Michigan Edges Minnesota in Final Minutes

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Posted 5:52PM on Saturday, October 9, 2004

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan beat Minnesota with a dramatic comeback for the second straight year. Tyler Ecker caught a short pass from Chad Henne over the middle, eluded two tackles and lumbered down the sideline for a 31-yard touchdown with 1:57 left to give the 14th-ranked Wolverines a 27-24 victory over the No. 13 Golden Gophers on Saturday. Minnesota led 24-17 early in the fourth quarter - after scoring 17 straight points - before losing another heartbreaker against Michigan. Garrett Rivas' 29-yard field goal with 9:36 left pulled Michigan to 24-20 and started the comeback. The Wolverines forced the Gophers to punt on their next two possessions to set up the winning drive. Henne, a freshman, directed a drive that started at Michigan's 13 with 3:04 to play. After four passes for first downs, he found Ecker over the middle and the tight end broke away from Brandon Owens and got past Mike Wojciechowski for the TD. Last year in Minneapolis, Minnesota had a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter before losing 38-35. The defending Big Ten champion Wolverines (5-1, 3-0) have not lost to the Gophers since 1986. If Minnesota (5-1, 2-1) could have held off Michigan, it would've had a better opportunity to win its first conference championship since 1967 because it doesn't play Purdue or Ohio State. Henne was 33-of-49 for 328 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Michael Hart ran for 160 yards - a record for a Michigan freshman - and a score on 35 carries and had six receptions for 53 yards. Braylon Edwards caught 10 passes for 98 yards and a TD. And after the final seconds went off the clock, he did a back flip. Michigan entered the game No. 1 in the nation against the run and Minnesota was the third-ranked rushing team. The Gophers won the battle of strengths and the turnover margin - 3-0 - but that's of little consolation for them. Minnesota's Laurence Maroney ran for 145 yards - extending his school-record streak with 100 yards to seven games - including an 80-yard TD. Marion Barber was held to 40 yards on 13 carries and a TD. Bryan Cupito was 8-of-22 for 156 yards and a TD. Cupito's 26-yard pass to Jared Ellerson, who beat Markus Curry badly, in the third quarter put Minnesota ahead 21-17 for its first lead. Henne's two interceptions - one at midfield and one in Minnesota's end zone - both came in the third quarter, but Michigan's defense forced the Gophers to punt after three plays each time. The Wolverines were stingy again after their next mistake - Leon Hall's fumble on a punt return inside Michigan's 10 - but Minnesota didn't need to gain a yard to take a 24-17 lead. Both teams were ranked for a game in Ann Arbor for the first time since 1949. The Wolverines got off to a good start. They went ahead 7-0 on their first drive on Hart's 8-yard draw. Rivas' 38-yard kick gave the Wolverines a 10-0 lead in the first of four straight scoring possessions. Minnesota's star running backs ran for 28 yards on seven carries before busting loose. On the first play of Minnesota's fourth drive, Maroney ran through a huge hole and had to break only one tackle on an 80-yard TD run. Michigan responded with a 14-play scoring drive - its longest of the season - capped by Henne's 4-yard lob to Edwards. The star receiver leaped over cornerback Ukee Dozier for his eighth TD - and 200th career reception - to give the Wolverines a 17-7 lead. The Gophers converted a fourth-and-1 at Michigan's 32 before Barber went through a big hole and bounced outside for a 19-yard TD to pull the Gophers within a field goal midway through the second quarter.