By Andres Ybarra
The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS - Terry Jackson II and Thomas Tapeh combined for 415 yards rushing and Benji Kamrath threw for 101 yards in his first full game at quarterback as Minnesota held off a late Northwestern rally for a 45-42 victory Thursday night.

Jackson ran for 239 yards on 37 carries and two touchdowns - his first career multiple-touchdown game. The sophomore running back's second score, a 2-yard run with 6:06 left in the third quarter, gave the Gophers (6-1, 2-1 Big Ten) a 21-point lead.

He had a 39-yard run on Minnesota's next drive to help set up a 37-yard field goal by Dan Nystrom that made it 45-21.

But Northwestern (2-5, 0-3) scored 21 points in the fourth quarter. Jason Wright ran for a 32-yard touchdown and the Wildcats pulled within 45-42 with 4:12 left in the game.

The Gophers kept it on the ground for their final drive and ran the clock out before any more damage could be done.

Tapeh finished with 176 yards and one touchdown. Kamrath, who in August took the first snap of the season for Minnesota on a trick play, started in place of quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq, who had been bothered by a sore ankle this week.

Kamrath was 6-of-9 and threw two TDs.

Jermaine Mays returned his second blocked punt for a touchdown in as many weeks for Minnesota. Mays, who recovered a blocked punt in the end zone against Illinois last week, came streaking in from the right side to block Brian Huffman's kick from the 13-yard line in the second quarter. Mays picked up the ball and ran it in from 9 yards to give Minnesota a 28-21 halftime lead.

Northwestern's Brett Basanez was 21-of-35 for 216 yards, 144 in the first half. He threw for one touchdown and ran for another.

Wright led Northwestern with 148 yards on 21 carries.

Basanez found Jon Schweinghardt from 34 yards out in the fourth quarter to make it 45-27. The quarterback ran for a 1-yard score with 6:18 left to pull the Wildcats to 45-34. Then, the Gophers failed to move the ball and Northwestern took over at the Minnesota 43 with 4:33 left to set up Wright's score.