Ijeboi runs for 195 yards and three touchdowns as Purdue beats Minnesota, 41-13

Fame Ijeboi rushed for 195 yards and three touchdowns against his former team Saturday night, leading Purdue to a 41-13 win over Minnesota in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers improved to 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten with their second consecutive victory.

Ijeboi carried 31 times and supplied touchdowns in the second, third and fourth quarters. His final score came on a one-yard fourth-down run with 7:35 remaining, after a muffed punt return by Minnesota gave Purdue possession at the Golden Gophers’ 10.

The Boilermakers controlled the running game throughout the night. They finished with 305 rushing yards on 47 carries, while Minnesota managed 27 on 13 attempts. Ryan Browne added 81 yards and a touchdown on seven carries, giving Purdue another way to move the ball when the Gophers tried to contain Ijeboi.

Minnesota’s best stretch came late in the third quarter. Luke Drzewiecki made a 37-yard field goal, and Drake Lindsey then found Jalen Smith for a 42-yard touchdown. Those scores cut Purdue’s lead from 27-3 to 27-13 and left the visitors with a chance to make the final period competitive.

Browne answered with a 12-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, restoring a three-touchdown margin. Ijeboi’s final touchdown then closed the scoring. Minnesota did not score in the fourth quarter after putting up 10 points in the third.

Purdue built its lead steadily before that brief rally. Jacobo Echeverria Lozano opened the scoring with a 45-yard field goal, and Browne found George Burhenn for a 15-yard touchdown pass with 2:26 left in the first quarter. The Boilermakers led 10-0 after one period.

Drzewiecki’s 49-yard field goal put Minnesota on the board in the second quarter, but Purdue answered with Echeverria Lozano’s 28-yard kick and Ijeboi’s three-yard touchdown run. The home team went into halftime ahead 20-3, then extended its lead on Ijeboi’s first one-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

Browne completed 14 of 24 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown without an interception. Purdue gained 464 total yards, recorded 27 first downs and held the ball for 37:07. The Boilermakers did not commit a turnover, while Minnesota lost the ball twice.

Lindsey finished with 248 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception. Smith caught three passes for 89 yards, and Javon Tracy had five catches for 75. Those passing gains could not compensate for a rushing attack that never established consistent production.

Minnesota finished with 275 yards and 10 first downs, converting four of 13 third downs and failing on both fourth-down attempts. The Gophers fell to 4-2 and 2-1 in conference play. Purdue hosts Washington on Friday, while Minnesota has a break before hosting Iowa on October 24.

Sources

ESPN final statistics and scoring · Via ESPN · Gophers drop first Big Ten game at Purdue