It was a performance that would have made their football forefathers proud, going back to the horse-and-buggy days at Greater Northrop Field.
The Gophers went more than 53 minutes without completing a pass Saturday and withstood the first weather delay in TCF Bank Stadium's six-year history in defeating San Jose State 24-7.
With quarterback Mitch Leidner and tight end Maxx Williams both sidelined with injuries, the Gophers weren't cute. They didn't have to be, thanks to a rushing attack that rolled up 380 yards, including 207 from David Cobb.
Leidner's backup, redshirt freshman Chris Streveler of Crystal Lake, Ill., finished with seven pass attempts. His lone completion — to Drew Wolitarsky on a 7-yard sideline route — came with 6 minutes, 36 seconds remaining.
The speedy Streveler did his damage with his legs, rushing 18 times for 161 yards, just 10 yards shy of the Gophers quarterback rushing record, set by MarQueis Gray against Miami (Ohio) in 2011.
"They were giving us the zone read we were running," Streveler said. "So if it's not broke, why try to fix it?"
Leidner has turf toe in his left foot and a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, and the Gophers (3-1) aren't sure he will be ready for next week's Big Ten opener at Michigan.
So they built a simple gameplan for Streveler, much as they did for Leidner in last year's 43-24 victory over San Jose State. In that game, Leidner completed only five of 12 passes for 71 yards but had 24 rushes for 151 yards and four touchdowns.
San Jose State (1-2) didn't look much different defensively, and the offense just isn't the same without prolific passer David Fales. With Blake Jurich at quarterback, the Spartans committed five turnovers.
With the offensive line playing far more effectively than in last week's 30-7 loss at Texas Christian, the Gophers were content letting Cobb and Streveler run the ball. That happened on 54 of their 65 offensive plays.
"All I care about is winning," coach Jerry Kill said. "I got a call from Barry Switzer five minutes ago, and he's very proud, being from the Midwest, running the wishbone offense."
Kill smiled.
"I'm just teasing," he said. "He won several national championships [at Oklahoma] running the wishbone. All we did today was run option football."
Kill noted that the Gophers averaged 6.6 yards per rush. He said, "I was always taught, if you can run it for [6.6], it's not too bad."
The Gophers built a 10-0 lead without even attempting a pass. Streveler's first throw came with 14:01 remaining in the second quarter. He had only two attempts at halftime, but the Gophers led 17-7.
It was 10-7 when Cobb fumbled into the end zone with 29 seconds left in the half. Instead of taking that score to the locker room, San Jose State coach Ron Caragher had Jurich come out throwing. Eric Murray made a big interception along the sideline with 20 seconds left.
The Gophers still had all three timeouts, so they had Cobb carry it three times to the 1, and Streveler scored on a sneak as time expired. That was a gamble by Kill, who could have settled for a field goal.
"I felt we needed momentum," Kill said. "The way I look at it, if we can't quarterback sneak for 6 inches, then we're not very good up front. So there wasn't a lot of hesitation."
Early in the third quarter, San Jose State drove to the Gophers 5-yard line, but linebacker Damien Wilson stripped the ball from running back Jarrod Lawson and recovered the fumble himself.
It was the kind of play the Gophers have come to expect from Wilson, who entered as the Big Ten's leading tackler.
Jurich turned over the ball again, this time on a fumble early in the fourth quarter, giving the Gophers the ball at the Spartans 7.
On third down, Streveler tried hitting Wolitarsky, but Forrest Hightower intercepted it, and might have gone the distance had he not slipped on the wet turf.
That was the final play before the 63-minute weather delay. Still leading 17-7, the Gophers came back and dominated the final 11:38, forcing a punt and then driving 61 yards for the clinching touchdown.
That drive included Streveler's only completion. Cobb sealed it by breaking a tackle and trotting 16 yards for his second score of the day.
"We keep doing whatever works," Cobb said. "So if they stop the run, we'll have to pass. But we didn't have to. So, one pass, 7 yards — that'll do."
