MUSIC CITY BOWL Gophers upset ranked Arkansas

It was Minnesota's first bowl game win since the 1985 Independence Bowl.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The Minnesota Golden Gophers showed they can be dangerous when they have time to rest and prepare.
Dan Nystrom tied an NCAA record with five field goals and the defense forced three turnovers as Minnesota upset No. 25 Arkansas 29-14 Monday in the Music City Bowl for the Golden Gophers' first bowl victory since 1985.
"I'm a happy coach today," Glen Mason said. "It has been a while since I've been a happy coach."
Ups and downs
The Golden Gophers had plenty of reasons to give up on this season. They pulled together after the death of redshirt freshman Brandon Hall in September and were 7-1 for their best start since 1961 before being blown out in their final four regular-season games.
Tight end Ben Utecht said Minnesota spent the past month preparing to win its first bowl game since the 1985 Independence Bowl.
"We finally played our 'A' game. When we play our 'A' game, we are a pretty tough team to beat," Utecht said.
The Golden Gophers (8-5) turned in just their second eight-victory season since 1967. Both have come under Mason, his only winning seasons since taking over in 1997.
Arkansas coach Houston Nutt wasn't as pleased.
His Razorbacks (9-5) had hoped to finish with their first 10-win season since 1989 and atone for a 30-3 loss to Georgia in the Southeastern Conference championship game. But the Razorbacks looked nothing like the team that won the SEC's Western Division with six straight victories.
Frustration
"We're better than that," Nutt said. "We didn't perform like we should have. We didn't know where we were on the field defensively. We're usually so aggressive."
The Razorbacks are 10-20-3 in bowl games, including 1-10 in their last 11. The SEC remains winless in five games at this bowl.
"I'm just frustrated right now," Arkansas safety Ken Hamlin said. "I don't like losing. We have to start a tradition of winning bowl games."
Arkansas went 74 yards on the opening drive, and quarterback Matt Jones tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to George Wilson. Then the SEC's best rushing team kept passing, throwing 40 passes and rushing only 31 times for 80 yards, well below the Razorbacks' average of 226.9 yards per game.
Credit the Golden Gophers. A young defense with only one senior starter held Arkansas to 288 yards, while Minnesota rolled up 434 yards in holding the ball for more than 38 minutes.
"Unfortunately, that is usually how it is for us," said Minnesota cornerback Michael Lehan, who had two interceptions. "It takes some time for us to get into our game. The offense did a good job driving and putting points on the board."
Minnesota quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq threw for 216 yards and a touchdown, and Thomas Tapeh had 19 carries for 99 yards and scored on a 33-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Arkansas stopped the Golden Gophers repeatedly near the goal line, forcing Minnesota to send out Nystrom over and over. He gave Minnesota a 12-7 halftime lead with kicks of 24, 45, 21 and 22 yards and added a 29-yarder in the fourth.