=================================== IOWA 12, MINNESOTA 0 -------------------- By LUKE MEREDITH AP Sports Writer IOWA CITY, Iowa(AP) -- Freshman James Vandenberg threw for 117 yards, and 15th-ranked Iowa kept its hopes for a BCS bowl bid alive by beating Minnesota 12-0 on Saturday.

The win 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 Brandon 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.