Business as usual for Cats
NU tops Gophers for 14th win in last 15 Big Ten games
MINNEAPOLIS — When he was an assistant at Northern Illinois, Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck once cold-called Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald for a lunch meeting to learn about being a head coach.
A decade later, Fitzgerald and his Wildcats still are teaching teams such as the Golden Gophers how to win in the Big Ten.
Isaiah Bowser rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 22 NU turned three turnovers by Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan into 10 points on the way to a 24-14 victory Saturday that stretched its road winning streak to eight games.
‘‘The teams that win in our league are the teams that have the sustainability over the long period of time,’’ Fleck said. ‘‘You have to earn that, but they have that.’’
Clayton Thorson completed 15 of 21 passes for 230 yards without a turnover and had a 13-yard touchdown run in the second quarter for the Wildcats (7-4, 7-1 Big Ten), who have their best Big Ten record since 1996, when Fitzgerald was in his final season as a player.
Nate Hall had two interceptions for NU, which has won 14 of its last 15 conference games, including 11 in a row against opponents in the Big Ten West, which it clinched the week before.
‘‘A very businesslike, championship-type approach to the week culminated with a very businesslike win,’’ Fitzgerald said. ‘‘I thought our guys were very focused.’’
Mohamed Ibrahim rushed for 98 yards and a touchdown and Blake Cashman had a career-high 20 tackles for the Gophers (5-6, 2-6), who fell to 4-13 in conference play under Fleck.
With a temperature of 23 degrees at kickoff, Thorson and the Wildcats played the fieldposition game well. NU’s secondary, which was missing three injured starters, complemented a strong pass rush led by Joe Gaziano, who forced a fumble by Morgan with a sack in the fourth quarter to set up a short field goal.
That came shortly after a 68-yard completion on third down from Thorson to receiver J.J. Jefferson, who slipped past safety Jordan Howden and was tackled at the 2 before Bowser’s second touchdown.
Morgan finished 19-for-32 for 197 yards and a late touchdown pass to receiver Tyler Johnson, who topped the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Minnesota’s streak of four consecutive games with 400-plus total yards was stopped.
‘‘They’re fighting for bowl eligibility,’’ Fitzgerald said. ‘‘We knew we were going to get their best shot. That’s what jumps out to me so much about our defense.’’
Poll implications
After cracking the Associated Press’ Top 25 for the first time this season after their victory last week at Iowa, the Wildcats will remain a ranked team for now. They aren’t part of the College Football Playoff conversation, but to be headed for the Big Ten championship game Dec. 1 after losing at home to Akron and starting the season 1-3 is quite an accomplishment.
The Gophers were favored by two points on the final betting lines.
‘‘That was a joke,’’ Fitzgerald said. ‘‘The level of respect for the guys in that locker room is not very high because of a couple of games earlier in the year.’’