MINNEAPOLIS (AP) John Nestor had a pick-six on the game’s first offensive play and Minnesota Golden Gophers scored five first-quarter touchdowns en route to overwhelming FCS Northwestern State Demons 66-0 Saturday.

With severe weather in the area, the game ended with 6:15 left in the fourth quarter.

Minnesota amassed 484 yards of offense and scored its most points in a game since 2001.

“We knew it was about us this afternoon. We knew we had to start fast, accelerate in the middle and finish strong. Our players accomplished that,” coach P.J. Fleck said.

Drake Lindsey was 8 of 9 for 139 yards in his five series. Nine receivers had catches and 10 running backs had carries, led by Grant Washington’s 126 yards.

However, Minnesota’s top ballcarrier left the game early with an apparent injury.

Darius Taylor ran out of bounds and immediately reached for the back of his right leg and fell to the ground. He gingerly walked back to the bench but did not return. The junior ran for 141 yards in a season-opening 23-10 win over Buffalo.

“It doesn’t seem too bad,” Fleck said.

His presence was not needed against the Demons, who ended a 20-game losing streak by beating Alcorn State Aug. 28 and were playing a Big Ten foe for the first time in school history.

Six seconds into the game, Nestor jumped an out route and returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown. A.J. Turner and Le’Meke Brockington had short rushing scores to make it 21-0 Minnesota less than 10 minutes into the game.

“Games like that are going to happen sometimes and that’s when you got to take advantage of it,” Lindsey said.

Matt Kingsbury returned a fumble 25 yards to the end zone to make it 35-0 before the first quarter expired. The 35 points is the highest in any quarter by Minnesota since at least 1973, per the school.

Eight Gophers scored first-half touchdowns and Brady Denaburg had a 27-yard field goal for a 59-0 halftime lead.

Northwestern State finished with 42 yards of offense and two first downs.

Minnesota has allowed 183 total yards to opponents through two games.

Nestor finished with two interceptions Saturday, Kingsbury recovered two fumbles, the Gophers had six tackles for loss and two sacks.

“All of us as a defense throughout the whole game really set the tone and kept raising our standard throughout the whole game,” Nestor said. “… We can go toe-to-toe against anybody in the country.”

Northwestern State: Badly overmatched in the trenches, the Demons’ first nine offensive series resulted in two fumbles, two interceptions and five three-and-outs.

Minnesota: How is Darius Taylor? He missed the 2024 season opener and seven games in 2023 because of hamstring injuries.

Northwestern State is at Cincinnati next Saturday.

Minnesota plays its first road game of the season next Saturday at California.

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