MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota has quite the 1-2-3 punch in its running game this season.The Gophers hit Colorado State with two of them all afternoon and completed nonconference play unbeaten.Rodney Smith rushed 17 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns and Shannon Brooks returned from injury to net 85 yards and a score on 13 carries, helping Minnesota wear down the Rams on the way to a 31-24 victory on Saturday.Theyre both awfully good, coach Tracy Claeys said of his sophomore tailback tandem, so it doesnt matter which way it ends up.Brooks, the teams leading rusher last season, missed the first two games because of a broken foot. Kobe McCrary, who piled up 176 yards rushing two weeks ago against Indiana State, rushed for 13 yards on four carries.They had fresh legs coming in all the time, Rams safety Jake Schlager said, adding, They definitely used it to their advantage.Factor in quarterback Mitch Leidner, who took off 10 times for 50 yards and a touchdown, and the Gophers (3-0) have their running game going just the way they want it entering Big Ten play.Leidner is looking as spry as ever after suffering foot injuries in each of the last two Septembers that hampered his sophomore and junior years. He made some cuts and jukes for extra yardage that made Brooks and Smith proud.Ive never been healthy coming out of the nonconference so it feels really good, said Leidner, who completed 16 of 20 passes for 174 yards .Freshman Collin Hill, making his second start at quarterback for the Rams (2-2), cut Colorado States deficit to seven points with a 15-yard toss to Michael Gallup with 6:24 remaining. The Gophers followed with a three-and-out, but Hills fourth-down pass at the Minnesota 45 around the 2-minute mark was broken up by Adekunle Ayinde to quash the comeback.The Rams, who started three different quarterbacks over the first three games, have come a long way since a 44-7 loss to Colorado in their opener.I believe were close to becoming a pretty good football team, coach Mike Bobo said.Leidners underthrow toward the sideline was intercepted near midfield by Braylin Scott in the final minute of the first half, but Wyatt Bryan missed a 46-yard field goal as the clock expired to preserve a 17-7 lead for the Gophers.THE TAKEAWAYMinnesota: The Gophers were far from flawless, particularly on defense while giving up 11 gains of 15-plus yards, but they did precisely what they needed to do by entering conference play unscathed.Colorado State: Hill finished 15 for 30 for 182 yards and one touchdown with an interception and a fumble that led to 14 points for Minnesota, after a sharp debut against FCS foe Northern Colorado. The experience playing at a Big Ten stadium ought to help his development.FINISHING STRONGEmmit Carpenter, who has not missed a kick this season, made a 28-yard field goal in the second quarter. Thats the only time in 14 trips inside the 20-yard line the Gophers havent crossed the goal line.Once you get down there, its tough to stop Rodney, Shannon and Kobe, Leidner said. Thats a lot of horsepower coming at you.FEELING THE PRESSURESteven Richardson, who had four of Minnesotas 14 tackles for loss, sacked Hill on the first play from scrimmage. Hill absorbed several hard hits on the afternoon, none more jarring than the sack by Taiyon Devers that knocked the ball loose and his helmet off to give the Gophers possession at the Colorado State 33.Devers, one of four true freshmen who played on defense, has forced a fumble on all three of his sacks just 2 1/2 games into his college career.Collin hadnt played any speed like that, Bobo said.UP NEXTColorado State: The Rams host Wyoming in their Mountain West opener for the Bronze Boot, the trophy that has gone to CSU for three straight years. This game is the only trip for the Rams outside of Colorado for the first six weeks of the season.Minnesota: The Gophers play their first Big Ten game at Penn State. 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Cote helped running back Jon Cornish run for a league-high 1,813 rushing yards en route to being named the leagues most outstanding player.New Zealand 309 for 4 (Satterthwaite 137*, Martin 65) beat Pakistan 142 for 4 (34.2 overs) (Abidi 45, Khan 33, Bates 2-21) by 60 runs (D/L)Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAmy Satterthwaites 117-ball 137 powered New Zealand women to 309 for 4 - their sixth highest total in ODIs - before Pakistan womens chase was interrupted by rain in the 35th over to give the home side a victory by 60 runs in Lincoln, by the D/L method.After New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat, captain Suzie Bates (34) and Rachel Priest (27) put on 53 for the first wicket. They were dismissed within 15 runs of each other, before Satterthwaite and Katey Martin put together a 150-run partnership, New Zealands highest for the third wicket. Martins 65 - her third half-century in four matches - was followed by Sophie Devines 29-ball 34 as New Zealand scored 91 runs in their last 10 overs.Four Pakistan bowlers went for over six runs per over, and nine wides were conceded in the innings. Maham Tariq, Sana Mir and Sadia Yousuf took a wicket each.Pakistans chase was pegged with Ayesha Zafars dismissal in the fourth over, before rain stopped play. After play resumed, Nahida Khan (33) and Nain Abidi (45) stitched together a 76-run partnership for the second wicket, before they were both dismissed in successive overs as Pakistan slumped from 85 for 1 to 85 for 3. Bates bowled Nidaa Dar soon after, to pick up her second victim, but rain intervened again in the 35th over bringing the game to a close with Pakistan on 142 for 4 - 61 runs behind the D/L-adjusted target of 203.ddddddddddddSatterthwaite, whose score was the fourth-highest by New Zealand woman cricketer, said she kept track of such milestones but did not get carried away with them. Im certainly aware of them - anyone who knows me, knows I look at the stats a little bit, but its not something I tend to hold on to, Satterthwaite said. You just want to go out and perform your role and if that means you end up with a milestone then its an added bonus.Satterthwaite credited her rich vein of form to a more relaxed approach. I think probably being nice and relaxed is something Ive worked on in domestic cricket. I wanted to be relaxed and focus on my strengths and what I can do. And then if a bowler bowls a bad one, you hit it.The win gave New Zealand a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. The results of the next three matches will count towards points for the Womens Championship, in which New Zealand are currently fourth and Pakistan seventh. The top four teams in the Championship will gain direct entry into next years World Cup in England. ' ' '