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Gophers keep it close against undefeated Hawkeyes
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The results weren't there yet again for Minnesota.
But the Gophers are playing hard for new coach Tracy Claeys -- an encouraging sign for the guy who just landed the job for keeps this week.
LeShun Daniels rushed for 195 yards and three touchdowns and No. 8 Iowa held off Minnesota 40-35 on Saturday night to start 10-0 for the first time in school history.
C.J. Beathard threw for 213 yards and ran for two touchdowns for the Hawkeyes (10-0, 6-0 Big Ten, No. 5 CFP). Iowa can clinch the Big Ten West and a spot in the league title game with a win over Purdue next week.
The Gophers made it interesting late though. Running back Shannon Brooks threw a 42-yard TD pass to Drew Wolitarsky and ran one in from 3 yards out in the final 5:32.
But Daniels scored from 51 yards out with 2:01 left, and Minnesota's onside kick with 1:16 to go squirted out of bounds.
"All you can ask for is to give yourself a chance in the fourth quarter. Then you've got to make a play to win the game," Claeys said. "It's not because of our effort, that's for sure."
Mitch Leidner had 259 yards passing and a touchdown for Minnesota (4-6, 1-5), losers of four straight. The Gophers were playing for the first time since Claeys was named the permanent head coach Wednesday.
Minnesota is 0-3 under Claeys since Jerry Kill's retirement. But it lost to Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa by just 22 total points.
KJ Maye and Brandon Lingen combined for 13 catches and 211 yards receiving for the Gophers, and Brooks had 86 yards rushing.
"It's the third game in a row where we've had a little bit of tough luck, but a tough atmosphere. I thought our kids just keep battling," Claeys said.
But every time the Gophers got close, Daniels, Beathard and the Hawkeyes pushed them back.
Rodrick Williams' 1-yard run made it a six-point game late in the third quarter. But Beathard answered by finding Tevaun Smith for 29 yards on third down to set up his 1-yard TD plunge.
It gave Iowa a 33-21 lead -- marking the first time it had ever scored more than 30 points in four straight Big Ten games.
Brooks' TD pass caught the Hawkeyes defense flat-footed. Daniels made up for it though, slicing through the Minnesota front for the longest run of his career.
"It was just one of those games when both offenses operated at a high level," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "LeShun really came up big."
The Gophers then marched 75 yards in 45 seconds to score, but Ryan Santoso shot his onside-kick attempt out of bounds.
Beathard had been battling an undisclosed hip/groin injury for a month. But he looked perfectly healthy on a 1-yard naked bootleg that put Iowa in front 14-7 early in the second half.
He then beat about half the defense on a 26-yard run that set up Daniels for a 2-yard touchdown run that put Iowa up 24-14 at the break.
Minnesota nearly rallied for the biggest stunner in the Big Ten this season.
But in defeat, the Gophers showed they still have a chance at bowl eligibility when they close at home against Illinois and Wisconsin.
"They gave us a chance," Claeys said.
