Bowling Green’s third fumble of the game. The Gophers also had an interception by Tramaine Brock, before Willie VanDeSteeg forced and recovered the fourth fumble and fifth turnover of the game for Bowling Green.
∙ Tramaine Brock snared his first career interception during the third quarter. He also led the Gophers in tackles for the second straight game with eight total. He had five last week in the win over Northern Illinois.
∙ Simoni Lawrence recorded his first career sack for 8 yards with just under four minutes to go in the second half to stop a Falcon drive at the Gophers’ 41-yard line.
Minnesota at Bowling Green: By the numbers...
23,184 - Tonight’s attendance.
3,417 - Adam Weber’s career passing yards. The 11th most in school history and just 55 shy of the No. 10 position.
100 - Duane Bennett’s team-high number of receiving yards on eight receptions. Both were career highs.
42 - Points for the Gophers. Their most since scoring 48 at Northwestern last season.
29 - Adam Weber’s number of career touchdown passes, including three tonight. He is now tied with Billy Cockerham for the sixth-most in school history.
17 - Points scored by Bowling Green. The fewest given up by Minnesota in 20 games - nine vs. North Dakota State in 2006.
11 - Number of passing completions between Adam Weber and Eric Decker for touchdowns.
5 - Number of turnovers forced by the Minnesota defense. Its most since Nov. 18, 2006 vs. Iowa.
