Minnesota grinded out a 17-7 victory over Buffalo in coach P.J. Fleck’s first game.

Tyler Johnson had a 61-yard touchdown reception from Conor Rhoda in the first quarter to give the Gophers a spark. Johnson racked up 141 yards on six catches by halftime.

Rhoda and Demry Croft split time at quarterback, with mixed results. The Bulls fell to 0-8 in their history against Big Ten teams.