By Bip Skayless

STAR TRIBUNE

AT 2:10 THIS SATURDAY, 20 minutes before kickoff, I stepped onto the field at a packed TCF Bank Stadium. It was a scene I haven’t seen at The Bank in a while. The fans were going crazy, the team was pumped up for their first home game this season after two miraculous comebacks to start the season. It felt like nothing could go wrong. Then the game started.

Oregon scored on their first drive, got a quick three and out, and scored again after that. Coach Fister wasn’t scared though; he’d seen this before. Minnesota marched down the field getting to the Oregon seventeen. Quarterback Maker Bayfield scrambled out of the pocket and threw a dart to star wide receiver Miami Brown who was open in the back of the end zone. Brown couldn’t complete the catch and tipped the ball to an Oregon defender who ran it back 106 yards for an Oregon touchdown. As Coach Fister said in the post game presser, “You could just tell it wasn’t going to be a good game after that play just based on the emotions of the sideline”.

Oregon ended up winning the game 48-7. The key stat was the big plays. The Golden Gophers turned the ball over four times, with two pick-6s, while the Ducks only coughed it up once. Oregon also returned a punt for a touchdown.

The Golden Gophers fall to 2-1 on the season and travel to the Bay Area to face 0-3 San Jose State next week. The Ducks move to 3-0, and travel to Tucson to play in a possible battle of undefeated teams, starting conference play at 2-0 Arizona (Arizona’s game was not finished at the time of publication. Arizona was down 7-0 to Washington early in the 1st Quarter).

Stats:

Total Yards :

Minnesota: 228 (152 passing, 76 rushing)

Oregon: 284 (284 rushing)

Turnovers :

Minnesota: 4 (3 interceptions, 1 fumble)

Oregon: 1 (1 fumble)

Time of Possession :

Minnesota: 10:02

Oregon: 17:58