University of Minnesota Athletics
Postgame Notes
9/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
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POSTGAME NOTES
Sept. 26, 2015
TCF Bank Stadium
Minnesota (3-1) 27, Ohio (3-1) 24
Team / Series Notes
• This was the 11th meeting between the programs all-time. Minnesota now holds a 9-1-1 advantage and has won the last two matchups.
• This was also the 101st homecoming game to be played at Minnesota. The Gophers are now 56-36-3 in program history on such occasions.
• After Ohio connected on a 39-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, the Minnesota defense surrendered its first offensive touchdown in five quarters.
• The Gophers grabbed their 15th win under head coach Jerry Kill when the opponent scores first.
• Coach Kill has won all four of his games against teams from the Mid-American Conference as the lead man for the Gophers. The last time he lost to a MAC team was when he toed the sidelines for Northern Illinois in a 26-21 loss to Miami (Ohio) in the conference championship game.
• With wins over Kent State and Ohio, Minnesota moves to 29-4-1 all-time against schools from the MAC.
• Minnesota allowed two-plus touchdowns for the first time in the 2015-16 campaign. The last time the Gophers defense allowed two or more touchdowns through the air was the 2015 Citrus Bowl against Missouri.
• The Gophers defense has only allowed six teams to register two or more passing touchdowns in the last 17 games.
• Defensively, Minnesota hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher through four games this season.
• Minnesota outgained Ohio 243-120 yards in the second half. The Gophers held the Bobcats to just 41 yards through the air in the final 30 minutes of play.
• Despite committing two turnovers, Minnesota recorded its fourth win when losing the turnover batting under Coach Kill. The Gophers also grabbed the fifth win under Coach Kill after trailing into the fourth quarter.
• Minnesota totaled seven passes of 15-plus yards and four rushes of 10 or more yards.
• The Gophers forced seven Bobcat penalties in the final 15 minutes of play.
• Today's attendance of 53,917 is the second-largest crowd ever in TCF Bank Stadium for a Gophers game.
Individual Notes
• With a one-yard touchdown scamper in the second quarter, junior quarterback Mitch Leidner moved into a tie with Sandy Stephens (1959-61) for second all-time on the program's rushing touchdown list by a quarterback with 18.
• Leidner set a career high for passing yards with 264. He surpassed his career high of 258 set in the 2015 Citrus Bowl against Missouri.
• Down 24-20 on their last offensive possession, Leidner led the Gophers to victory to notch his second come-from-behind win of the season (Colorado State).
• Leidner completed five of eight passes for 48 yards on third down. Of those plays, four resulted in first downs.
• In the fourth quarter this season, Leidner has a total QBR rating of 91.7. The junior has completed 30 passes for 337 yards and two touchdowns in the final quarter of games this campaign.
• Freshman running back Shannon Brooks touted the rock for the first time in his career. Brooks ended the day with 82 yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns.
• Brooks' 40-yard touchdown run was the longest play from scrimmage this season.
• Senior punter Peter Mortell downed two punts inside the 20-yard line on the afternoon. He now has 55 in his career.
• Freshman defensive back Antonio Shenault set a career-high with six tackles (five solo).
• Sophomore linebacker Jonathan Celestin notched eight tackles (1.0 tackle-for-loss), marking a career-best performance.
• Redshirt junior defensive lineman Scott Ekpe tallied career-highs in tackles (five) and tackles behind the line of scrimmage (2.0).
