Minnesota beat Iowa for the second straight time Saturday by a score of 22-21 to retain the Floyd of Rosedale.
After receiving a seven-year contract this week, Jerry Kill won his first rivalry game, something former head coach Tim Brewster never accomplished.
Gophers quarterback MarQueis Gray was 11-for-17 passing for 193 yards and a touchdown and ran for the game-winning touchdown with 2:48 in the fourth quarter. Senior running back Duane Bennett had 20 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown.
A crucial and gutsy onside kick call by Kill helped Minnesota come from behind to take the victory.
The teams went into the locker room at halftime with the scored deadlocked at 7-7.
Iowa took a 14-7 lead early in the second half when running back Marcus Coker scored from a yard out. Coker had 32 carries for 252 yards and was spectacular all game long for the Hawkeyes.
The Hawkeyes regained possession and were poised to take a two-score lead until Minnesota cornerback Kyle Henderson sacked Iowa quarterback
James Vandenberg and forced a fumble that was recovered by defensive tackle Brandon Kirksey and returned into Iowa territory.
Gray and freshman wide receiver Devin Crawford-Tufts hooked up on a 39-yard completion to set Minnesota up in good field position with a first down on the 12-yard line, but the HawkeyesâÄô defense held up and the Gophers kicked a field goal to trim Iowa’s lead to 14-10.
Iowa took the pigskin 71-yards on the following drive that culminated in a one-yard Coker touchdown run, but the Gophers countered with a Duane Bennett one-yard plunge that made it 21-16 with 8:22 to play in the game.
Minnesota surprised the Hawkeyes with an onside kick, which it successfully recovered.
Gray marched the Gophers down the field and called his own number on 4th-and-goal from the three-yard line to give Minnesota a 22-21 lead, its first lead in a game since Sept. 24.
Iowa turned the ball over on downs on its next possession, and the Gophers ran the clock out to secure their first back-to-back wins over the Hawkeyes since 1999-2000.
