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Not a sellout - only 97,100 on hand. I hope to get to the point where we are over 100k each and every game sometime soon. And Minnesota is certainly a quality opponent - weird that the number wasn't a little higher.
3 and out on opening possession. A false start and a sack in the mix. Not good.
Welcome to college, Tony Jones! Elijah McCallister intercepts his first pass and returns it to the Minnesota 48.
Another 3 and out. Rattay is 0-2 and Nicholas Morris has 3 carries for 8 yards.
The Gophers are moving the ball with short passing and the ground game. But Jared Burford ends the drive when he jars the ball loose. We take over at our 35.
Still no first downs, thanks to a holding penalty. Punt.
We bring a lot of heat to the QB, recording sacks on the first two plays - Burford and SS Taz Simms. 3 and out for Minnesota.
Nice first reception for Woodley Martin - 61 yards on a TD pass from Rattay after he runs through a jam at the line. 7-0, 4:11 left in the quarter.
Minnesota picks up a pair of 3rd downs with friendly spots.
Jones is starting to click on 3rd downs - so far he has converted four of them this drive. Down to our 25 ...
RB Dan Lewis runs it in from 2 yards out to finish an 18 play drive. 7-7, 12:12 left in the half.
J.R. Jackson runs the kick out to the 45.
Morris gains 11 thanks to good work up front by his left tackle.
Morris runs for 10 on 3rd and 9 - the line is doing good work this drive.
Or not - Rattay gets crunched on a sack on 2nd down.
Ellis kicks a 41 yard field goal. 10-7, 7:36 left in the half.
SS Taz Simms looks like he has a lot of freedom in this defense. He is making plays.
Except on 3rd down, where QB Tony Jones owns us. 42 yards on 3rd and 13.
RB Dan Lewis runs for 13 on 3rd and 6. Minnesota is now 8-9 on 3rd.
We finally stop a 3rd down on our 18, but a 36 yard field goal ties the game. 10-10, 3:41 to play in the half.
J.R. Jackson runs it back! No, he is called out of bounds at the 2.
Rattay to WR Kato Thelwell, 2 yard TD pass. Another freshman with a TD for his first reception. 17-10, 2:49 left in the half.
We pick up a 15 yard facemask penalty, moving Minnesota up to the 40.
Lewis breaks away for a 49 yard TD run. 17-17, 1:13 left in the half. Argh.
Nothing before half.
Halftime Notes:
We are getting whipped pretty well. Only 105 yards of offense, down 14-7 on first downs.
2-0 lead on turnovers has helped keep us in this one, along with special teams play.
We have to get some 3rd down stops (9-11 for Gophers) and start putting together drives on offense if we want to win this game. These guys are good.
The defense forces a short pass on 3rd down and tackles well to force a punt.
We are whistled for holding on first down (OG Perryman).
Sack - 4th of the day for Minnesota.
We hold again on 3rd down, but they decline. Horrible start to 2nd half.
Lewis is over 100 yards on his 18th carry against us.
We get a sack on 3rd down, but can't recover the fumble.
Minnesota converts a 50 yard field goal. 20-17, 7:04 left in the quarter.
I expected our RBs would split carries, but that is not happening. Morris has 18 carries and Dawson has 1.
Rattay is putting together a nice drive, finding Voight twice for 1st downs.
But he fails to connect on 3rd and 5 from the 28. Ellis misses a 46 yard field goal.
We had an interception overturned by defensive holding away from the play. I'm furious, as the ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage. But Minnesota keeps possession and gets a 1st down.
QB Jones runs for 21 yards on an option play.
We stuff Lewis on 3rd and 4 from the 34. Forcing a punt.
We will start at our 6.
We are moving the ball well this drive. Woodley Martin has a pair of receptions for first downs. Out past midfield.
But the drive ends with a Rattay interception.
DT Jack Farmer sacks Jones on 2nd and 10.
OLB Hank Swilling forces a fumble in the backfield on a run, but we can't recover. 3 straight recoveries for Minnesota. They punt.
We get a recovery when Morris coughs it up.
But it was a nasty 3 and out for the offense. Punt.
Minnesota is whistled for holding on 1st down.
3 and out - defense has really clamped down this half.
Morris picks up 15 on a sweep, out past the 50.
Rattay to Morris for 13 on 3rd and 8, into field goal range.
The defense holds us here, and Ellis misses a 49 yarder. We are now running out of time.
QB Jones runs the option on 3rd and 15, picking up 22 yards. Back-breaker, under 2 to play now.
4th and 2, Minnesota punts and puts us on our 5 with less than a minute to play. But we do have our timeouts.
Run - we get stuffed, and it is a safety! 22-17, 0:40 left in the game.
Thanks to our kicker for sucking today. Doesn't look like the new special teams coach is exactly getting the best out of him.
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