Purdue vs. Minnesota recap: Gophers score 44 straight in convincing victory

Minnesota fell behind early to Purdue but charged back in a big way, scoring 44 straight points on their way to a convincing 44-28 victory.

Minnesota scored on seven straight offensive possessions and added a defensive touchdown as well, amassing a 34 point lead with 11 minutes remaining in the third quarter. Purdue added three late touchdowns but could not overcome the large deficit. The win was Minnesota's first conference victory this season and moves them to 5-3 overall.

True freshman quarterback Philip Nelson threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns in his first game as a starter.

SB Nation's Minnesota Golden Gophers blog, The Daily Gopher, writes that in such a dominant win, it's tough to determine the best player:

It is really difficult to determine who was the player of the game. Philip Nelson had a great game in his first start at home going 15/22, 246 yards, 3 touchdowns and 37 yards rushing. At one point he completed 12 consecutive passes and made great throws on scoring strikes of 34, 38 and 63 yards. On the other side of the ball Michael Carter recorded 6 pass breakups, had 6 tackles and had an interception for a touchdown. The six pass breakups in a single game ties a Gopher record. This is a really good "problem" to have.

How about we give Nelson the player of the first half and award and Carter is player of the second half.

Minnesota needs only one victory in their remaining six games to become bowl eligible. They play Michigan next Saturday at home then face Illinois, Nebraska and Michigan State the following three weeks.