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University of Minnesota Athletics
Big Plays Push Gophers Past Purdue 35-20
10/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Big plays from defense and special teams carried Minnesota to a 35-20 homecoming victory over Purdue on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium.
The Gophers forced three turnovers and converted two into short touchdown drives, while also getting a 47-yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown by Traye Simmons to improve to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten. Purdue lost for the fifth straight time to drop to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten.
Despite Minnesota's comfortable victory margin, the Gophers were outgained 402-281 as Minnesota's defense and special teams gave the Gophers outstanding field position throughout the game. Minnesota also had a balanced rushing attack with eight players carrying the ball, led by Kevin Whaley with eight carries for 79 yards. The Gophers did most of their work on the ground with their four offensive touchdowns all coming on one-yard runs. Minnesota also threw the ball just 10 times and three times in the second half.
The Boilermakers built an early 10-point lead through the first quarter and got on the scoreboard first after a 14-play drive that was capped by a Carson Wiggs 43-yard field goal to make it 3-0 with 7:36 remaining in the first quarter. After being pinned down at its own six-yard line, Purdue took the opening drive 68 yards in four minutes and 50 seconds. Boilermaker quarterback Joey Elliott led Purdue on the drive with 53 passing yards, converting 3-of-4 third-down conversions. However, the Gophers stopped Elliott on a 3rd-and-12 to hold Purdue to a field goal.
Purdue added touchdown to make it 10-0 with 4:32 remaining in the first quarter. Elliott completed a three-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Aaron Valentin on 3rd and goal. The touchdown pass came after an eight-play drive that was started from a Torri Williams interception of Weber at Purdue's 46-yard line. It took the Boilermakers two minutes and 18 seconds on the 54-yard drive to get into the end zone after the Minnesota turnover.
Minnesota struck back with 6:29 remaining in the second quarter with a one-yard touchdown run by DeLeon Eskridge to cut the Purdue lead to 10-7. The Golden Gopher drive went 84 yards in eight plays in three minutes and 57 seconds . The rushing score was set up two plays earlier when Weber completed a nifty play-action for a 47-yard pass to Eric Decker to get to the Boilermaker one-yard line.
Less than a minute later, Gopher captain Lee Campbell picked off an Elliott pass and looked primed to score before Elliott pushed the middle linebacker out of bounds at Purdue's two-yard line. Thirty-eight seconds later, Eskridge scored his second one-yard rushing touchdown of the game with 4:36 left in the first half to put Minnesota up 14-10. Eskridge plunged into the end zone behind the right side of the Gopher offensive line.
With less than two minutes left in the first half, the Boilermakers added another score when Wiggs knocked in a 40-yard field goal to cut the Gopher lead 14-13 with 1:40 remaining in the second quarter. Wigg's second field goal of the game came after a 41-yard, seven play drive that took two minutes and 56 seconds.
Minnesota started the second half on an aggressive note, holding Purdue on its first position and getting great field position at the Boilermaker 30 after a seven-yard punt. Forty-three seconds later, Weber gave Minnesota its third touchdown of the game with 13:15 left in the third quarter after two plays and 30 yards. After a 28-yard Kevin Whaley run, the Gophers had the ball at the Boilermaker two-yard line and Weber scrambled into the end zone when he could not find any open receiving options, putting Minnesota up 21-13.
On the ensuing kickoff, sophomore Keanon Cooper came from behind Purdue's Keith Carlos to knock the football out at the Boilermaker 39-yard line. Sophomore Bryan Klitke smothered the ball to return possession back to the Gophers.
After a Nick Tow-Arnett 11-yard pass reception and 19-yard Whaley run, Minnesota was back at the Purdue one-yard line. Freshman Kevin Whaley scored his first career touchdown when he snuck into the end zone with a one-yard run, capping a 31-yard drive in 2:13. The score put Minnesota up 28-13 with 10:10 remaining in the third quarter.
The Golden Gophers added a third score in the third quarter on Minnesota's first blocked field goal for a touchdown since 1989 to bring the score to 35-13 with 5:38 left in the third quarter. Purdue's Wiggs lined up for a 38-yard field goal attempt, but it was the Gophers' defense that would succeed. Linebacker Campbell made another big defensive play when he got a hand on the field-goal attempt. Simmons picked up the tumbling football and ran 47 yards for a touchdown, his second of his career.
Purdue struck back at the start of the fourth quarter when quarterback Elliott picked out an open Keith Smith along the right sideline for a 61-yard touchdown pass. The touchdown reception capped an 80 yard drive that took 1:22 and five plays to complete, shortening the Gopher lead and bringing the score to 35-20 with 14:57 left in the game.
Minnesota came up with big defensive stops in the fourth quarter to hold onto their 35-20 lead. The first stop came on a fourth down attempt in the fourth quarter with 4:00 remaining in the quarter. The Boilermakers were driving when they came up against a fourth and fifteen at the Gopher 43-yard line. Purdue quarterback Joey Elliott completed a pass to receiver Keith Smith for 14 yards before Traye Simmons and Keanon Cooper stopped Smith from reaching the first down. The Boilermakers were originally credited with the first down, but Minnesota successfully challenged the spot of the ball through video replay to overturn the call.
The second stop came on Purdue's next drive when Simmons picked off Elliott's pass at the Minnesota 24-yard line, returning the ball 37 yards with 2:39 left in the game. Minnesota maintained control of the ball and secured the 35-20 victory.
Duane Bennett added nine rushes for 53 yards and DeLeon Eskridge had 12 rushes for 44 yards and two touchdowns. Senior receiver Eric Decker was held to just three catches for 50 yards as Adam Weber finished five-for-nine passing for 74 yards.
Elliott led Purdue with 25-for-47 passing for 299 yards and two touchdowns. Valentin was the leading receiver with eight catches for 80 yards, while Bolden rushed 18 times for 58 yards.
Minnesota heads to College Park, Penn. next week to take on the Nittany Lions of Penn State University.
