Kalel Mullings rushed 24 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns Saturday as No. 12 Michigan hung on for a 27-24 win over Minnesota in Big Ten Conference play at Ann Arbor, Mich.
The Wolverines (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) led 24-3 after Dominic Zvada made a 53-yard field goal halfway through the third quarter but nearly blew the lead and the game.
The Golden Gophers (2-3, 0-2) rallied for three fourth quarter touchdowns, drawing within three points on Max Brosmer’s 12-yard touchdown strike to Daniel Jackson with 1:37 left.
But Minnesota couldn’t get the ball back after an initial recovery on an onside kick was ruled offsides. Mullings recovered a second onside kick at the Gophers’ 38 yard-line and Michigan was able to run out the clock.
Brosmer completed 27 of 40 passes for 258 yards with an interception as the Gophers earned a 296-241 advantage in total yardage. Darius Taylor rushed for 36 yards on 13 carries, scoring on runs of 3 and 4 yards less than three minutes apart early in the fourth quarter that pulled Minnesota within 24-17.
Alex Orji hit 10 of 18 attempts for 86 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Wolverines, which got a 35-yard field goal from Zvada with 4:33 remaining for the insurance points that made the difference.
Michigan controlled the first half, generating one long drive and then capitalizing on two short fields for easy touchdowns.
First came a 79-yard march in the first quarter that Mullings capped with a 27-yard scoring run. Then came the Minnesota mistakes. First was a fumble that teed up the Wolverines for a 16-yard field that Mullings cashed in via a 1-yard plunge with 8:59 left in the first half.
It became 21-0 at the 3:48 mark when Michigan turned a fumbled punt into an 11-yard touchdown pass from Orji to Tyler Morris. The Gophers finally got on the board as time expired when Dragan Kesich connected on a 20-yard field goal.
Michigan was outgained 130-107 in the half but came up with four sacks in addition to producing 14 points off two turnovers.
–Field Level Media
