Football

Gophers head coach Jerry Kill says it all the time: “Somebody needs to make a play.”

Gophers punter Peter Mortell played some quarterback in high school.

Still, few people expected him to throw a pass on fourth-and-16 in a one-score game against the Michigan Wolverines.

Early in the third quarter, the Gophers trailed 14-7 when they passed on a 37-yard field goal attempt and put the ball — and the game — in the hands of the freshman punter.

Minnesota tried a fake field goal, and Mortell, the field-goal holder, completed a pass to quarterback Philip Nelson for five yards — 11 yards short of the first down.

Jason Giannini said as soon as the ball left his foot, he knew it was good.

His 30-yard field goal in 2005 lifted the Gophers to their first victory over Michigan since 1986.

Minnesota hasn’t beaten the Wolverines since.

It was the first game-winning field goal attempt of his career, but Giannini made the most of his chance.

“It was kind of surreal when it happened,” he said. “It happened so fast, but it was definitely the biggest day of my life.”

For the Gophers football team, Oct. 1, 2011, is a day that will live in infamy.

OK, not really, but on that day, Michigan handed Minnesota one of its most vicious beatdowns in program history.

The Wolverines beat the Gophers 58-0, and that’s not a misprint.

“Everybody who went to Michigan last year knows how we felt coming back,” Minnesota safety Brock Vereen said. “That’s how we want to make them feel.”

The Gophers will look to avenge last year’s loss Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium.

When Gophers fans park around TCF Bank Stadium on Saturdays, who should get the money — athletics or the University of Minnesota’s Parking and Transportation Services?

That debate over parking revenue from campus events that bring cars to University-owned parking lots is raging at the University and on other campuses across the country.

The University’s athletics department will save about $235,000 in its budget because of an agreement it made with PTS this year, said Tom McGinnis, associate athletics director for finance.

Michael Carter said he likes it when quarterbacks throw to his side of the field.

He showed why Saturday.

Purdue received the opening kickoff of the second half trailing the Gophers by 27 points. Carter quickly squashed any thoughts the Boilermakers might have had of coming back.

In that possession, he broke up three passes in the first four plays, but Purdue quarterback Caleb TerBush kept throwing his way.

Carter said he was surprised TerBush kept targeting his side of the field after his series of pass breakups, but he said he didn’t mind.