By JOHN AKERS
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS - Tellis Redmon ran for 183 yards on 31 carries and caught three passes for 116 yards as Minnesota beat No. 22 Illinois 44-10 on Saturday.

Redmon rushed for 151 yards in the first half. Travis Cole added 82 yards on 13 carries and completed 8 of 13 passes for 170 yards over three quarters.

Minnesota stifled the Illini offense, which was limited to a 35-yard field goal by Steve Fitts in the second quarter and a 21-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Dustin Ward to Eric McGoey with 35 seconds remaining. Minnesota scored the game's first 28 points and led 28-3 at halftime.

The outcome easily was the best performance of the season for the Gophers (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten), who were coming off a 38-24 loss at Purdue, and the worst by the Fighting Illini (3-2, 1-1), who lost 35-31 to Michigan last week.

On a second-quarter possession, the Gophers continually ran Redmon inside and dared the Illini to stop him. Redmon carried the ball on all six downs of a drive that began at the 50 and ended with his 3-yard touchdown. Redmon also had a 25-yard touchdown run later in the second quarter. He set up a 19-yard field goal by Dan Nystrom in the third quarter by running 62 yards along the right sideline after catching a short pass from Cole.

As the game wore on, the quarterback controversy at Minnesota shifted to running back. Redmon, who broke the 100-yard rushing barrier midway through the second quarter, returned to the starting job he had lost when redshirt Thomas Tapeh gained 183 yards against Baylor because of Tapeh's foot injury.

Cole, a junior-college transfer, took over the starting job from redshirt freshman Asad Abdul-Khaliq after passing for 180 yards in mop-up duty against Purdue last week. Abdul-Khaliq entered the game in the fourth quarter, with the Gophers leading 34-3.

Cole scored the Gophers' two first-quarter touchdowns, sweeping left for 28 yards and following his center on a 1-yard burst. He scrambled for a 21-yard gain on the second touchdown drive.

Illinois' Kurt Kittner, hurried most of the afternoon, completed only 13 of 34 passes for 103 yards. Gophers defensive tackle Mike Anderle deflected five of Kittner's passes.

In the fourth quarter, Gophers cornerback Trevis Graham intercepted a pass from Ward and returned it 71 yards for a touchdown.

Nystrom kicked three field goals for the Gophers.

The outcome was similar to Minnesota's 37-7 victory over the Illini last season. The Gophers, led by Thomas Hamner's 184 yards rushing, gained 367 yards rushing against the Illini one year ago.