Turnovers doom Minnesota in Citrus Bowl

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla.

After a New Year’s Day bowl game drought of more than 50 years, Minnesota coach Jerry Kill was concerned about his team being nervous in its Citrus Bowl matchup with 16th-ranked Missouri.

The Golden Gophers weren’t tight at all, but after a 33-17 loss Thursday that featured several unforced errors, it’s clear there’s still progress to be made to become the program they want to be.

Marcus Murphy ran for 159 yards, Russell Hansbrough added 114 yards and a touchdown and the Tigers took advantage of three Minnesota turnovers to pull away in the second half.

Missouri (11-3) also held one of the nation’s top rushing offenses to 106 yards on its way to winning its third straight bowl game and reaching 11 victories for the fourth time in school history. Minnesota entered the game averaging nearly 225 yards on the ground.

“The bottom line is you can’t turn over the ball and win the turnover. I say that all the time,” Kill said. “The game flipped because of a couple of turnovers.”

The Tigers were led by game MVP Markus Golden, who finished with 10 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery. It helped Missouri’s offense settle in after from some early miscues.

“It’s a blessing to be a part of this team. Just to be out here playing,” Golden said. “One of the best days of my life.”

Kill said he thought his defense got a little tired down the stretch because of extra possessions given to the Tigers’ offense.

“We took advantage of some critical turnovers. It’s 23 [wins] — the best back-to-back seasons in Missouri history,” Tigers coach Gary Pinkel said. “You’re always judged when you have the most adversity and how you respond. And we did.”

Minnesota (8-5) trailed 19-17 entering the fourth quarter, but Missouri pulled away on Hansbrough’s 78-yard touchdown run and Maty Mauk’s 7-yard scoring pass to Bud Sasser.

Mauk settled down to throw two TD passes after interceptions on the Tigers’ first two possessions.