Gophers wake up, rout Wildcats

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) -- Minnesota scarcely resembled the Big Ten's highest-scoring team for much of the first half Saturday, failing to manage a single first down against lowly Northwestern for more than 21 minutes.

Then the 21st-ranked Gophers struck suddenly, on a game-changing 96-yard bomb from Asad Abdul-Khaliq to Jared Ellerson, and didn't stop on their way to a 42-17 victory.

Abdul-Khaliq threw for three touchdowns and Marion Barber III ran for two as Minnesota improved to 6-0 (2-0 Big Ten) for the first time in 43 years heading into a Friday night matchup at home against No. 9 Michigan.

"I was very pleased with how the game turned out, but I wasn't very happy with how it started," Gophers coach Glen Mason said. "The first quarter was the worst quarter of football from my perspective I've ever been associated with as a coach. ... The positive was no one panicked, no one started pointing fingers."

The nation's third-leading rushing team produced 241 yards on the ground, 43 yards below its season average. But the passing attack keyed a big-play offense, carrying the Gophers to 572 total yards despite the slow start.

Gophers 42, Northwestern 17

The key: Asad Abdul-Khaliq threw for three TDs and Marion Barber III ran for two.

Abdul-Khaliq, the Big Ten's leader in passing efficiency, missed on four of his first five passes before finishing 12-for-17 for 331 yards. Two of his TDs came on fly patterns to Ellerson -- the school-record 96-yarder and another for 82 yards.

Barber's pair of 31-yard scoring runs, accounting for most of his 77 yards, gave him 13 TDs for the season. That tied a school record in just six games.

Minnesota had just 8 yards on its first four possessions.

Minnesota 0 21 14 7 -- 42

Northwestern 14 3 0 0 -- 17

First Quarter

NW--Wright 12 run (Larscheid kick), 10:16.

NW--Basanez 2 run (Larscheid kick), 3:45.

Second Quarter

Minn--Ellerson 96 pass from Abdul-Khalig (Lloyd kick), 8:48.

Minn--Barber 31 run (Lloyd kick), 5:16.

Minn--Utecht 6 pass from Abdul-Khaliq (Lloyd kick), 2:31.

NW--FG Larscheid 39, :04.

Third Quarter

Minn--Ellerson 82 pass from Abdul-Khaliq (Lloyd kick), 14:09.

Minn--Barber 31 run (Lloyd kick), 7:06.

Fourth Quarter

Minn--Hosack 32 pass from Abdul-Khaliq (Lloyd kick), 8:02.

A--23,539.

Minn NW

First downs 20 15

Rushes-yards 44-241 35-76

Passing 331 208

Comp-Att-Int 12-17-0 21-34-2

Return Yards 32 20

Punts-Avg. 4-35 7-40

Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0

Penalties-Yards 5-29 5-44

Time of Possession 30:26 29:34

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--Minnesota, Tapeh 13-81, Barber 11-77, Jackson 8-35, Maroney 4-32, Ellerson 1-14, Abdul-Khaliq 6-4, team 1-(minus 2). Northwestern, Wright 15-51, Herron 5-20, Basanez 12-9, Aikens 1-2, Jordan 1-(minus 2), Webb 1-(minus 4).

PASSING--Minnesota, Abdul Kaliq 12-17-0-331. Northwestern, Basanez 19-32-2-196, Webb 2-2-0-12

RECEIVING--Minnesota, Ellerson 4-189, Utecht 4-64, Hopsack 3-74, Tapeh 1-4. Northwestern, Jordan 4-54, Wright 4-51, Herron 3-29, Patrick 3-29, Aikens 3-20, Philmore 3-19, Horn 1-6.