The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers upped their season record to 2-0 with a convincing 44-7 home opener victory over New Hampshire Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium, the Star Tribune reports.
Quarterback MarQueis Gray was a huge standout for the Gophers, with two rushing and two passing touchdowns on the way to the maroon and gold’s 30-7 lead at halftime.
The Gophers drew first blood with a safety in the first quarter, followed by a Gray TD toss to take a 9-0 lead. New Hampshire answered with a touchdown late in the first quarter to trip Minnesota’s lead to 9-7, but were held scoreless the rest of the game.
The game marked the Gopher’s biggest margin of victory since Nov. 4, 2006, when the team steamrolled over Indiana, 63-26.
The early victory means a restful latter half of the day for Coach Jerry Kill, who tells the Star Tribune that morning kick-offs help him avoid full-day of anxiety.
The victory had Gopher fans lighting up Twitter — some going so far as suggesting a trip to the Rose Bowl, reports the Pioneer Press.
The Gophers return to TCF Bank Stadium next Saturday to take on Western Michigan. Game time is 11 a.m.
