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University of Minnesota Athletics
Postgame Notes
11/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Recap | Final Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery
TEAM / SERIES NOTES
• Today's game was the 72nd meeting in the all-time series with Purdue, with Minnesota holding a 37-32-3 lead (31-12-3 at home). The Gophers have now won four-straight versus the Boilermakers, which is Minnesota's longest in the series. The Gophers had previously won three-straight on five occasions.
• Tracy Claeys improved to 9-6 since taking over the head coaching duties eight games into the 2015 season.
• Minnesota lost the coin toss. Purdue chose to defer and the Gophers defended the east end zone.
• The Gophers improved to 7-1 under Tracy Claeys when losing the coin toss, including 5-1 this season.
• Minnesota scored 21 points off Purdue turnovers this afternoon. Through nine games, the Gophers have tallied 90 points off opponents' turnovers, while allowing only 23 points off their own turnovers.
• The Gophers finished with 235 rushing yards, marking the sixth time they've recorded 200 or more yards on the ground this season.
• The Gophers had five rushing touchdowns for the second consecutive game.
• Minnesota finished with 466 yards of total offense, just three yards shy of this season's best against a Big Ten opponent. Minnesota had 469 yards at Penn State. The Gophers' season-high in total offense was 593 yards versus Indiana State.
• The Gophers finished with six sacks in the game, increasing the season total to 25. Last year, Minnesota had 22 sacks.
• Minnesota has scored 30 or more points seven games this season. The last time the Gophers accomplished that feat was during 2005, when they scored 30 or more points nine times.
• Minnesota has scored 40 or more points in back-to-back games against Big Ten opponents for the first time since winning 42-21 at Indiana on Nov. 5, 2005, followed by a 41-18 home win against Michigan State the following week.
• Today's attendance was 42,832. Minnesota is averaging 44,756 per game through six home games.
• Minnesota improved to 8-4 at home since 2012 when wearing today's uniform combo - Maroon helmet, Maroon jersey and Maroon pants.
• The Gophers were 5-for-5 on Red Zone possessions. Through nine games, Minnesota is 37-for-42 in the Red Zone, with touchdowns on 29 possessions.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• Mitch Leidner rushed for his sixth and seventh touchdowns of the season, increasing his career-record total for a Minnesota quarterback to 30. His total ranks fifth on Minnesota's all-time list among all positions, trailing only Darrell Thompson (40, 1986-89), Marion Barber III (35, 2001-04), Marion Barber (34, 1977-80) and Laurence Maroney (32, 2003-05). Leidner rushed 14 times for 74 yards, while also completing 14-of-23 passes for 231 yards.
• Rodney Smith led the Gophers with 24 rushes for 153 yards, his fourth-consecutive 100-yard rushing game and sixth of the season. The last player to rush for 100-plus yards in four consecutive games was David Cobb during 2014, and Amir Pinnix last had five-straight 100-yard games during 2007.
• Smith's 153 rushing yards give him a team-high 954 for the season, which increases his career total to 1,624 yards. That total currently ranks 29th on Minnesota's career rushing yards list.
• Smith rushed for his 11th, 12th and 13th touchdowns of the season, his first career three-touchdown game. His 13 TDs ties him for third on Minnesota's single-season rushing touchdown list. Smith also owns a kickoff return TD this season, and his 14 total TDs ranks third in a season for total TDs.
• Rashad Still had four receptions for a career-high 87 yards. Still's 46-yard catch on Minnesota's opening drive was the second-longest of his career.
• Drew Wolitarsky led Minnesota with five catches, totaling 65 yards. Wolitarsky leads the Gophers with 45 catches for 579 yards. For his career, Wolitarsky is tied for 12th with 109 receptions, while also ranking 12th with 1,468 yards.
• Emmit Carpenter made a 52-yard field goal to open the scoring, and added a career-long 53-yarder in the second quarter. The 53-yard FG field goal ties for seventh-longest in program history, and is the longest for the Gophers since Joel Monroe's 54-yarder versus Iowa on Nov. 10, 2007.
• Carpenter is just the second FBS kicker this season with two or more 50-yard field goals in a game. Zane Gonzalez of Arizona State has accomplished the feat twice. Carpenter is the second Minnesota kicker with two 50-yarders in a game. Adam Bailey connected on FGs of 52 and 50 yards versus Penn State on Oct. 18, 1997.
• Carpenter is 16-for-18 (.889) on field goal attempts this season, with his 16 conversions tying for seventh in program history for FGs in a single season. Chip Lohmiller made 16 field goals during the 1987 season.
• Duke McGhee intercepted his first career pass during the opening drive of the third quarter.
• Steven Richardson registered a career-best two sacks, while adding two tackles for loss and a forced a fumble.
• Blake Cashman had career-highs for tackles (5), sacks (2) and tackles for loss (3).
• Demarius Travis led the Gophers with eight tackles (all solo).
