Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Iowa Hawkeyes Match Player Stats On Sep 29, 2012

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 29, 2012

Iowa 31, Minnesota 13: Mark Weisman rushed for 177 yards - 155 in the first half - and added a touchdown as the host Hawkeyes regained possession of the Floyd of Rosedale statue with a dominating victory over the previously undefeated Golden Gophers.

Weisman, a transfer from Air Force who walked on to the team, rushed for 103 yards in the first quarter and capped Iowa's six-play, 84-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter to give Iowa a 10-0 lead. Weisman gained 86 of the 89 yards - 82 rushing - on the drive, including runs of 27 and 44 yards after a false start penalty.

The Hawkeyes (3-2, 1-0 Big Ten), who defeated the Golden Gophers (4-1, 0-1) for the sixth straight time at home, prevented Minnesota from crossing midfield until the second half and limited the Golden Gophers to three first downs prior to intermission. Linebacker Christian Kirksey put the game away with a 68-yard interception return for a touchdown on a fourth-and-6 play with 5:15 left to make it 31-7.

The Hawkeyes' James Vandenberg was 18 of 31 passing for 192 yards and a touchdown, including a 47-yarder to Jordan Cotton on a flea-flicker play to put Iowa ahead 17-0. Vandenberg added a 1-yard touchdown run later in the second quarter to give the Hawkeyes a 24-0 lead at halftime. Iowa outgained Minnesota 328-75 in the first half.

The Golden Gophers' Max Shortell was 20 of 33 passing for 197 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Minnesota, which averaged 29.8 points entering the game, had four turnovers after recording only five in their previous four contests.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Weisman, who rushed for 217 yards in Iowa's 32-31 loss to Central Michigan last week, has 540 on 72 carries (7.5 average) this season. ... The game marked Kirk Ferentz's 200th as a head coach. He improved to 99-68 in his 14th season at Iowa after going 12-21 at Maine from 1990-92. ... Floyd of Rosedale is a bronze statue of a pig, given to the winning team since 1935. It began as a bet between Minnesota Governor Floyd Olson and Iowa Governor Clyde L. Herring. The Gophers lead the series 61-43-2, including 41-35-2 since Floyd of Rosedale was put on the line.