One pass attempt. That was all Minnetonka senior running back Caleb Francois had accumulated in the first four games of this season.

Francois returned to his old position Friday when he replaced injured starting quarterback Caden Gutzmer, but he didn’t have to rely much on his arm.

Francois’ only pass was intercepted on the opening drive and run back for a touchdown, but he leaned into his strength — running with the football —to lead Minnetonka in a 21-14 win over Eden Prairie.

The Iowa State commit rushed for 267 yards and three touchdowns, including a 20-yard touchdown with 2:33 left in the fourth quarter, to give the No. 2-ranked team in Class 6A its first victory against Eden Prairie since 2004.

“We had that in the back of our mind all week,” Francois said about the lengthy losing streak. “I spun off and saw I had the touchdown, so I dove in. The emotions were flying after that.”

With Gutzmer out indefinitely because of a knee strain, Francois provided exactly what the Skippers (5-0) needed.

“The interception was a game-changing play, but our kids showed resilience,” Skippers coach Mark Esch said. “We just approached it as they have to stop us on the ground, and they didn’t have a lot of success doing that.”

Francois, 6-1 and 190 pounds, is one of Minnesota’s most dynamic rushing threats — and it doesn’t matter from what position.

From the quarterback position he played last season, Francois entered the season as the state’s leading returning rusher with 1,624 yards and 24 touchdowns. He was on pace for more yards on the ground this season. His average was 168 yards per game entering Friday, but he eclipsed that with 185 yards in the first half.

Eden Prairie returned the interception for a 60-yard touchdown on the opening drive, but Francois responded with an electrifying 66-yard run to tie the score. On the next possession, the Eagles tried a nine-man front to stop the run, but Francois broke free for a 53-yard scoring run to make it 14-7.

The teams had a combined four pass attempts in the first half, but Eden Prairie’s Braden Minta scored on a 12-yard catch for a 14-14 halftime score.

Following Francois’ scoring run in the fourth quarter, the Eagles reached the opposing 10-yard line on a 17-yard catch by Cooper Fahning, but the Skippers forced three straight incomplete passes as time expired.

“We didn’t make the last play, but the game could’ve gone in any direction,” Eden Prairie coach Mike Grant said. “Caleb is a great player. We were right there. What are you going to do?”

In 2023, Francois took over as the signal caller when Skippers starter Milos Spasojevic was injured. Francois was the starting QB in a 21-20 loss at Eden Prairie last season.

Minnetonka senior Quinton Restrepo and Francois combined for more than 350 yards rushing against Eden Prairie.

“It’s a surreal thing to experience,” Restrepo said about the victory. “Our coach tells us to just win and focus on every play. So that’s what we’re focusing on and ultimately to win a state championship.”

Esch told his players Friday would be a “playoff-type atmosphere,” but he didn’t mention anything about Minnetonka’s losing streak in the series.

“They are bigger and stronger than we were, but we held up enough to win the game,” he said. “Where was I in 2004? I was an offensive line coach in Austin, Minnesota.”