The recap: In amassing a season-high 54 points and improving to 5-5, the Gophers overwhelmed Nebraska by rushing for 409 yards, including 183 and three touchdowns from quarterback Demry Croft, 134 from running back Rodney Smith and 93 and three TDs from running back Kobe McCrary. Smith set the tone for the day right away, returning the opening kickoff 100 yards for a TD, and he finished with 279 all-purpose yards. The Gophers bolted to a 30-14 halftime lead, and their 54 points were their most against Nebraska since a 61-7 victory in Lincoln in 1945.

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An argument for the defense

While the Gophers offense moved the ball at will against the Cornhuskers, the defense came up big, too. Nebraska went 5-for-14 on third-down conversions and 2-for-6 on fourth-down conversions. No stop was bigger than the Huskers' first fourth-down attempt, when Gophers safety Duke McGhee stuffed running back Mikale Wilbon for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-1 from the Minnesota 6. The Gophers were up 14-7, and the momentum gained from the stop led to Croft's 73-yard touchdown run five plays later. "Those are game-changing plays,'' Gophers safety Jacob Huff said. "… It's huge for the whole team, and when you're able to make those stops, more things happen that are good. It puts you in a great situation.''

Hard times for Huskers

The loss dropped Nebraska to 4-6 and put the Huskers' bowl hopes on life support. Nebraska needs victories at Penn State on Saturday and at home vs. Iowa on Nov. 24 to avoid missing a bowl for the first time since 2007. The Huskers also need a victory to avoid their first four-win season since 1960. "It started bad and went from there,'' Nebraska coach Mike Riley said. "The opening kickoff was really a setback for us. It didn't have to be a killer.''

Injury update

Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said on WCCO Radio on Sunday that center Jared Weyler, who aggravated a foot injury last week at Michigan, is out for the season. Fleck also said team doctors are very confident that sophomore safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who hasn't played since early in the Sept. 30 game against Maryland, will qualify for a medical redshirt and retain a year of eligibility. "It'd be nice to have Antoine Winfield Jr. around for three more years,'' Fleck said.

Up next: Northwestern

11 a.m. Saturday, Ryan Field, Evanston, Ill. TV: BTN

The skinny: Seemingly left for dead after a 2-3 start, including losses to Wisconsin and Penn State to open Big Ten play, Northwestern is the hottest team in the conference not based in Madison, Wis. The Wildcats (7-3, 5-2 Big Ten) sit alone in second place in the West following their 23-13 victory over Purdue on Saturday, a triumph that ran their winning streak to five games. Clayton Thorson passed for 296 yards and a touchdown, and Northwestern was stout on defense, too, holding Purdue to 40 rushing yards on 22 carries. The 10-point margin of victory was a refreshing change for the Wildcats, who won their previous three games — against Iowa, Michigan State and Nebraska — in overtime, becoming the first FBS team to have such a streak.

Randy Johnson