Darius Taylor rushed for three touchdowns, Javon Tracy returned two punts for scores, and Minnesota cruised to a 59-7 win over Eastern Illinois on Thursday in Minneapolis.
Drake Lindsey completed 19 of 24 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown for Minnesota (1-0), which never trailed. The junior quarterback earned an early exit in the lopsided contest.
Tracy also caught five passes for 98 yards.
Cole LaCrue completed 7 of 12 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown for Eastern Illinois (1-1). Tyren Buggs hauled in the Panthers’ lone score.
The Golden Gophers, who finished with a 495-110 edge in total yards, sprinted to a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Taylor tallied Minnesota’s first touchdown of the season. He took the snap out of the wildcat formation and sprinted left for a 1-yard touchdown run with 4:29 left in the opening period.
The Golden Gophers relied on their special teams to increase their lead to 14-0 with 2:14 remaining in the quarter. Tracy fielded a punt and returned it 87 yards down the right sideline.
By halftime, Minnesota was on top 35-7.
A three-play, 66-yard drive gave the Golden Gophers a 21-0 advantage early in the second quarter. Taylor recorded his second touchdown on a 27-yard run.
Eastern Illinois got on the scoreboard on the following possession. LaCrue connected with Buggs for an 8-yard touchdown completion.
Minnesota ended the first half with back-to-back touchdowns on a 3-yard run by Taylor and a 1-yard pass from Lindsey to Pierce Walsh.
The second half featured more of the same as Minnesota pressured Eastern Illinois.
Tracy stepped up on special teams with his second punt return touchdown of the evening. This time, he shook off an attempted shoestring tackle and weaved down the left sideline for a 69-yard score.
It was the first time the Golden Gophers ever recorded two punt-return touchdowns in a single game.
Minnesota made it 45-7 when Daniel Jackson kicked a 31-yard field goal late in the third quarter.
Golden Gophers backup quarterback Max Shikenjanski got in on the action early in the fourth quarter. He opted for a keeper and scored on a 2-yard run to make it 52-7 with 12:29 to play.
Minnesota’s Xavier Ford capped the scoring with a 1-yard rushing TD with 25 seconds left.