Minnesota 31, Michigan State 18

November 11, 2006 - Spartan Stadium - East Lansing, MI

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NCAAF   FINAL               1ST  2ND  3RD  4TH     TOTAL
                            ---  ---  ---  ---     -----
        MINNESOTA             0   17    7    7      31
        MICHIGAN STATE        9    0    3    6      18   FINAL


        SCORING SUMMARY


        1ST QTR: MSU  - TD, KIEL BELTINCK BLOCKED PUNT RECOVERY (BRETT 
                            SWENSON KICK), 13:08
                 MSU -  TEAM SAFETY, AMIR PINNIX TACKLED FOR 2 YD LOSS, 7:34
        2ND QTR: MINN - TD, JAY THOMAS 3 YD RUN (JASON GIANNINI KICK), 10:30
                 MINN - TD, STEVE DAVIS 48 YD FUMBLE RETURN (JASON GIANNINI 
                            KICK), 8:53
                 MINN - FG, JASON GIANNINI 41 YD, :22
        3RD QTR: MSU  - FG, BRETT SWENSON 33 YD, 9:37
                 MINN - TD, ERNIE WHEELWRIGHT 37 YD PASS FROM BRYAN CUPITO 
                            (JASON GIANNINI KICK), 7:41
        4TH QTR: MINN - TD, LOGAN PAYNE 41 YD PASS FROM BRYAN CUPITO (JASON 
                            GIANNINI KICK), 13:18
                 MSU  - TD, MATT TRANNON 26 YD PASS FROM BRIAN HOYER
                            (PASS FAILED), 2:54
                                                                        


Extended Box


NCAAF                 1  2  3  4   F 
                      -  -  -  -  -- 
Minnesota             0 17  7  7  31 
Michigan State        9  0  3  6  18  FINAL 


 Michigan State-Beltinck blocked punt recovery (Swenson kick)
 Michigan State-Team safety
 Minnesota-J Thomas 3 run (Giannini kick)
 Minnesota-Davis 48 yd fumble recovery (Giannini kick)
 Minnesota-FG Giannini 41
 Michigan State-FG Swenson 33
 Minnesota-Wheelwright 37 pass from Cupito (Giannini kick)
 Minnesota-Payne 41 pass from Cupito (Giannini kick)
 Michigan State-Trannon 26 pass from Hoyer (pass failed)


                      Minnesota   Michigan State 
First downs                  15          20 
Rushed-yards             33-122        28-3 
Passing yards               243         341 
Sacked-yards lost           0-0        5-47 
Return yards                  3          21 
Passes                  16-29-0     28-53-2 
Punts                    5-34.8      4-39.2 
Fumbles-lost                0-0         1-1 
Penalties-yards            9-65        4-28 
Time of possession        30:13       29:47 


Individual Statistics 
RUSHING: Minnesota-Pinnix 23-113, J Thomas 6-10, Payne 1-10, Cupito 2-(-9).
Michigan State-Ringer 12-25, Caulcrick 5-8, Jimmerson 1-4, Stanton 4-(-5),
Hoyer 6-(-29).


PASSING: Minnesota-Cupito 16-28-0-243, Kucek 0-1-0-0.
Michigan State-Hoyer 26-50-2-330, Stanton 2-2-0-11, Fields 0-1-0-0.


RECEIVING: Minnesota-Payne 5-96, Spaeth 4-51, Wheelwright 1-37, Chambers 2-27,
Pinnix 2-18, Simmons 2-14. Michigan State-K Reed 11-147, Trannon 7-131,
Ringer 3-22, K Davis 1-16, Caulcrick 3-15, T Williams 2-6, T Love 1-4.


Att: 64,807
                                                                        


Game Story


EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Bryan Cupito became Minnesota's all-time
leading passer and threw two second-half touchdowns to help the Golden
Gophers pull away for a 31-18 victory over Michigan State on Saturday.

Minnesota (5-6, 2-5 Big Ten) kept its bowl hopes alive, needing to beat
Iowa at home in the regular-season finale next week to make it to the
postseason for the seventh time in eight years.

The loss knocked the Spartans (4-7, 1-6) out of the bowl picture in what
was an inglorious home finale, 1 1/2 weeks after John L. Smith was fired
and permitted to finish the season on the sideline.

Michigan State returned a blocked punt for a score and had a safety,
taking a 9-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Then, the Spartans
were dealt the latest in a long line of bad breaks this year.

Quarterback Drew Stanton was sacked late in the first quarter, and left
the game because of dizziness in his last home contest. Stanton is one
of five finalists for the Unitas Award.

Minnesota went ahead for good with 8:53 left in the first half when Mario
Reese sacked Brian Hoyer, whose fumble was returned 48 yards by Steve
Davis to give the Gophers a 14-9 lead.

Cupito's 37-yard TD pass to Ernie Wheelwright, who eluded two Spartans
with spin moves, put Minnesota ahead 24-12 midway through the third
quarter. On the play, Cupito broke Cory Sauter's school-record 6,834
yards passing set from 1994-97.

He connected with Logan Payne on a 41-yard score early in the fourth
quarter to give the Gophers a 19-point lead.

Cupito was 16-of-28 for 243 yards -- 6,916 for his career -- with two
touchdowns. Logan caught five passes for 96 yards and a score. Amir
Pinnix had 113 yards rushing on 23 carries.

Hoyer's 26-yard TD pass to Matt Trannon made it 31-18 with 2:54 left,
but the Spartans didn't have much hope for a comeback and neither did
their fans, who left the stadium almost empty in the fourth quarter.

Hoyer completed 26 of 50 passes for 330 yards with a TD, two interceptions
and a fumble. Kerry Reed caught 11 passes for 147 yards and Trannon had
seven receptions for 131 yards and a score.