As we finish wrapping up Minnesota's 12-10 win over Iowa on Saturday, Gophers Nation takes a look at who stood out in the Golden Gophers victory.
OFFENSE: WR Daniel Jackson
The Golden Gophers didn't have a ton of offensive success on Saturday against Iowa but when they did, it was Daniel Jackson on the receiving end. Jackson on the day had seven receptions on 11 targets for 101-yards, making up 80% of the Gophers passing attack. Out of his seven receptions, three went for 15 or more yards including a 39-yard reception early in the fourth quarter that put the Hawkeyes in Iowa territory and eventually led to Dragan Kesich's game winning field goal with over eight minutes remaining.
DEFENSE: The Run Defense
The big question for Minnesota coming into the game was how the Gophers defense was going to hold up against the Hawkeyes passing attack. After allowing 175+ rushing yards in each of their last two games before Saturday. Then on Saturday, the Hawkeyes offense stood no chance running the ball against the Gophers. The Hawkeyes were kept to just 11 yards on 28 carries with their longest run of the day being a seven yard quarterback sneak by Deacon Hill. It was a fantastic day from the Gophers front seven, especially from linebacker Maverick Barankowski (6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss) and defensive lineman Deven Eastern (6 tackles).
SPECIAL TEAMS: DRAGAN KESICH
The star of the show on Saturday. Kesich was 4-for-5 on Saturday afternoon, making field goals from 28, 31, 43, and 44 yards out. He did miss one 43-yard attempt in the second quarter, but has otherwise been a highly reliable kicker for the Golden Gophers this season, a savior for what otherwise has been a lackluster offense. That being said, having a placekicker that you can trust to go out and make a majority of the kicks he'll be asked to take is a great luxury for any college football team to have.
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