Buckeyes Beat Minnesota, 31-28 – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/3/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov 3, 2001
Final Stats| Quotes| Notes
By DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer
MINNEAPOLIS – Jonathan Wells ran for 152 yards and two touchdowns to lead Ohio State to a 31-28 victory over Minnesota on Saturday night.
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.
Tellis Redmon rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown for the Golden Gophers, who haven’t beaten the Buckeyes at home since 1981.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Abdul-Khaliq’s 2-yard scamper and 2-point conversion pass to Ben Utecht with 1:55 left pulled the Gophers to 31-28.
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.
On the next play, Redmon raced around right end for a 52-yard touchdown to give the Gophers a 20-14 lead.
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.
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.
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.
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.
