Advertisement
The Gophers were rewarded, at the end of another too-close-for-comfort game against a Mid-American Conference opponent. For a program trying to get back on its feet, let alone figure out how to run with the Big Ten’s best, proper perspective was not required.
Duane Bennett pushed his way in for a 1-yard score with 22 seconds left to lift Minnesota to a 31-27 win over Northern Illinois on Saturday night — and double Brewster’s career victory total after a 1-11 debut season.
Down by three points, he told his guys to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the 3-yard line after calling their final timeout with 38 seconds remaining. Bennett charged forward for 2 yards on that play, before muscling the ball in for the winner and his second TD of the game.
“I wanted our kids to win the game, and I felt very confident that we could convert,” Brewster said, adding: “Duane Bennett had his jaw set, and he wasn’t going to be denied. I think it was a tremendous moment for us that we can really build on.”
Quarterback Adam Weber led a calm group up the field.
“Just going through anything like we did last year, it’s kind of like, ‘You know what? What do we have to lose?’ Just go out there and just relax and go have fun. Catch the ball. Complete some passes. Things will take care of themselves,” Weber said.
Huskies coach Jerry Kill’s first game with his new team featured touchdown catches by freshman Nathan Palmer — of 91 yards and 53 yards — in the second half to erase a 24-13 Minnesota lead.
“Great effort. They played their guts out,” Kill said.
He sounded a lot like Brewster did last year.
“I’ve got a tremendous sense of humility, because it wasn’t easy,” Brewster said, adding: “You know what? At the end of the day, the Gophers found a way to win a football game.”
Brewster’s debut at Minnesota last season began ominously with a 32-31 defeat at home by Bowling Green followed by a 41-35 win over Miami of Ohio. The Gophers are 25-3-1 all-time against the MAC. Up next for Minnesota is a road game against Bowling Green. The Falcons traveled to Pittsburgh and beat the 25th-ranked Panthers 27-17 on Saturday.
Northern Illinois reached the Minnesota 30 on a desperation drive in the closing seconds and had two shots at the end zone, but both of Chandler Harnish’s passes were knocked down. Wide receiver Eric Decker, aiding the defense after a solid game of pitch and catch with Weber, batted the last one down as time expired.
Decker caught 10 passes for 89 yards and one score. He appeared to catch another touchdown in the second quarter, when he landed on the turf in the end zone with Huskies cornerback Melvin Rice before losing his grip on the ball. Joel Monroe kicked a 40-yard field goal that Mike Salerno answered with a 39-yarder to tie it at 10.
Tight end Jack Simmons, coming off a toe-injury-tainted season, turned a mid-range catch into a 53-yard touchdown on Minnesota’s first possession of the second half with a stutter-step move that faked Rice at the 15 and made it 17-10.
Bennett raced untouched for a 61-yard scoring run to stretch the lead to 11 midway through the third quarter. Weber went 24-for-37 for 298 yards and no turnovers, but he was sacked twice and Justin Kucek was called to punt six times.
Palmer blew by cornerback Ryan Collado on both plays, a familiar sight for fans of this team after an abysmal 2007 season in which the Gophers finished last among the 119 major teams in the nation in yards allowed.
After a successful stint at Southern Illinois, Kill moved up a tier and inherited a Huskies team that finished 2-10 last season beneath the burden of myriad injuries. They gave the Gophers a scare, but couldn’t seal the deal.
Monroe’s kickoff went out of bounds, giving the Huskies the ball at the 40 with 22 seconds to go. Passes of 12 yards and 18 yards put them in position.
“We definitely thought we were going to win,” wide receiver Britt Davis said. “We just kept moving it down. We felt real good.”
Salerno kicked two field goals, including a 49-yarder, in his debut with the Huskies. He transferred from Division II Winona State. Matt Simon, from Farmington and one of seven Minnesotans on the NIU roster, caught three passes for 49 yards.
With senior Dan Nicholson not quite ready after January shoulder surgery, Harnish became the first freshman to start at quarterback in the season opener for Northern Illinois since 1985. He completed 17 of 29 passes for 326 yards and the two TD tosses to Palmer.
“It really stings to lose, but you haven’t seen the end of the Huskies,” Harnish said. “We’re going to build on this. There’s a lot of good things to come.”
