Photo gallery: Football: Northwestern vs. Minnesota
Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer
Northwestern's special teams celebrate after recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff. The Wildcats scored on the next play, 11 seconds into the game.
Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer
Minnesota quarterback MarQueis Gray runs in for the Golden Gophers' only touchdown of the game. Gray ran for 86 yards on nine carries.
Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer
Northwestern running back Venric Mark scores his first touchdown of the game. Mark set a career high with 182 yards rushing.
Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer
Northwestern safety Ibraheim Campbell attempts an interception. The Wildcats forced three turnovers against Minnesota.
Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer
Northwestern kicker Jeff Budzien knocks in an extra point during the first half.
Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer
Northwestern defensive lineman Will Hampton celebrates after a defensive stop. The Wildcats held the Golden Gophers to less than four yards per carry.
Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer
Rain lands in a Northwestern cheerleader's hair in the second half. Wet weather during the Northwestern-Minnesota game contributed to the sloppy play of both teams.
Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer
A member of the Minnesota marching band performs, adding to the crowd noise. Nearly 50,000 fans showed up to TCF Bank Stadium to watch the game in the rain.
Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer
Northwestern wide receiver Kyle Prater fails to haul in a Trevor Siemian pass to the end zone. Siemian completed only one out of seven passes on the day.
Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer
Northwestern running back Venric Mark looks for a hole to run through. The Cats ran for 208 yards as a team.
Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer
University President Morton Schapiro watches the clock near the end of the fourth quarter. Minnesota fumbled the ball on their last possession of the game.
Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer
Northwestern linebacker Chi Chi Ariguzo makes a tackle on Minnesota wide receiver Andre McDonald.
Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer
Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald greets a Minnesota fan after the Cats 21-13 win over the Golden Gophers.
Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer
Northwestern defensive lineman Will Hampton sings the school fight song to Northwestern fans after the team's win against Minnesota.
Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer
Northwestern linebacker Colin Ellis celebrates with fans who stuck through the rain at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
October 13, 2012
MINNEAPOLIS — When Northwestern needed it the most, its defense stepped up and sealed the Wildcats’ 21-13 win over Minnesota on Saturday.
The Golden Gophers (4-2, 0-2 Big Ten) drove deep into the Cats’ territory late in the fourth quarter, but the defense held from eight yards out to preserve the victory. Minnesota went for it on fourth down with about two and a half minutes left and quarterback Max Shortell overthrew the fade route in the end zone to give the ball back to NU (6-1, 2-1).
The Cats started the game with a flash, forcing a fumble on the opening kickoff and then converting the takeaway into a touchdown on the next play. Junior running back Venric Mark had a banner day in the first half, ending it with a career-high 151 rushing yards. He had two touchdowns: a 25-yard run at the beginning of the game and then a 48-yard scamper in the second quarter.
— Josh Walfish
Read more from The Daily's game summary.
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