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University of Minnesota Athletics
Weber Throws Three TDs in 41-23 Loss
10/9/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Adam Weber threw three touchdown passes, but Wisconsin broke open a five-point halftime margin for a 41-23 victory over Minnesota on Saturday in Madison to retain Paul Bunyan’s Axe.
Weber’s three touchdowns all featured spectacular catches, including two by Da’Jon McKnight. Weber also found MarQueis Gray for a touchdown late in the first half as Wisconsin led 14-9 at halftime before pulling away in the second half. The loss dropped Minnesota to 1-5 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten. It was the Gophers’ fifth straight loss overall and seventh straight in the series, which is the longest in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The 19th-ranked Badgers are now 5-1 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten.
Donning white helmets for the first time since 2006 along with white jerseys and pants, the Gophers rolled up 345 total yards against Wisconsin’s defense. Weber finished the day with 249 yards on 11-for-25 passing, moving into fifth place in Big Ten history with 806 career completions. The Badgers had two 100-yard rushers as James White totaled 118 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries and John Clay ran for 111 yards and three touchdowns on 21 attempts. Wisconsin had 473 total yards, including 250 yards rushing. Gary Tinsley led Minnesota’s defense with a career-high 14 tackles.
Wisconsin scored on its first two possessions as Jared Abbrederis caught a three-yard pass from Scott Tolzien on a quick slant play, completing an eight-play, 69-yard drive with nine minutes left in the first quarter. The Badgers scored again with 2:30 left in the opening period as Clay finished off a nine-play, 45-yard drive by barreling in from one-yard out for a 14-0 advantage.
The Badgers gained 114 yards on their first two drives, but had just 42 yards the rest of the half. Minnesota, meanwhile, put together two solid scoring drives during the second quarter to close to within 14-9.
The Gophers converted fourth down plays on both scoring drives as DeLeon Eskridge picked up three yards on a fourth-and-one from the Badgers’ 48-yard line on a possession that led to an Eric Ellestad 24-yard field goal with 6:21 left in the first half. Minnesota’s drive used up six minutes, 15 seconds and went 50 yards in 11 plays. Eskridge finished with 72 yards rushing on 21 carries for the Gophers.
Gray made a leaping grab in the corner of the end zone and tiptoed both feet inbounds for a nine-yard touchdown catch from Weber with 24 seconds left in the half. Gray also had a reception on a fourth-and-four play with two minutes left from the Badgers’ 30-yard line that netted a first down by inches to keep Minnesota’s drive intact. Ellestad’s extra point was missed after a drop on the hold.
Wisconsin took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove 64 yards in 11 plays in a drive that lasted nearly six minutes. White finished the drive with an eight-yard rush around the left side for a touchdown to put the Badgers ahead 21-9. Minnesota appeared to have recovered a fumble by Lance Kendricks at one point during the drive, but it was ruled that Kendricks’ forward progress was stopped before fumbling the ball.
After forcing Minnesota to a three-and-out, the Badgers scored again on a four-yard dive by Clay with 1:50 left in the third quarter to extend their lead to 28-9. Wisconsin drove 86 yards in 10 plays for the touchdown as the Badgers had the ball for 10 minutes, 57 seconds of the third quarter. Kendricks caught three passes for 53 yards on the drive and finished the game as Wisconsin’s leading receiver with five catches for 75 yards.
Minnesota’s ensuing possession was kept alive by a Wisconsin roughing the punter penalty, but the Badgers stopped the Gophers on the next set of downs to regain the ball with 14:17 left in the fourth quarter. Wisconsin then went 80 yards in five plays capped by an eight-yard touchdown run by Clay for a 35-9 advantage with 11:55 remaining.
The Gophers had a 60-yard pass from Adam Weber to Bryant Allen for their longest play of the season that set up a 22-yard touchdown pass to McKnight on the following play. McKnight was outside of his defender, but outstretched his arms over the helmet of the defender to make the catch for the score. The touchdown came with 11:11 left in the fourth quarter and pulled Minnesota to within 35-16.
The Badgers added a touchdown on a one-yard plunge by White with 6:39 left. The score came one play following a nifty 24-yard run by White that was forced out just short of the endzone. The Gophers stopped a Wisconsin two-point conversion attempt and trailed 41-16.
McKnight had another spectacular touchdown catch on the following drive, leaping high to pull down a 29-yard pass from Weber with 5:01 left. The Gophers went 62 yards in five plays and had a 34-yard catch by Duane Bennett to set up the game’s final score.
Eric Lair was the Gophers’ leading receiver with four catches for 78 yards. Allen caught two passes for 73 yards. Ryan Collado and Kyle Henderson each totaled 11 tackles.
Minnesota is on the road again next week when the Gophers travel to Purdue. Kickoff is 11 a.m. in West Lafayette, Ind.
