College football: Gophers pull off win despite passing for only seven yards

By Marcus R. Fuller
St. Paul Pioneer Press
MINNEAPOLIS - Just when it seemed as if the Gophers would pull away from San Jose State with a fourth-quarter score Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium, first-time starting quarterback Chris Streveler threw an interception and then the game was suspended because of a thunderstorm.
Minnesota led 17-7 as play was stopped because of an NCAA rule that a stadium must be cleared for safety reasons if lightning is spotted within 10 miles of the venue.
An hour and three minutes later, Cobb and Streveler carried their team to a 24-7 victory, becoming the first pair of Gophers players since 2004 to rush for more than 150 yards in the same game.
Cobb had 34 carries for 207 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the seventh player in team history with multiple 200-yard rushing games for the Gophers (3-1).
Minnesota rushed for 380 yards, its highest total since 2005.
Streveler’s 18 carries for 161 yards were the most rushing yards for a Minnesota quarterback since MarQueis Gray’s 167 against Illinois in 2011.
“I thought we controlled the line of scrimmage,” Gophers coach Jerry Kill said. “The thing I’m most pleased with is how we handled the situation when we came back after we had the storm. ... They were ready to play. That’s hard to do. I’ve been through that only once before.”
A majority of the announced crowd of 47,739 left for home, but some took shelter in the concourse area or across the street at Mariucci Arena, Williams Arena and the McNamara Alumni Center.
Fans on social media were complaining during the break about the Gophers having zero passing yards in the game. Streveler, who went 1 for 7, completed his only pass for 7 yards to Drew Wolitarsky on third and 6 on the final scoring drive, which was capped by a Cobb’s 16-yard touchdown run with 3:21 left.
The remaining fans stood and cheered.
“I think you always go into the game with the pass plays you like, expecting to run them,” Streveler said. “But they were giving us the zone read that we were running. So if it’s not broke, why try to fix it?”
Wisconsin was the last Big Ten team to win a game without a pass completion, beating Ohio State in 1989.
Minnesota ranked 117th of 123 FBS teams in passing entering the game, averaging 130.7 in three games.
The inability to throw with success mattered in a 30-7 loss at Texas Christian a week ago. It didn’t matter so much against the Spartans (1-2), who committed five turnovers, including three fumbles.
Sophomore quarterback Mitch Leidner, who started the first three games, suited up but did not play because of turf toe. He played against TCU with a medial collateral sprain in his left knee.
Kill said after the game that he didn’t know if Leidner or tight end Maxx Williams (lower leg) would return for the Big Ten opener this week at Michigan.
A one-dimensional offense might have trouble in the Big House. But the Wolverines (2-2) are dealing with their own issues after losing 26-10 at home to Utah on Saturday.
“We’ll keep doing whatever works,” Cobb said. “If they stop the run, then we’ll have to pass. We didn’t have to. So one pass for seven yards - that’ll do.”
Cobb bounced back after being slowed by an ankle injury against TCU to rush 22 times for 149 in the first half Saturday.
In that first half, the Gophers made it simple for Streveler, who made his first career start.
Run, run, run.
Streveler threw only two passes in the half but ran nine times for 73 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown on fourth and goal with four seconds left to give Minnesota a 17-7 halftime lead.
San Jose State moved the ball well at times, but quarterback Blake Jurich threw two interceptions - one immediately after Cobb fumbled the ball while reaching over the goal line with 26 seconds left before halftime.
Streveler didn’t attempt his first pass until the second quarter with Minnesota holding on to a 10-7 lead.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Crystal Lake, Ill., native, came into the game having completed 3 of 4 passes for 30 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown pass to Williams against TCU.
Not having Williams, the team’s leading receiver, made it tough for Streveler to throw Saturday. Junior receiver K.J. Maye, who was questionable coming into the game with an undisclosed injury, also dropped passes, including a perfectly thrown fade in the end zone in the third quarter.
But Streveler’s success on the ground was similar to Leidner’s 151-yard, four-touchdown performance in last year’s 43-24 win over San Jose State.
The Gophers only threw for 71 yards in that game and they could afford to pass even less Saturday.
“I got a call from Barry Switzer about five minutes ago and he’s very proud, people from the Midwest running the wishbone offense,” Kill said jokingly. “He won several national championships running the wishbone. All we did today is run option football.”
The Pioneer Press is a media partner with the Forum News Service