BTN.com staff, October 27, 2012

Freshman Philip Nelson threw three touchdown passes in the first half of his second college start for Minnesota, and the Gophers breezed to their first Big Ten victory of the season by beating Purdue 44-28 on Saturday afternoon.

Nelson led Minnesota (5-3, 1-3 Big Ten) to touchdowns on four straight possessions while the Gophers averaged almost 10 yards per play. He completed 12 straight passes in one stretch and had all 246 of his yards in the first half on the way to a 34-7 lead, more points than Minnesota had in any game last year.

Purdue's Caleb TerBush was pulled for Robert Marve in the third quarter for Purdue (3-5, 0-4) after finishing 5 for 18 for 49 yards and an interception that Michael Carter returned 43 yards for a score.

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FINAL: Philip Nelson threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns, leading Minnesota to a 44-28 victory over Purdue on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium. Home run plays keyed the Golden Gophers' scoring attack. Minnesota had eight plays of 20 yards or more on its way to victory.

With 10:34 to go in the second quarter, Nelson tossed a 63-yard touchdown to A.J. Barker, the Golden Gophers' longest play on the day. The score gave Minnesota a 28-7 lead.

The Boilermakers' Antavian Edison was productive despite the team loss. He scored one touchdown and snagged six passes, good for 60 receiving yards.

The Golden Gophers racked up 455 total yards. Minnesota's rushing attack contributed 209 yards on 40 carries in addition to Nelson's passing effort.

Robert Marve threw for 98 yards while completing 11 of 19 passes for Purdue. Marve tossed two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Boilermakers finished with 372 total yards, including 191 yards passing while completing 21 of 43 attempts. Rushing was a key ingredient in Purdue's offensive mix, bringing it 181 yards on 34 carries.

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