After forcing Northwestern to turn the ball over on downs, the Gophers put together a nice drive to end the first half and give themselves the lead going into the locker room.
The Wildcats appeared to have the right play set on on fourth and six on the Gopher 33, but Northwestern’s Jacob Schmidt simply let the ball slip through his hands, and it went over to the Gophers. From there, Adam Weber and Da’Jon McKnight hooked up on three consecutive pass plays, covering 44 yards, and Northwestern committed pass interference against Marqueis Gray to get the Gophers up with first and goal at the eight.
Two carries later, DeLeon Eskridge plowed into the end zone, and Eric Ellestad’s extra point gave the Gophers a 21-14 lead.
The Gopher offense has looked good in the first half, with Weber going 10-for-15 for 157 yards and a touchdown. The running game has also looked good, with Eskridge and Duane Bennett combining for 80 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. Bennett also threw a touchdown pass to tight end Eric Lair on a halfback option.