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University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers' Rally Comes up Short at Purdue
10/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Adam Weber threw a pair of touchdown passes and Da'Jon McKnight hauled in six catches for a career-high 123 yards and a touchdown, but it was not enough to overcome Purdue on homecoming as the Golden Gophers fell to the Boilermakers, 28-17, in front of 47,319 Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium.
The loss was the sixth in a row for Minnesota (1-6, 0-3) and snapped a two-game winning streak against the Boilermakers.
Purdue (4-2, 2-0) got 126 yards on the ground from Dan Dierking and three rushing touchdowns from Rob Henry for its second straight win. Henry also passed for 163 yards and a score for the Boilermakers.
Purdue took a 14-0 lead into the intermission at halftime. Purdue quarterback Rob Henry had a pair of short rushing touchdowns, one in each of the first two quarters to stake the Boilermakers to their advantage.
It looked as though Minnesota would cut the deficit in half early in the third quarter. Gopher linebacker Gary Tinsley picked off a Henry pass and returned it 50 yards for what looked it would be a touchdown. As Tinsley neared the goal line -- with Henry chasing him down from behind -- he stretched the ball toward the pylon. But the ball came out before he crossed the plane of the goal line and hit the pylon, resulting in a touchback and a first-and-10 for Purdue at the 20-yard line.
Purdue then went 80 yards in 13 plays to grab a 21-0 lead. Henry tossed a 20-yard scoring strike to Antavian Edison to cap the scoring march.
But the Gophers came back. Minnesota answered with a scoring drive that was topped off by a 35-yard Eric Ellestad field goal to make it 21-3 late in the third quarter. Gopher wide receiver Bryant Allen scored the first receiving touchdown of his career early in the fourth quarter to make it 21-9. Minnesota's two-point conversion attempt failed.
The Gophers continued to scrap. With three minutes left, Weber found Da'Jon McKnight for a 31-yard touchdown pass. A two-point conversion from Weber to Gray made the score 28-17. The Gophers got a hand on the onside kick attempt that followed, but Purdue was able to recover and run out the clock.
Minnesota returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 23, when the Gophers host Penn State at 11 a.m. at TCF Bank Stadium.
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