MINNEAPOLIS -- David Cobb insisted earlier this fall that he didn't have any individual goals set for himself after rushing for 1,202 yards as a junior last season.
His only goal: 12 wins.
The Gophers running back single-handedly did his part to help Minnesota earn win No. 2 on Saturday against Middle Tennessee State. The senior running back tallied a career-high 220 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns to lift the Gophers to a 35-17 victory and a 2-0 start to the season. In doing so, he became Minnesota's first 200-yard rusher since Amir Pinnix did so in 2005 against Michigan State.
With Minnesota's passing game mostly grounded, the Gophers needed a big day from Cobb. They got just that as he rushed for the 12th-most yards in a game in school history.
"I need to borrow probably $300 from the athletic director to take the O-line out to eat," Cobb joked after the win.
On the second play of the game, it was clear that Cobb was poised for a big day. He broke off a 15-yard run to bring the ball to midfield. On the Gophers' second drive, Cobb chipped away at the Middle Tennessee defense and eventually broke through for an 11-yard gain to give Minnesota a first down in the red zone.
But it wasn't until the second quarter that Cobb really started running wild. He had 174 of his 220 yards after the first quarter, including 67 yards in the second quarter alone.
"The O-line had a great surge up front opening up holes," Cobb said. "When you get to the second level after five yards and you're not being touched, it's pretty easy."
After setting the bar high for himself with last year's big season, Cobb's season opener against Eastern Illinois was a bit underwhelming. He rushed for 71 yards on 14 carries as he shared the ball with three other running backs.
His 29 carries Saturday indicated that the Gophers were going to jump on Cobb's back and go as far as he'd take them. Two other running backs -- Donnell Kirkwood and Berkley Edwards -- combined for 11 carries. Receivers KJ Maye and Isaac Fruechte each carried the ball once, but the lion's share of the rushes belonged to Cobb.
"It's hard to take him off the field when he gets hot," said head coach Jerry Kill.
Cobb made the most of the opportunity, too, averaging 7.6 yards per carry. His longest run of the day went for 48 yards and a touchdown that put Minnesota up 35-10 in the third quarter. He also had rushes of 27 and 24 yards on back-to-back plays during another Gophers drive, which ended with a 7-yard touchdown by Cobb.
There was not much of a passing game to speak of for the Gophers on Saturday as they threw for a mere 67 yards. Minnesota was given good field position on a few of its three interceptions, but the majority of the work was done via Cobb's two legs.
"We didn't have to throw the ball that much," Cobb said. "We were able to control the line of scrimmage. . . . I think the game plan was good. Of course we wanted to throw the ball a little bit more, but today we kind of got into a rhythm running so that's what we stuck to."
By the second half, Cobb topped his previous career high for rushing yards in a game. The old mark of 188 yards was set last year at Indiana, a game in which he also rushed 29 times. Saturday's 29 carries were far more productive.
Cobb eventually was elevated to Minnesota's starting running back last year after beginning the season third on the depth chart. His impressive junior campaign all but solidified his spot as the starter to open the 2014 season, and Saturday's effort backed up that notion.
"He's getting better. He's worked hard this summer," Kill said. "He's got a lot of high expectations on what he wants to do. He's worked hard. I feel like he's faster than he was a year ago, and he's running with a purpose."
With each of his 29 carries, Cobb scooted closer to 200 yards on run at a time. The Texas native insisted, though, that he wasn't paying attention to his individual stats.
There was only one important set of numbers he had his eyes on: 35-24.
"During the game, you really don't think about that. All I see is the scoreboard and I run the next play," Cobb said. "You can kind of tell if you're having a good day or a bad day. But as far as keeping track of yards and average and touchdowns, you really don't think about that."
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