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Wadley’s big run nudges Iowa past Minnesota in 14-7 grinder

Sports

October 8th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Akrum Wadley broke off a 54-yard touchdown run with 5:28 left and Iowa hung on to beat Minnesota 14-7 on Saturday. Wadley had 14 carries for 107 yards for the Hawkeyes (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten), who matched the program record with their eighth straight road.

Mitch Leidner completed 13 of 33 passes for 166 yards and was also picked off twice for the Gophers (3-2, 0-2), who were flagged for eight penalties for 58 yards and forced to punt nine times. After Wadley’s score, LeShun Daniels Jr. ran in the 2-point conversion. Leidner threw his second interception on the following possession, but the Gophers got the ball back again with no timeouts and 86 seconds remaining.

Brian Smith’s leaping catch out of bounds at the 13-yard line put them in position to tie the game, but Leidner’s fourth-down throw to Smith on a fade route in the corner of the end zone fell short. Shannon Brooks gave Minnesota a 7-6 lead midway through the third quarter with a 9-yard run. Beathard’s streak with a touchdown pass in nine straight games was stopped.

Next up for Iowa: The Hawks travel to face Purdue, where they’ve won three times in a row and haven’t lost since 2007.