MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota running back Thomas Tapeh had already rushed for 154 yards, but it was the last 22 that meant the most. The one final scamper gave the Golden Gophers a first down they needed to seal the game and halt a late Northwestern comeback.
The Wildcats (2-5, 0-3 Big Ten) scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough as Minnesota (6-1, 2-1) rushed for 418 yards in a 45-42 victory at the Metrodome Thursday in front of 37,729.
“That was hollow, and I’m not going to let a valiant comeback masquerade a poor performance,” NU coach Randy Walker said. “That might be our worst effort this year.”
Walker was not impressed despite a late Cats charge highlighted by a 34-yard Jon Schweighardt touchdown catch and a 32-yard run by Jason Wright.
Walker paid more attention to a lost onside kick to open the game, a blocked punt and two missed field goals in the first half, not to mention 28 consecutive points by the Gophers in the second and third quarters.
“We took strides backwards tonight, and we were not ready to play,” Walker said. “I’m really frustrated with our play from the opening kickoff to the final drive of the game.”
On the opening play of the game Minnesota recovered a slow, rolling onside kick. Five consecutive rushes later, they had a 7-0 lead.
The Cats responded with a nine-play, 54-yard drive that running back Jason Wright capped off with a 2-yard touchdown run.
The teams exchanged touchdowns before the Cats jumped ahead 21-14 when Noah Herron went 34 yards untouched into the endzone.
“Offensively we were ready to play and we put up 42 points,” Herron said. “We were dispersing the ball and a lot of different people were getting touches and scoring.”
The Cats used a balanced attack in the first half to control the ball for 16:40. Brett Basanez was 16-of-23 for 144 yards, and Wright and Herron combined on 20 carries for 137 yards.
Wright finished with 148 yards on 21 carries with two touchdowns, and Herron came away with 87 yards on nine carries and two scores.
“Obviously his kids are made of the right stuff,” Minnesota coach Glen Mason said of Walker. “You don’t hang in on the road with a short week of preparation and play like that.”
Against a Minnesota defense that entered the game allowing only 14.5 points and 285.8 yards per game, NU put 21 points on the board and gained 312 yards in the first half.
“Sometimes we feel like we have to outscore the other team,” Herron said. “But we do need some help from our defense. I’m not trying to single a side out. We all just need to get better.”
It got only worse for NU after they took the lead. The Gophers struck back quickly behind the rushing of Terry Jackson II and Thomas Tapeh to tie the game.
Minnesota then took the lead they would hold for the rest of the game when Minnesota’s Jermaine Mays blocked a Brian Huffman punt and took it back nine yards for a touchdown.
“Nobody probably practices punting more than we do, and tonight we couldn’t execute the snap,” Walker said. “Punting cost us seven points.”
The run defense cost the Cats even more. Without usual starting quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq, one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the conference, Jackson and Tapeh carried the ball 63 times for 415 yards.
Khaliq’s replacement, Benji Kamrath, attempted only nine passes in the entire game.
Minnesota held the ball for 23 minutes in the second half and had 278 yards rushing.
“It was so fundamental for us tonight. We just couldn’t stop the run,” Walker said. “We need to get off blocks and make tackles.”
The Cats’ offense failed to make plays in the third quarter to keep up with the Gophers. NU had just 40 total yards and two first downs in the quarter.
“We needed to not have so many three-and-outs in the third quarter,” Basanez said. “We needed to score more. They scored 45 points, so we needed 46.”
The Cats didn’t have time to score the 46th point. The Gophers took the ball with 4:12 remaining on the clock and never let it go.
Minnesota converted four first downs, including Tapeh’s 22-yard run on 3rd-and-7 with 2:17 left.
“Every year this school takes it to the last minute,” Tapeh said. “This year we had to hang on.”
Two years ago in the same building, the Cats pulled off a last second win with a 45-yard pass on a play known as Victory Right on the final snap of the game. It was the Cats’ last Big Ten road win.
But this year there was no magic at the end — only a disappointed NU coach.
“I’m really angry and upset with our performance,” Walker said. “And I know how I’m going to respond.”
Body 2 ———————————————————————–
Running out of time
Body 3 ———————————————————————–
Nathan Berndt for the daily northwestern
Minnesota wideout Antoine Burns beats cornerback Marvin Ward on a 23-yard touchdown late in the first half. The Gophers threw only nine passes in their 45-42 victory Thursday night.
