Minnesota 30, UNLV 27

August 30, 2012 - Sam Boyd Stadium - Las Vegas, NV


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NCAAF FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH OT TOTAL --- --- --- --- -- ----- MINNESOTA 0 7 0 6 17 30 UNLV 3 0 7 3 14 27 FINAL

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QTR: UNLV - FG, NOLAN KOHORST 39 YD, 9:13 2ND QTR: MINN - TD, JAMES GILLUM 16 YD RUN (JORDAN WETTSTEIN KICK), 9:26 3RD QTR: UNLV - TD, TIM CORNETT 1 YD RUN (NOLAN KOHORST KICK), 1:52 4TH QTR: MINN - FG, JORDAN WETTSTEIN 32 YD, 8:55 MINN - FG, JORDAN WETTSTEIN 21 YD, 5:40 UNLV - FG, NOLAN KOHORST 35 YD, 2:46 OVERTIME: UNLV - TD, TIM CORNETT 18 YD RUN (NOLAN KOHORST KICK) MINN - TD, JOHN RABE 10 YD PASS FROM MARQUEIS GRAY (JORDAN WETTSTEIN KICK) MINN - TD, JOHN RABE 25 YD PASS FROM MARQUEIS GRAY (JORDAN WETTSTEIN KICK) UNLV - TD, DEVANTE DAVIS 6 YD PASS FROM NICK SHERRY (NOLAN KOHORST KICK) MINN - FG, JORDAN WETTSTEIN 32 YD


Extended Box

NCAAF 1 2 3 4 OT F - - - - -- -- Minnesota 0 7 0 6 17 30 UNLV 3 0 7 3 14 27 FINAL

UNLV-FG Kohorst 39 Minnesota-Gillum 16 run (Wettstein kick) UNLV-Cornett 1 run (Kohorst kick) Minnesota-FG Wettstein 32 Minnesota-FG Wettstein 21 UNLV-FG Kohorst 35 UNLV-Cornett 18 run (Kohorst kick) Minnesota-Rabe 10 pass from Gray (Wettstein kick) Minnesota-Rabe 25 pass from Gray (Wettstein kick) UNLV-Davis 6 pass from Sherry (Kohorst kick) Minnesota-FG Wettstein 32

Minnesota UNLV First downs 22 18 Rushed-yards 46-209 37-159 Passing yards 269 116 Sacked-yards lost 1-7 2-13 Return yards 13 8 Passes 17-30-1 16-35-3 Punts 7-35.1 7-49.4 Fumbles-lost 1-1 0-0 Penalties-yards 11-86 7-54 Time of possession 32:59 27:01

Individual Statistics RUSHING: Minnesota-Kirkwood 13-81, Gray 17-68, Gillum 14-51, Wright 1-7, Harbison 1-2. UNLV-Cornett 25-127, Randle 10-45, Sherry 2-(-13).

PASSING: Minnesota-Gray 17-30-1-269. UNLV-Sherry 16-35-3-116.

RECEIVING: Minnesota-Barker 3-101, Crawford-Tufts 4-49, Rabe 2-35, Engel 1-33, Maye 3-23, Kirkwood 1-8, McDonald 1-7, Fruechte 1-7, M Jones 1-6. UNLV-Sullivan 5-53, D Davis 5-27, Spencer 3-17, A Williams 1-10, Barnhill 2-9.

Att: 16,013


Game Story

LAS VEGAS -- Despite winning almost every offensive category, Minnesota found itself in triple overtime against UNLV Thursday night. But MarQueis Gray threw two touchdown passes to John Rabe in overtime, and Jordan Wettstein hit a 32-yard field goal in the third extra session to lift Minnesota over the Rebels 30-27 in the season opener for both teams. "You have to know when the pressure is on, to score the touchdown," Rabe said. "But when your number is called, you have to make that play. The coaches did a good job with the play calling to put us in position to score. I had confidence in MarQueis to make the right throws and the offensive line to do its job." Wettstein's field goal was set up by Derrick Wells' second interception against redshirt freshman quarterback Nick Sherry. In the second overtime, Sherry threw a 6-yard TD pass to Devante Davis on fourth down to tie it at 27-27. Rabe's first overtime score was from 10 yards down the middle to make it 20-20. Gray found him wide open from 25 yards out on the first play of the second OT. "We missed a couple shots earlier to John down the pike when we had him open," Minnesota coach Jerry Kill said. "We don't get those preseason games, so we didn't execute very well on the offensive side of the ball. Our defense kept us in it. I thought we did a better job with field position in the second half." UNLV's Tim Cornett had 127 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. He had an 18-yard score in the first overtime. Gray finished 17 of 30 for 269 yards and an interception. A.J. Baker caught three passes for 101 yards, while Donnell Kirkwood rushed for 81 yards for Minnesota. Sherry was 16 of 35 for 116 passing yards with three interceptions. "He gets us into a triple overtime game with a Big Ten outfit," UNLV coach Bobby Hauck said of Sherry. "It probably means (our) quarterback did some good things. I thought we played very well on defense. One thing I can safely say at this point, we're going to be a hard hitting, physical football team. We turned the ball over twice. Those are critical mistakes. We are not good enough for that." This was the teams' first-ever meeting. Minnesota won the major offensive statistical categories, outgaining the Rebels 478-275, including 209-159 in rushing. But the Gophers were penalized for 86 yards to UNLV's 54. The Rebels went ahead 10-7 in the third quarter on Cornett's 1-yard run with 1:52 left. Minnesota answered with two Wettstein fourth-quarter field goals from 32 and 21-yards. The second field goal was set up by Wells' interception return to the UNLV 25. "I felt I had to prove myself. I had to make a point," said Wells, who switched during the offseason from cornerback to safety. "We were in a Cover 3, and I just broke on the ball (on the second interception). I don't think (Sherry) saw me." Nolan Kohorst made a 35-yard field goal with 2:46 remaining to set up overtime. It was the Golden Gophers' first overtime game since a win at Syracuse in 2009. The Rebels went to OT for the first time since a 2008 win over Iowa State at home. The Rebels scored first on Kohorst's 39-yard field goal with 2:29 left in the first quarter. Minnesota answered with a James Gillum 16-yard rushing touchdown up the middle with 9:26 before halftime.