Minnesota Defeats Iowa State

Scott Schaffner passed for a career-high 220 yards and two touchdowns and Darrell Thompson ran for two more scores in leading Minnesota to a 30-20 victory over Iowa State Saturday.

Schaffner threw touchdown passes of 10 yards to Pat Tingelhoff in the first quarter and 54 yards to Paul Hopewell in the third period as Minnesota won its opener for the 13th time in 14 years.

The sophomore completed 12 of 18 passes in topping his previous best of 201 yards against Indiana last year. He left the game early in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury and did not return.

Thompson, Minnesota’s career rushing leader, topped the 100-yard mark for the 16th time in a regular season game after gaining only 32 yards on 16 first-half carries. He finished with 106 yards in 32 attempts, including scoring runs of one yard in the second quarter and two yards early in the fourth quarter.

Schaffner’s touchdown pass to Hopewell on a fly pattern gave Minnesota a 24-10 lead with 10:44 left in the third quarter.

Iowa State (1-1) pulled to within 24-17 with an 82-yard, 14-play drive that Blaise Bryant capped with a six-yard touchdown run on the second play of the fourth quarter.

But Minnesota flanker Kevin Grant sped 23 yards on a reverse two plays after the kickoff, and the Gophers were off on 12-play, 80-yard march that Thompson capped with his two-yard touchdown run with 10:41 left, making it 30-17.

Jeff Shudak’s 39-yard field goal cut the lead to 30-20 with 6:34 to go and the Cyclones recovered his ensuing onside kick. But quarterback Bret Oberg fumbled five plays later and Minnesota’s Eddie Miles recovered at his own 30.