Colorado State Rams vs Minnesota Golden Gophers Match Player Stats On Sep 24, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Sep 24, 2016

Rodney Smith fueled Minnesota's power running game rushing for two touchdowns and 99 yards in the Gophers' 31-24 win over Colorado State on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

The Gophers rushed for a total of 243 yards and four touchdowns, quarterback Mitch Leidner completed 16 of 20 passes for 174 yards and Minnesota was able to quash any every attempt the Rams had of pulling off an upset.

And despite being in control most of the day, the Gophers never were able to put the Rams away.

Second-year Colorado State head coach Mike Bobo rolled the dice midway through the fourth quarter with the Rams trailing 31-17, and the gamble paid off.

Freshman Collin Hill's perfect 15-yard strike to Michael Gallup completed a 10-play, 75-yard drive to make the score 31-24 with 6:24 left in the game.

The key play on the drive for the Rams came on fourth-and-5 from their own 30 when punter Hayden Hunt completed a 29-yard pass to Braylin Scott.

The Gophers, who had been in control most of the day, went three-and-out on their next series and the Rams took over on their own 25-yard line with 4:19 left.

Hill, a true freshman making his second start, moved the Rams to the Gophers' 45-yard line when his fourth-down pass fell incomplete with just under two minutes to go.

Leidner and Brooks salted the game away to keep the Gophers perfect (3-0) on the season. The Rams fell to 2-2.

The Gophers were in control throughout the first half, but only had a 17-7 halftime lead. Smith, who was averaging 99.5 yards per game in the Gophers' first two games, ran for 83 yards and a score.

Leidner, the third-year starter for the Gophers led a masterful 94-yard drive to put Minnesota up 7-0. Leidner capped the 11-play drive with a 6-yard scamper.

Minnesota avoided disaster late in the second period when Leidner threw an interception. But as it had all day, the Gophers' defense came up strong and stopped Colorado's young quarterback.

Hill finished the day 15 of 30 for 182 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

The Rams rushed 48 times for 158 yards -- a 3.3 yard average per carry -- and two touchdowns.

Minnesota's Shannon Brooks, who missed the Gophers' first two games with a broken foot, came back from the injury to compliment Smith and rushed 13 times for 85 tough yards between the tackles and touchdown.

The Gophers open Big Ten play next week against Penn State. Colorado State opens Mountain West play at home against Wyoming.