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Fumble doesn't make Bennett's day a downer

November 20, 2011 at 5:51AM

EVANSTON, ILL. - Duane Bennett's worst moments have the odd effect of bringing out his best.

The Gophers running back lost a fumble for the second time this season Saturday, and the result was the same as last time: He took out his anger on himself for a moment, then let the defense have a taste of it, too.

Bennett ran for a season-high 127 yards on 23 carries, bouncing outside for double-digit gains five different times, a performance his coach said provided more than just yardage.

"I told everybody in the locker room, that kid showed a tremendous amount of courage," Jerry Kill said after the Gophers lost 28-13 to Northwestern at Ryan Field. "He fumbled, he's frustrated as heck, and then he came back and ran like a man possessed. To be honest, we need more kids to learn to fight back through adversity."

Of course, Bennett has done it before. His only other 100-yard game of the season came against Nebraska -- which, perhaps not so coincidentally, is when his only other fumble of the season came, too.

"I really beat myself up on the sideline, and then Coach Kill came over to me [and] said, 'You need to come back because we need you,' " Bennett said. "My mindset changed right away to, 'What can I do to help?' "

Bennett's first carry after his fumble was a 12-yard gain, and two plays later, he rushed for another 11.

"He didn't pout. He took the challenge," Kill said. "Sometimes we have youngsters make a mistake and they can't get over it. They make another one and another one. Duane taught us something today -- he messed up, goes back in and plays as hard as he can play. That's what growing up's all about."

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Bennett's big day -- the second-biggest of his career after a 187-yard performance against Middle Tennessee State last season -- gave him 2,062 yards for his career, with one game to play. He's the 13th Gophers running back to eclipse 2,000 yards.

"To have that under my belt is a real accomplishment," said the senior from St. Louis. "It's a milestone I'm happy to have accomplished, but I would take a win any day."

Interception is a rare sight Kim Royston remembers his first interception.

"It was here. It was [against] Northwestern," the Gophers senior safety said of that 2009 game. "I wish I could play Northwestern every day."

If it will produce more takeaways, the Gophers would probably agree. Royston's play on a Dan Persa pass in the second quarter was only the Gophers' fourth interception of the season, fewer than all but five teams in the nation, and their first in Big Ten play.

The Gophers' last pick? Troy Stoudermire, who has been sidelined by a fractured arm for two months, had it against Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 17.

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"It feels great," said Royston, though he pointed out that he had another interception waved off against New Mexico State when it was ruled -- incorrectly, the Big Ten later conceded -- pass interference.

Saturday, Royston was shadowing Jeremy Ebert near the sideline early in the second quarter when Persa rolled out to his left.

"I thought he was going to run, and he pulled up like he was going to throw it," Royston said. "It was coming straight to me, and the Northwestern guy was coming toward me, so I knew there was going to be a collision."

There was, but he held on. "It feels great," Royston said. "Everyone has to work together for things to happen."

Etc. Mark Lenkiewicz, a Gophers freshman from Chicago suburb Tinley Park, made his first start of the season at left tackle, filling in for banged-up sophomore Ed Olson. It was the Gophers' fifth starting offensive line of the season, this one with three freshmen. "They're doing a great job," quarterback MarQueis Gray said. "It's a good way to get them ready for next year."

• Bennett and Gray, who had 147 rushing yards, became the first pair of Gophers to rush for at least 100 yards in the same game since Alex Daniels had 155 yards and Amir Pinnix 114 in a 2006 victory over Kent State.

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• Representatives of the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl and Gator Bowl were on hand to watch Northwestern, now 6-5 after its fourth consecutive victory, become bowl-eligible for the fourth consecutive season.

• Attendance was only 26,215 on an overcast and breezy day, the smallest home crowd for a Big Ten team this season.

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about the writer

about the writer

Phil Miller

Reporter

Phil Miller has covered the Twins for the Minnesota Star Tribune since 2013. Previously, he covered the University of Minnesota football team, and from 2007-09, he covered the Twins for the Pioneer Press.

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