Drake Lindsey passed for 204 yards and three touchdowns, and Minnesota cruised to a 41-7 win over Akron on Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis.
TJ Thomas added 13 carries for 122 yards and a touchdown for Minnesota (2-1), which bounced back from a loss against Mississippi State one week earlier. Roman Voss, Noah Jennings and Jalen Smith had one touchdown catch apiece.
Brayden Roggow completed 12 of 25 passes for 131 yards for Akron (1-2). Marcel Williams rushed for the Zips’ lone touchdown.
Akron quarterback Cibastian Broughton left in the first half because of an apparent right knee injury. He completed 9 of 13 passes for 42 yards.
Minnesota opened the scoring on its first drive of the game. Lindsey fired a play-action pass over the middle to Voss, who caught it near the 2-yard line and turned and fell into the end zone for the 16-yard touchdown.
The Golden Gophers made it 10-0 with 1:34 to go in the first quarter. Luke Drzewiecki made a 24-yard field goal to finish a six-play, 69-yard drive.
Lindsey increased the lead to 17-0 when he found Jennings for a 6-yard touchdown with 10:50 remaining in the second quarter.
Drzewiecki hit again, this time from 43 yards, to make it 20-0 just before halftime.
Akron’s struggles continued into the second half.
Minnesota made it 27-0 when Lindsey fired an 18-yard touchdown pass to Smith with 7:37 to go in the third quarter. Lindsey lobbed his pass toward the back right corner of the end zone, and Smith made a leaping grab and held on as he crashed to the turf.
The Golden Gophers tallied their first touchdown on the ground when A.J. Turner rushed for a 4-yard score with 11:34 left in the fourth quarter. That put Minnesota on top 34-0.
Thomas broke open a 71-yard rushing touchdown for Minnesota with 9:38 remaining.
Akron got on the scoreboard with 7:44 to go. Williams bounced off a defender and darted into the end zone for a 10-yard rushing score.
-Field Level Media
