IOWA CITY, Iowa — James Vandenberg threw for 117 yards, fellow freshman Brandon Wegher ran for a touchdown, and No. 15 Iowa kept alive its hopes for a BCS bowl bid by beating Minnesota 12-0 today.

The victory gave the Hawkeyes (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten) double-digit wins for the first time since 2004, along with Floyd of Rosedale — a bronze pig awarded to the winner of the border rivalry — for the eighth time in nine tries.

It was only fitting that they awarded a hog after this one. Iowa and Minnesota combined for more punts (17) than points, and were only 5 of 33 on third-down conversions.

Iowa got field goals of 30 and 45 yards from Daniel Murray and a 1-yard TD run by Wegher. Its defense did the rest, stuffing the Gophers on four straight plays from the 2-yard line early in the fourth quarter to blank Minnesota for the second straight season.

Adam Weber was 14 of 40 for 153 yards for the Gophers (6-6, 3-5), who scored just seven points in road games against Penn State, Ohio State and the Hawkeyes.

The Gophers offense finally caught a break when Vandenberg fumbled a snap that was recovered at Iowa's 29-yard line with 13:40 left. They got as far as the 2 after a pass interference call in the end zone on Iowa's Shaun Prater, but the Hawkeyes stopped a pair of runs and a pass before sacking Weber on fourth down.

Minnesota's final shot came on fourth-and-10 at the Iowa 22 with 6:30 left, but Adrian Clayborn forced Weber out of the pocket and his pass into heavy coverage fell incomplete.

Though the Gophers outgained the Hawkeyes 201-171, they went 4 of 20 on third down and failed to convert on two trips inside Iowa's red zone.

Murray's 45-yard field goal early in the third quarter put the Hawkeyes ahead 12-0. They kept a Minnesota drive alive after being called for roughing Minnesota's Blake Haudan, but Iowa stuffed Jon Hoese on fourth-and-1 at the Iowa 34 late in the third quarter.

Minnesota committed three turnovers in the first half. Iowa wasn't much better, gaining just 129 yards, but Wegher's leaping touchdown run with 52 seconds left made it 9-0.

Minnesota's first solid drive ended on a muffed snap, which Iowa's Bruce Davis recovered at his own 17 early in the second quarter. Weber followed an intentional grounding penalty with another fumble, this time at the Hawkeyes 48.

The Gophers got the ball back when Vandenberg's long third-down toss was picked off in the end zone by Marcus Sherels, but MarQueis Gray threw a pick after taking a handoff from Weber with 3:44 left in the first half, and Iowa capitalized with Wegher's plunge.

Minnesota called its final timeout of the half before Murray's extra-point try, a move that appeared curious at best until the Gophers blocked the kick.

Murray's 30-yard field goal gave Iowa a 3-0 lead on the game's first series. It turned out to be the Hawkeyes longest scoring drive of the day

Robinson, who missed two games with an ankle injury, left after taking a big hit midway through the second quarter and did not return.

Iowa struggled to run the ball without Robinson, with Wegher gaining just 26 yards on 15 carries. But after drubbing Minnesota 55-0 in the Metrodome last season, the Hawkeyes leaned on a stellar defensive effort to give coach Kirk Ferentz his fourth 10-win season.