Kamario Taylor threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns, and Fluff Bothwell ran for 113 yards with two scores as visiting Mississippi State turned a dominant first half into a 38-13 victory over Minnesota on Saturday at Minneapolis.
Anthony Evans III, Sanfrisco Magee and Zion Ragins each caught first-half touchdown passes as the Bulldogs (2-0) scored TDs on all four drives before halftime to take control of the Southeastern Conference vs. Big Ten Conference matchup.
Evans had seven receptions for 121 yards, while Taylor added 86 yards on the ground as Mississippi State held a 252-13 advantage in rushing yards, winning the first-ever matchup between the programs.
Drake Lindsey completed 31 of 48 passes for 279 yards as Minnesota failed to score a touchdown on offense. Noah Jennings had seven receptions for 88 yards, while Javon Tracy had seven receptions for 51 yards for the Golden Gophers (1-1).
Defensive back Aydan West scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery in the end zone as Minnesota saw its eight-game home winning streak come to an end.
Mississippi State opened the game with a pair of 75-yard scoring drives in the first quarter. Taylor capped the first on a 22-yard TD pass to Ragins, while Bothwell finished the second with a 5-yard TD run.
The Bulldogs took a 28-6 lead into halftime after a 30-yard TD reception from Magee and a 15-yard score from Evans. Luke Drzewiecki kicked a pair of first-half field goals for the Golden Gophers.
Minnesota pulled to within 28-13 early in the second half when Joey Gerlach knocked the ball from Taylor’s hands and West recovered it in the end zone.
Still seeking an offensive touchdown, Minnesota reached the Mississippi State 4-yard line late in the third quarter before turning the ball over on downs.
The Bulldogs finished off their scoring when Kyle Ferrie made a 52-yard field goal in the third quarter and Bothwell scored on a 3-yard run early in the fourth.
