MINNEAPOLIS — — Kaleb Johnson rushed for a career-high 206 yards and three touchdowns, with two scores in a dominant third quarter that powered Iowa past Minnesota for a 31-14 victory, returning the bronze trophy to the Hawkeyes Saturday night.

Last year, the Gophers watched in dismay as Floyd of Rosedale, Iowa, fell to a controversial 12-10 loss, but the Hawkeyes (3-1, 1-0) had a great game in the Big Ten season opener on the home court of their border state rival.

Johnson’s NCAA-leading four-game rushing total jumped to 685 yards after the junior tailback turned a dominant performance from Iowa’s offensive line into a personal highlight tape. Johnson had just 21 carries, and made the most of it, outrunning the Gophers to the edges on some runs and breaking a couple of tackles as he crossed the line of scrimmage on others.

Iowa surpassed 200 rushing yards for the fourth straight game, the program’s longest streak since 2013. It was a standout game against a Minnesota defense that had twice shut out Rhode Island and Nevada.

The Gophers (2-2, 0-1) clearly dominated the first half, taking a 14-7 lead on touchdown passes from Max Brosmer to Jameson Geers and Elijah Spencer. The Hawkeyes’ lone score came on a 38-yard drive, thanks to a diving interception by linebacker Jay Higgins in the first quarter.

Iowa then punted four straight times and went into halftime with just 107 total yards. Cade McNamara, who finished 11 of 19 for 62 yards, struggled to find a rhythm and saw several throws deflect off receivers’ hands while luckily avoiding any interceptions.

But the Hawkeyes took the second-half kickoff and scored on five plays. McNamara began with a bootleg completion to tight end Addison Ostrenga for 20 yards. Johnson did the rest, aided by a late hit penalty on Gophers linebacker Cody Lindenberg as he ran out of bounds, setting up a 15-yard gift.

Iowa, which lost at home to its other rival, Iowa State, two weeks ago, avoided back-to-back losses to Minnesota for the first time since 2010-11.

The takeaway meal

Iowa: Overshadowed by the line-of-scrimmage dominance on offense, there was solid work from the Hawkeyes front, which limited the Gophers to 79 rushing yards. When Iowa last played here two years ago, Mohamed Ibrahim rushed 39 times for 263 yards for Minnesota.

Minnesota: On the bright side for the Gophers is Brosmer, the sixth-year transfer from New Hampshire, who has helped them build their best passing attack in five seasons. He went 17 for 26 for 165 yards and the two scores before halftime, matching the most first-half completions since coach P.J. Fleck arrived in 2017.

Next

Iowa: Plays at Ohio State on Oct. 5. The Buckeyes, ranked No. 3 in this week’s Associated Press poll, have won their last eight home games in the series. The Hawkeyes last won at Ohio Stadium in 1991.

Minnesota: Plays at Michigan on Sept. 28. The Wolverines, who were ranked No. 18 in the final AP poll before beating No. 11 USC on Saturday, haven’t hosted the Gophers since a 33-10 win in 2017.

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