Indiana 7, (20) Minnesota 55

1234T
IND (1-8)07007
#20MINN (8-2)132114755

Final

2:00 PM ET, November 1, 2003
The Metrodome
MINNEAPOLIS, MN

Two RBs break 100 yards and score

WERE YOU THERE?
Passport

Did you attend this game? If so, start chronicling your sports memories today with ESPN's Sports Passport. Enter the games you attend, upload your photos and share your memories!
I was there »

Team Stat Comparison
 
1st Downs2031
Total Yards263527
Passing15292
Rushing111435
Penalties6-377-80
3rd Down Conversions5-176-10
4th Down Conversions2-41-1
Turnovers10
Possession28:5131:09
Individual Leaders
Indiana Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
McFarlan...12/3015200
Minnesota Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Abdul-Kh...9/136610
Kamrath2/22600
Indiana Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Green-Ellis1571021
Taylor2252111
McFarland3-1201
Minnesota Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Maroney18164120
Barber III17107127
Tapeh1465215
Indiana Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Roby576027
Halterman229018
Johnson118018
Spencer111011
Minnesota Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Hosack431014
Ellerson337016
Utecht2915
Wallace112012
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTERINDMINN
TD13:59JOHN PAWIELSKI 22 YD DEFENSIVE FUMBLE RETURN (MISSED KICK)06
TD5:44MARION BARBER III 1 YD RUN (RHYS LLOYD KICK)
Drive info: 6 plays, 42 yards.
013
SECOND QUARTERINDMINN
TD13:05THOMAS TAPEH 4 YD RUN (RHYS LLOYD KICK)
Drive info: 4 plays, 38 yards.
020
TD6:36CHRIS TAYLOR 3 YD RUN (BRYAN ROBERTSON KICK)
Drive info: 16 plays, 69 yards.
720
TD2:18BEN UTECHT 5 YD PASS FROM ASAD ABDUL-KHALIQ (RHYS LLOYD KICK)
Drive info: 14 plays, 80 yards.
727
TD1:23LAURENCE MARONEY 17 YD RUN (RHYS LLOYD KICK)
Drive info: 2 plays, 37 yards.
734
THIRD QUARTERINDMINN
TD8:26JARED ELLERSON 13 YD RUN (RHYS LLOYD KICK)
Drive info: 2 plays, 27 yards.
741
TD0:29THOMAS TAPEH 1 YD RUN (RHYS LLOYD KICK)
Drive info: 11 plays, 81 yards.
748
FOURTH QUARTERINDMINN
TD3:14BENJI KAMRATH 1 YD RUN (RHYS LLOYD KICK)
Drive info: 16 plays, 68 yards.
755

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Forget the pass. Minnesota got all the offense it needed on the ground.

Laurence Maroney and Marion Barber III each gained more than 100 yards for the second straight game and both scored a touchdown to lead Minnesota (No. 19 ESPN/USA Today, No. 24 AP) to a 55-7 rout of Indiana on Saturday.

Ben Utecht

Minnesota tight end Ben Utecht celebrates with other Gophers after scoring.

It was the most lopsided Big Ten win for Minnesota since a 55-7 victory against Iowa on Nov. 5, 1949.

Maroney led the way with 164 yards, while Barber had 107 to give him 995 on the season. Against Illinois last week, the two had 179 and 129 yards, respectively.

Fullback Thomas Tapeh added 65 yards and two touchdowns.

Minnesota (8-2, 4-2 Big Ten) totaled 435 yards rushing -- fourth best in school history and the most since 1980 at Northwestern -- in sending Indiana (1-8, 0-5) to its 11th straight league loss and 12th overall on the road.

The Hoosiers' last road win came at Michigan State on Nov. 10, 2001.

The Gophers, who had seven different players score touchdowns, entered the game as the third-best rushing offense among NCAA Division I teams and the best in the Big Ten.

"Right now, I would say we are a great running football team," Minnesota coach Glen Mason said.

Asad Abdul-Khaliq, the Big Ten leader in pass efficiency, threw for 66 yards and a touchdown. But the Gophers didn't need passing yards. They took a 20-0 lead and let the running game take over.

"If I don't have to throw the ball, that's fine with me," Abdul-Khaliq said. "It's a plus when a quarterback doesn't have much to worry about."

Minnesota didn't have much to worry about against the struggling Hoosiers. Indiana was manhandled for the second straight week after losing 35-6 last weekend to Ohio State.

"That was our worst game, I think," defensive end Kenny Kendal said. "This wasn't a good step."

Barber had a 62-yard punt return in the third quarter to the Indiana 27, which helped set up receiver Jared Ellerson's 13-yard TD run off a reverse that gave Minnesota a 41-7 lead.

Tapeh put Minnesota ahead 48-7 with his second TD of the game, a 1-yard run with 29 seconds left in the third quarter. Backup quarterback Benji Kamrath added another 1-yard run late in the game.

Minnesota outgained Indiana 527-263 in total yards.

Freshman quarterback Graeme McFarland started for Indiana in place of Matt LoVecchio, who sustained a head injury in last week's loss to Ohio State. Head coach Gerry DiNardo said he found out Friday night that LoVecchio would be out -- McFarland found out he was starting Saturday morning.

"He competed hard," DiNardo said.

The Hoosiers were also without running back Brian Lewis, who was also knocked out of the Ohio State game with a head injury. Chris Taylor started in his spot.

McFarland had played in all eight of Indiana's previous games, going 6-for-6 with a TD.

But he got off to a rocky start against the Gophers.

On the game's first drive, McFarland dropped back on third down and fumbled as he was sacked by Justin Fraley. Gophers safety John Pawielski scooped the ball and ran 22 yards for a touchdown.

"They blitzed and I needed to throw it to Courtney (Roby)," McFarland said. "He's a free rusher and I was supposed to throw it quicker and I didn't get it off in time."

It was the first time the Gophers had returned a fumble for a touchdown since Oct. 31, 1998 against Michigan.

"That was big," Gophers defensive end Mark Losli said. "That's something we've been looking for for many weeks. We were close, but we finally got one. It's a good way to start the game."

The Gophers made it 13-0 on their second drive when Barber ran for a 1-yard score. Tapeh opened the second quarter with a 4-yard TD run to make it 20-0.

Taylor gave the Hoosiers some hope when he scored on a 3-yard run with 6:36 left in the half to make it 20-7.

But the Gophers deflated Indiana's hopes with an 80-yard scoring drive. Abdul-Khaliq made a 5-yard pass to Ben Utecht, who made a leaping grab in the back of the end zone for his 15th career TD reception.

McFarland finished 12-of-30 for 152 yards.

College Football Scores

Other Scores:

Thursday, October 30th
16 Boise State 50 Final
Brigham Young 12
Saturday, November 1st
14 Washington State 16 Final
1 USC 43
Louisiana Tech 10 Final
2 LSU 49
22 Oklahoma State 9 Final
3 Oklahoma 52
4 Michigan 27 Final
Michigan State 20
21 Nebraska 7 Final
5 Texas 31
6 Ohio State 21 Final
Penn State 20
Duke 6 Final
7 Tennessee 23
8 Florida State 37 Final
Notre Dame 0
9 Miami (FL) 7 Final
Virginia Tech 31
Baylor 10 Final
10 Kansas State 38
11 Georgia 13 Final
17 Florida 16
Illinois 10 Final
12 Iowa 41
Northwestern 14 Final
13 Purdue 34
South Carolina 40 Final
18 Mississippi 43
Indiana 7 Final
20 Minnesota 55
UCF 18 Final
23 West Virginia 36
North Carolina 21 Final
24 Maryland 59
25 Utah 45 Final
Air Force 43 OT