Home
The Minnesota Golden Gophers capped off there perfect 12-0 regular season with a 34-0 win over Big Ten (Leaders) Champions the Purdue Boilermakers in the inagural Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium. #1 Minnesota will now face Big 12 Champions the #2 Oklahoma Sooners who also had a undefeated regular season finishing 12-0. Oklahoma was dominant this year winning all but two of there games by 8+ pts. The same can be said about Minnesota as they also won all but 2 of there games by 8+ pts with those being nail bitters vs Oregon State and there triple OT regular season finale with Illinois. Oklahoma brings in a great passing attack which ranked 7th in the nation led by QB Landry Jones and the 4th ranked defense. Minnesota brings in the nations best running attack led by QB Marqueis Gray and B Back Duane Bennett, they run a flexbone offense and they bring in the nations 6th ranked defense lead by Bednarik, Butkus and Best LB Award finalist ROLB Keanon Cooper so this should be a great game. The Thorpe Award winner will likely be on display in this game also as Oklahoma CB Demontre Hurts is currently the favorite but right on his trail is Minnesota FS Kim Royston.
The Big Ten Championship opened with Purdue winning the toss and elected to kick. Minnesota converted a key 3rd and long on a option run by Gray early in the drive but they would stall around midfield and be forced to punt and they pinned Purdue in around there 10. Purdue would then go 3 and out setting up Minnesota with great field position and they would march down the field only to settle for a 26 yard FG with 1:07 left in the 1st quarter. The Minnesota Defense would force another 3 and out and on the ensuing punt Da Jon Mcknight would make a incredible play hauling in the punt at his own 33 near the right sideline he would make one guy miss and was heading toward the other sideline where he broke a tackle and managed to tip toe the sideline remaining in bounds and was able to just regain enough speed to outrun the pursuing Boilermakers to put Minnesota up 10-0 at the end of 1 quarter.
Here is a picture of Mcknight breaking a tackle near the sidelines. (Replay only showed the last 20 yards or so of return)
http://www.easports.com/media/play/image/108611661
The Minnesota Golden Gophers would add to there 10-0 lead when A Back Lamonte Edwards was forced to step in for the injured Duane Bennett (who would later return) at B Back stepped in well busting a 25 yard run on a triple option.
http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/108611609
The Gophers would add a 36 yard FG with 0:38 left int he half to go up 20-0. Purdue would drive using all 3 of their timeouts to set up a long FG at the end of the half but would miss wide left and the score would remain 20-0 at the break.
A Purdue interception would set Minnesota up in great field position and QB Marqueis Gray would score from 2 yards out with 4:23 left in the 3rd to put Minnesota up 27-0.
http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/108611752
Early in the 4th quarter Marqueis Gray would add another TD keeping it on the triple option and would break a few tackles en route to a 61 yard TD on a great run (highlight just showed the end) to put Minnesota up 34-0 and the defense would complete the shutout.
QB Marques Gray was the player of the game for the Gophers going 0-1 while adding 15 rushes for 117 yards and 2 TD's. Duane Bennett added 12 carries for 90 yards, Lamonte Edwards added 9 carries for 62 yards and 1 TD, Donnell Kirkwood added 5 carries for 56 yards and WR Da Jon Mcknight who sparked the Gophers with his great 67 yard punt return TD also added 1 carry for 3 yards as he stepped in to play A Back for a bit in the 2nd Q when Edwards moved to B Back to fill in for the shortly injured Bennett.
The Big Ten Championship opened with Purdue winning the toss and elected to kick. Minnesota converted a key 3rd and long on a option run by Gray early in the drive but they would stall around midfield and be forced to punt and they pinned Purdue in around there 10. Purdue would then go 3 and out setting up Minnesota with great field position and they would march down the field only to settle for a 26 yard FG with 1:07 left in the 1st quarter. The Minnesota Defense would force another 3 and out and on the ensuing punt Da Jon Mcknight would make a incredible play hauling in the punt at his own 33 near the right sideline he would make one guy miss and was heading toward the other sideline where he broke a tackle and managed to tip toe the sideline remaining in bounds and was able to just regain enough speed to outrun the pursuing Boilermakers to put Minnesota up 10-0 at the end of 1 quarter.
Here is a picture of Mcknight breaking a tackle near the sidelines. (Replay only showed the last 20 yards or so of return)
http://www.easports.com/media/play/image/108611661
The Minnesota Golden Gophers would add to there 10-0 lead when A Back Lamonte Edwards was forced to step in for the injured Duane Bennett (who would later return) at B Back stepped in well busting a 25 yard run on a triple option.
http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/108611609
The Gophers would add a 36 yard FG with 0:38 left int he half to go up 20-0. Purdue would drive using all 3 of their timeouts to set up a long FG at the end of the half but would miss wide left and the score would remain 20-0 at the break.
A Purdue interception would set Minnesota up in great field position and QB Marqueis Gray would score from 2 yards out with 4:23 left in the 3rd to put Minnesota up 27-0.
http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/108611752
Early in the 4th quarter Marqueis Gray would add another TD keeping it on the triple option and would break a few tackles en route to a 61 yard TD on a great run (highlight just showed the end) to put Minnesota up 34-0 and the defense would complete the shutout.
QB Marques Gray was the player of the game for the Gophers going 0-1 while adding 15 rushes for 117 yards and 2 TD's. Duane Bennett added 12 carries for 90 yards, Lamonte Edwards added 9 carries for 62 yards and 1 TD, Donnell Kirkwood added 5 carries for 56 yards and WR Da Jon Mcknight who sparked the Gophers with his great 67 yard punt return TD also added 1 carry for 3 yards as he stepped in to play A Back for a bit in the 2nd Q when Edwards moved to B Back to fill in for the shortly injured Bennett.