MINNEAPOLIS _ As coaching debuts go, P.J. Fleck's first game at Minnesota will not go down as an artistic masterpiece.
Think of it more as "Dogs Playing Poker" _ something you might hang in the man cave but nothing you'd like fancy company to see.
Sure, Fleck's Gophers gutted out a 17-7 victory over Buffalo in front of announced crowd of 43,224 on Thursday night at TCF Bank Stadium.
And pair of sophomores _ Tyler Johnson on offense and Antoine Winfield Jr. on defense _ showed they could be budding stars with their big plays.
But those who anticipated an easy win and a high-energy celebration of a new regime likely went home only partially satisfied. Instead, they got a tight, grind-it-out victory, nothing that will move the needle but something that at least ended up in the win column.
Senior quarterback Conor Rhoda got the starting nod for the Gophers, and he took the first three possessions and four overall in the first half, while sophomore Demry Croft, listed as a co-starter, had two. Both led touchdown drives. Rhoda developed a strong connection with Johnson, who caught six passes for 141 and a TD in the first half.
Rhoda hit Brandon Lingen for a 13-yard gain on his first play. After the drive stalled on three runs, the Gophers pinned Buffalo deep and forced a three-and-out.
Rhoda then wasted little time putting Minnesota up 7-0.
His second-down pass found Johnson on a deep slant, and the sophomore from Minneapolis leaped to catch it, and sped past the Buffalo defense for a 61-yard TD play.
Buffalo went to a hurry-up attack on the next possession and drove to the Gophers' 23-yard line but Adam Mitcheson missed a 40-yard field goal attempt.
Buffalo forced a three-and-out and then struck quickly to tie the score. Jackson hit Anthony Johnson for 50 yards down the sideline and then 16 yards for the TD with 4:37 left in the first quarter.
The Gophers then turned to Croft, whose sharp passing started a 10-play, 64-yard drive that ended with Shannon Brooks powering in from the 1 for a 14-7 Gophers lead. Croft hit Eric Carter for a 23-yard gain and Demetrius Douglas for a 6-yarder. From there, Minnesota used three runs by Smith and four by Brooks to regain the lead.
On its next possession, Buffalo went for a long flea flicker from Jackson to KJ Osborn deep in Gophers territory, but the ball arrived late and Winfield recovered in time to break up the play.
On the Gophers' next possession, Croft hit Tyler Johnson for an 8-yard gain on third down, and a Buffalo facemask after an 8-yard run by Smith set up Minnesota in Bulls territory. But three runs gained six yards, and Emmitt Carpenter missed a 50-yard field goal attempt.
Aided by a roughing the passer penalty, Buffalo drove to the Gophers' 16, but Winfield blocked Mitcheson's 33-yard field goal attempt.
Rhoda returned for his fourth drive, and promptly hit Tyler Johnson for back-to-back gains of 17 and 22 yards. A 14-yard pass to Johnson followed, and then a 19-yarder to Johnson brought the Gophers to the Buffalo 10. But Rhoda threw behind Lingen on third-and-goal from the 5, and Buffalo's Cameron Lewis intercepted the pass with 1:34 left in the half.
The Gophers, with Croft back in to start the third quarter, quickly went in reverse with a pair of holding penalties and one that Buffalo declined. That drive ended quickly, and Croft's next one fizzled at Minnesota's 42.
Rhoda came back in the game on the Gophers' next possession of the third quarter, but not to pass. The Gophers handed off to Smith or Brooks seven straight times before the drive stalled.
Fleck appeared to be playing to grind out the victory, and on the Gophers' next possession, early in the fourth quarter, the plan worked _ to point. The Gopher methodically drove down to the Bulls' 18, with Rhoda hitting a couple of sharp passes and Brooks and Smith earning tough yards. But Carpenter missed a 36-yard field goal attempt, and his two misses Thursday matched his season total from last year.
But Minnesota's defense was stout for the rest of the fourth quarter, and the Smith and Brooks combo began to wear down the Bulls. The Gophers drove to the Bulls' 26, but Brooks came up just short on a third-and-3 after a video review, and Fleck sent in Carpenter, who redeemed himself with a 43-yard field goal with 2:05 left.
The Gophers next game is Sept. 9, a late one in Corvallis, Ore., against Oregon State at 9 p.m. The Gophers beat the Beavers in last year's season opener, 30-23, at TCF Bank Stadium in Tracy Claeys' first (and only) season-opener as Gophers head coach.
