Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
Minnesota
Maroney Leads Gophers Over Rams
9/10/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 10, 2005
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Laurence Maroney ran 26 times for 133 yards and two touchdowns, leading Minnesota to a 56-24 victory over Colorado State on Saturday.
Maintaining his position as a darkhorse Heisman Trophy contender, Maroney gave the Gophers (2-0) room to breathe by scoring on runs of 2 and 32 yards in the second quarter. The latter came on a toss sweep in which the junior zipped across the line of scrimmage untouched and broke a tackle attempt by free safety Robert Herbert at the 5-yard line on his way to the end zone.
Minnesota won with a smothering defense, though, holding the Rams (0-2) to 59 yards rushing, forcing three turnovers and turning a blocked punt into a short touchdown during a 20-point third quarter.
Justin Holland threw a 33-yard scoring pass to a wide-open Dustin Osborn that cut the Gophers' lead to 22-10 with 1:36 left before halftime, one of only a few mistakes by Minnesota's first-team defense.
Osborn caught seven passes for 102 yards and three touchdowns.
Colorado State, which blew an 11-point lead at rival Colorado last week in a 31-28 loss, was competitive for awhile but collapsed in a painful third quarter. Holland, a fifth-year senior, limped off with an injury to his right leg after losing a fumble to Mike Sherels - who also had an interception.
There was plenty of action on special teams, where a bewildered Minnesota coach Glen Mason watched freshman kicker Jason Giannini miss three extra points - one of which was blocked.
Giannini made three others plus a 37-yard field goal, but another freshman, Joel Monroe, came in to kick two extra points in the fourth quarter.
Freshman cornerback Dominic Jones returned a punt 53 yards for the Gophers, and strong safety Dominique Barber - the brother of running back Marion Barber III, who is now in the NFL - blocked a punt. Alex Daniels scooped it up and ran 13 yards for a score to put Minnesota ahead 42-10.
The Rams, coming off a disappointing 4-7 season, have lost nine of 11 away from home. Caleb Hanie replaced Holland in the fourth quarter and threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Osborn that made it 49-17.
That score was set up by a nifty 54-yard catch and run by John Walker, who broke several tackles and kept his balance on his way to the 7. Walker had five receptions for 116 yards, and Holland went 12-for-23 for 211 yards.
A clear majority of the announced Metrodome crowd of 40,221 was gone by the time Maroney's backup, Gary Russell, scored on an 11-yard run to make it 56-17 midway through the final quarter. Russell had two scores among his seven carries and 66 yards.
Jared Ellerson caught a 54-yard touchdown pass from Bryan Cupito in the third quarter that made it 35-10. Cupito completed only nine of his 21 passes for 159 yards and two TDs, with one interception.
