CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- Minnesota running back Thomas Hamner has a short and simple explanation for why he is having such a great year.

"I'm better because the team is better," he said.

Hamner rushed for his fourth 100-yard game this season, accumulating 184 yards and a touchdown in Minnesota's 37-7 win over Illinois Saturday.

The Gophers are looking for their first trip to a bowl game since 1986, and the victory improved them to 5-1 overall, 2-1 in the Big Ten.

Minnesota coach Glen Mason said the win was pivotal, since many people considered Illinois and Minnesota about equal entering the game.

"In losing programs, everybody talks about being a winner and going to a bowl game -- even though they might not talk about it internally, I know they think about it," Mason said.

"What I told the players is, 'You can wish and hope for it all you want, but you've got to do it. Here's you chance, going on the road to Champaign-Urbana.'"

Illinois (3-3, 0-3) lost its third game in a row and its sixth straight homecoming game before a crowd that started to leave in the third quarter after the weather became rainy and the game appeared decided.

"I was disappointed with everything," said Illinois coach Ron Turner. "There were two teams out there. One of them believed they could win, the other one didn't."

Quarterback Billy Cockerham added another 100 yards rushing for the Gophers, in addition to completing 9-of-15 passes for 95 yards and one touchdown, with no interceptions.

Minnesota scored on three straight possessions within eight minutes in the first half to go up 17-0 early in the second quarter.

The Gopher defense, ranked fourth in the nation entering the game, kept the Illini from closing the gap by breaking up passes, stopping the run, grabbing an interception to halt a lengthy Illinois drive in the second quarter and sacking quarterback Kurt Kittner three times at crucial junctures.

"They got a little life and we took it right back out of them," Mason said.

Minnesota, which had possession of the ball nine minutes longer than the Illini, finished with 367 yards rushing while holding Illinois to 145.

Kittner finished 19-of-45 with one interception and one touchdown for 180 yards.

Minnesota had marched 72 yards toward the goal line on its first possession of the game when Cockerham was sacked and fumbled the ball. The Illini recovered at their own 29 yard line.

But Illinois went three-and-out, and Luke Leverson returned the punt 74 yards to put Minnesota up 7-0.

Illinois went three-and-out again on the next possession, and Hamner had runs of 25, 12 and 2 yards before Cockerham hit Jermaine Mays with a 6-yard TD pass with 1:25 left in the first quarter.

Illinois went three-and-out again, and Minnesota's ensuing nine-play, 50-yard drive ended with a 26-yard field goal by Dan Nystrom to give the Gophers a 17-0 lead with 12 minutes to play in the half.

After its first possession of the game, Illinois did not earn a first down until less than 10 minutes were left in the first half.

The only Illini score came with 54 seconds left in the half when Kittner found Aaron Moorehead near the right sideline for a 32-yard touchdown pass to make it 17-7 at halftime.

Nystrom kicked a 25-yard field goal with under 10 minutes left in the third quarter, and six minutes later, Hamner ran 19 yards into the end zone to give the Gophers a 27-7 lead.

The final Minnesota scores came in the fourth quarter on 20-yard field goal by Nystrom and a 3-yard touchdown run by Hamner's back-up, Byron Evans, following runs of 21 and 18 yards.

"Obviously our defense is our strength," Cockerham said. "But the offensive line came out strong in the second half and allowed us to establish our running game."