HOLIDAY BOWL: TWO FIELD GOALS AND TWO TOUCHDOWNS LIFT GOLDEN GOPHERS OVER COUGARS 17-12

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By Liz Alper

Photo:  redshirt junior Adekunle Ayinde is congratulated coming off the field after his fourth quarter interception.  Via @GopherFootball on Twitter

December 27, 2016 (San Diego) - University of Minnesota football players showed up to play in this year’s National Funding Holiday Bowl.  However, 10 of them did not.  Ten Golden Gopher football players were suspended for an alleged sexual assault that happened in September.  The team boycotted practice on December 15 and a petition that reach over 1,200 signatures was filed against Golden Gophers head coach Tracy Claeys, calling for his firing after how he handled the boycott and the situation with his players.

Alas, the Gophers showed up to play against the Cougars on Tuesday and San Diego had another bowl game on their hands.

Call it karma or not, but the Cougars scored first on redshirt junior kicker Erik Powell’s field goal in the first quarter to put State up 3-0.

Both teams were bitten by penalties, but Minnesota did eventually tie the game at three with redshirt sophomore kicker Emmit Carpenter’s 43-yard field goal.  Just before the half, Powell kicked another field goal and Washington State went to the half up 6-3.

The Golden Gophers finally broke the field goal deadlock with a pass from redshirt senior quarterback Mitch Leidner that was almost intercepted by junior corner Marcellus Pippins, but was caught by sophomore running back Shannon Brooks for the touchdown.  Minnesota took the biggest lead of the game, 10-6.

It came down to the Cougars’ last drive of the game--their last shot--in the fourth quarter.  On fourth and eight, redshirt junior quarterback Luke Falk threw it to no one.  No one, at least, on his team; the ball was intercepted by redshirt junior safety Adekunle Ayinde.  After the pick six was reviewed and overturned, redshirt sophomore running back Rodney Smith dove into the end zone for the nail-in-the-coffin touchdown.  Washington State did score a late touchdown, but Minnesota eventually won the Holiday Bowl 17-12.

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