Minnesota beat Illinois 40-17 on the strength of its running game.
Wait what?
Yes, that is not a typo. Minnesota, behind an impressive offensive line performance and brilliant games from Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks, ran all over Illinois. Through three quarters, Smith had more rushing yards than Illinois had total yards. Shannon Brooks also broke 100 yards on the day.
The Minnesota offensive line was a significant part of Smith and Brooks’s big day. Illinois must have shown on film that they had trouble defending an outside zone because the Gophers ran it early and often.