Yardbarker · Oct 10, 2015
Brooks' long run leads Gophers past Purdue 41-13
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) Minnesota finally found a solution for its stagnant offense Saturday.
It gave the ball to powerful running back Shannon Brooks and let him beat up the Purdue defense.
The freshman carried 17 times for a season-high 176 yards and changed the game with a 71-yard touchdown run to help the Golden Gophers break out of their offensive funk in a 41-13 blowout at Purdue.
In the first five games, Brooks had 20 carries for 115 yards and two scores. He needed less than three quarters against the Boilermakers (1-5, 0-2 Big Ten) to nearly double those numbers as he rekindled images of former Purdue star Mike Alstott.