.png&width=42&height=42&type=webp)
University of Minnesota Athletics
Two Gophers Closing In On 100 Season Points
11/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Emmit Carpenter and Rodney Smith are trying to make it 100.
The sophomore kicker and running back rank first and second on the team in scoring with 99 and 96 points, respectively. Carpenter's 99 points rank him third in the Big Ten, while Smith is tied for fourth with Penn State running back Saquon Barkley.
Carpenter and Smith combine to form the fourth-highest scoring duo in the nation with 195 points. Louisiana Tech's Carlos Henderson and Jonathan Barnes have scored 231 points, while Washington's Cameron Van Winkle and John Ross have 204 and Penn State's Tyler Davis and Barkley have combined to score 200.
The Minnesota duo could put themselves in elite history if they are both able to top 100 points this season. The last and only time that Minnesota had two players score 100 or more points in a season was 2003 when running back Marion Barber III had 102 and kicker Rhys Lloyd had 101. In fact, only two running backs - Gary Russell and Marion Barber III - and two kickers - Dan Nystrom (twice) and Rhys Lloyd - have scored 100 or more points in a season for Minnesota.
Carpenter's 99 points on the season (20 FGs and 39 PATs) is the most for a Minnesota kicker since Lloyd had 101 in 2003. His 99 points are the fourth most ever for a Gopher kicker in the regular season behind Nystrom (109 in 2000 and 102 in 2002) and Lloyd (101). Carpenter's 99 points are the sixth most ever for any Gopher. The record is 114 and held by Russell, who scored 19 touchdowns in 2005.
Smith has scored 16 touchdowns (15 rushing and one kick return) this season for 96 points. His 96 points are the third most ever in school history for a non-kicker behind Russell's 114 and Barber's 102 in 2003.
Smith's 15 rushing touchdowns are the most in the Big Ten this year and is the third most in school history behind Russell, who set a school record in 2005 with 18. Barber III had 16 rushing scores in 2003.
Smith also has a kick return for a touchdown this year for 16 total scores. That number also puts him third for total season touchdowns, again behind Russell who scored 19 times in 2005 and Barber III who scored 17 times in 2003. Minnesota is 8-1 when Smith scores this year and 0-2 when he doesn't. Smith has also rushed for a touchdown in six straight games, which the fourth active longest streak in the country and is the third longest streak in program history.
Carpenter, who was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, has made 20-of-22 field goals this year. He never attempted a field goal before this season and then promptly made his first nine field goals. Carpenter enters Saturday's game having made his last 10 field goals, which is tied for fourth longest streak in school history with Chip Lohmiller, who accomplished the feat in 1985.
His 20 made field goals is tied for the Big Ten lead this season and is tied for the second most in school history with Nystrom, who made 20 field goals in 2002 and made a school record 25 in 2000.
Carpenter, who has also made 39-of-40 extra points this year, has not had many chip shots. His shortest field goals was from 19 yards and he had one from 24 and he has made three from 28 yards. His other 15 field goals have been 30 yards or greater and nine of his field goals have been 42 yards or greater. He has made all nine of those kicks. In addition to distance, Carpenter has been put in pressure situations as well. Nine of his field goals have come at the end of a half, game or in overtime, which included a game-winning 28-yarder with six seconds left against Rutgers. His misses this year are from 34 and 36 yards.
Carpenter made four field goals at Penn State to become only the fifth Gopher to make four or more field goals on the road. Adam Bailey made five at Penn State in 1997, while Brent Berglund made four at Purdue in 1990. Jim Gallery made four on the road in consecutive weeks at Indiana and Iowa in 1981.
Carpenter also kicked his way into history against Indiana State when he connected from 42, 44 and 45 yards. He became the only kicker in Gopher history to make three 40+ field goals in one game. Carpenter made three field goals against Purdue, which included kicks from 53 and 52 yards, which were the third and tied for fourth longest field goals outside for a Minnesota kicker. The 53-yarder is a career high and is tied for the seventh-longest in program history and is the longest since Joel Monroe's 54-yarder at Iowa in 2007. Carpenter is the second Minnesota kicker with two 50-yarders in a game in school history, as Adam Bailey connected from 52 and 50 yards versus Penn State in 1997.
