After getting a chance to actually get their hands on the football, the Minnesota Golden Gophers responded to the Northwestern Wildcats' touchdown with a field goal to cut the lead to 7-3.
The Minnesota drive started at their own 10-yard line after returner K.J. Maye tripped over his own feet returning the subsequent kickoff. The Gophers got a couple of first downs on the ground, and then quarterback Max Shortell completed a 16-yard pass to. . .the returning MarQueis Gray, who has returned after missing a couple of games with an injury. That play got the Gophers to midfield, and Minnesota kept the drive going.
A completion to A.J. Barker got the Gophers some more yards, and a big personal foul penalty from a Northwestern defender grabbing Shortell's face mask got the Gophers into the Northwestern red zone, but they could get no further. The drive stalled at the Northwestern 14-yard line, and Jordan Wettstein connected on a field goal from 31 yards out to get the Gophers on the board.
We have just over nine minutes to go in the first quarter at TCF Bank Stadium, and the Minnesota Golden Gophers trail the Northwestern Wildcats by a score of 7-3.