Buckeyes Beat Minnesota, 31-28 – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/3/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov 3, 2001%^$
%^$%^$%^$%^$%^$Final Stats|%^$Quotes|%^$Notes%^$%^$%^$%^$%^$%^$%^$%^$
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By DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer%^$
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MINNEAPOLIS – Jonathan Wells ran for 152 yards and two touchdowns to%^$lead Ohio State to a 31-28 victory over Minnesota on Saturday night.%^$
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Chris Vance had a 36-yard touchdown pass from Steve Bellisari tipped into%^$his hands by Minnesota’s Ukee Dozier, widening the Buckeyes’ lead to 28-20%^$early in the fourth quarter.%^$
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Tellis Redmon rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown for the Golden Gophers,%^$who haven’t beaten the Buckeyes at home since 1981.%^$
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Minnesota coach Glen Mason, who lost out to Jim Tressel last spring for the%^$Ohio State job, missed a chance to beat his alma mater for the second straight%^$season.%^$
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Ohio State (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten), which had wasted leads of 17 and 18 points in%^$losing its last two conference games to Wisconsin and Penn State, climbed into%^$a three-way tie for third-place in the Big Ten.%^$
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Steve Bellisari was 12-for-17 passing for 202 yards and two touchdowns for%^$the Buckeyes, who trailed by six until Wells scored from 1 yard out with 3:01%^$remaining in the third quarter.%^$
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The Gophers (3-5, 1-3) dropped to last place in the conference and must win%^$their last three games – at Michigan, at Iowa and Wisconsin at home – to earn%^$their third straight bowl bid.%^$
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Asad Abdul-Khaliq, putting an apparent end to Minnesota’s quarterback%^$rotation by starting his fourth straight game, rushed eight times for 47 yards%^$and a touchdown. He completed 11 of 21 passes for 120 yards.%^$
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Abdul-Khaliq’s 2-yard scamper and 2-point conversion pass to Ben Utecht with%^$1:55 left pulled the Gophers to 31-28.%^$
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Two plays after Mike Doss intercepted Abdul-Khaliq’s pass in the third%^$quarter – the Gophers’ first turnover in 11 quarters – Minnesota’s Mike Lehan%^$recovered a fumble by Wells.%^$
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On the next play, Redmon raced around right end for a 52-yard touchdown to%^$give the Gophers a 20-14 lead.%^$
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Wells finished a 12-play, 85-yard drive in the first quarter by running wide%^$left for a 2-yard touchdown that put Ohio State up 7-3.%^$
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Bellisari capped another impressive drive in the second quarter with a%^$14-yard touchdown pass down the middle to wide-open tight end Darnell Sanders%^$that put the Buckeyes ahead 14-3.%^$
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A 2-yard touchdown run by Thomas Tapeh and a 44-yard field goal by Nystrom%^$as time expired in the second quarter cut the lead to 14-13.%^$
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Ron Johnson, who had four receptions for 59 yards, and passed Tutu Atwell to%^$become Minnesota’s all-time leader in receiving yards with 2,661.
