Opening night in Minneapolis was big for both teams, however for different reasons. For the visiting TCU Horned Frogs, it was the first step in their quest for a berth in the second College Football Playoff after being left out last year. For the Minnesota Golden Gophers, it was a chance to prove that they are a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten this season. It was a highly competitive battle between these teams, but in the end TCU was able to pull out the victory 23-17.
The first half started out incredibly well for the Horned Frogs. Quarterback Trevone Boykin, and early Heisman Trophy candidate this season, led his team down the field to set up a field goal, which was nailed by one of the nation's top kickers, Jared Oberkrom. On the ensuing Golden Gophers possession, quarterback Mitch Leidner fumbled while being sacked and TCU recovered. Already starting in the red zone, it was an easy scoring drive for the Horned Frogs from there. Boykin would eventually connect with his favorite target, Josh Doctson for a touchdown on a well-designed route.
After that short drive however, while the speed of the offenses continued to be fast, the scoring slowed down trememdously. Both defenses played quite well, applying pressure to both quarterbacks on a frequent basis. In a second quarter defensive struggle, Minnesota came away with the only points, a field goal late in the period. TCU had a chance to score right before the half, but the usually stellar Jared Oberkrom missed a 29-yard field goal with 24 seconds remaining. Entering halftime, the Horned Frogs held a lead over the Golden Gophers 10-3.
After focusing a great deal of plays on the passing game in first half, TCU came out pounding the ball on the ground to start the third quarter. The Horned Frogs pieced together a 76 yard drive to open the second half, capped off by an electrifying 19-yard rushing score by Boykin. Minnesota could not successfully respond, giving TCU the ball right back. After another long Horned Frogs drive, the Gophers were able to apply plenty of pressure on Boykin throw which led to an interception by the Minnesota defense. After punding the ball for much of the drive and executing a pass play on a crucial fourth down, Rodney Smith punched the ball in from one yard out for a Minnesota touchdown. TCU would tack on one more field goal, sending the game to the fourth quarter with the Horned Frogs leading 20-10.
Against a team with an offense as strong as TCU's, Minnesota's defensive performance Thursday night looks even better. The Golden Gophers were able to thwart a threatening drive at the start of the fourth quarter by TCU, just one of many examples of the Gophers defense holding when it needed to. Despite the strong defensive play, Minnesota's offense struggled to open the last period. After stopping the Gophers deep in their own territory, the Horned Frogs tacked on a third field goal from Oberkrom to extend their lead to 23-10. Minnesota had a chance to score with around 5:30 to go in the game but could not get it done, turning the ball over on downs. They would get one more score, putting together a very impressive drive which was capped off with a touchdown pass to KJ Maye, cutting the lead to six points. Unfortunately for Minnesota, their onside kick attempt was a weak one and TCU took over, eventually running out the clock and stopping the Gophers. The Horned Frogs were able to escape Minneapolis with a win over the Golden Gophers 23-17.
Trevone Boykin played well but not great on Thursday night. He ended up completing 26/42 passes for 246 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception, finishing with a passer efficincy rating of 114.2. Boykin also led the Horned Frogs in rushing, with 92 yards on 18 carries with a score. Aaron Green also performed well on the ground, gaining 88 yards on 19 carries. Josh Doctson was the game's leading receiver, pulling in 8 balls for 74 yards and a touchdown.
It was not the most efficient night for Minnesota's Mitch Leidner overall, but he did put together an impressive final scoring drive in the fourth quarter. He finished the game 19/35 for 197 yards with 1 touchdown through the air, giving him a passer rating of 111. He also finished with 23 rushing yards. Minnesota's leading rusher was Rodney Smith, who racked up 88 yards and a score on 16 carries. The leading receiver for the Golden Gophers was KJ Maye, who had 4 receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown.
While the margin of victory wasn't ass large as many may have expected, TCU still played a solid game on Thursday night. The defense performed well all around, and they were able to effectively run down time at the end of the game as well, something they struggled with last season. Gary Patterson's team still has room for improvement, but overall it was a solid win over a good team on the road. Expect to see plenty more examples this season of TCU's high-powered and high-scoring offense. The Horned Frogs will continue their quest for an undefeated season on September 12 in Fort Worth against Stephen F. Austin.
While they were not able to win, it was still a well played game by the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The offense still is not an explosive unit, but they did show some promise when running the no-huddle offense, especially when emphasizing the running game in those situations. Jerry Kill's team deserves a lot of credit defensively as well, as the unit was able to contain Trevone Boykin about as well as any team could. Minnesota lost the game, however they played well against one of college football's elite programs and will certainly be a contender in the Big Ten West this season. There next game takes place on September 12 in Fort Collins, Colorado against the Colorado State Rams.