New Hampshire kicks off the Gophers 2012 home schedule.
Five Things You Need To Know
1. Minnesota opens its home schedule of the 2012 college football season against the New Hampshire Wildcats. The Gophers, who beat UNLV 30-27 in triple overtime on the road on Aug. 30, have never faced the Wildcats. Prior to last Thursday, the Gophers had never played UNLV either. This is the first time since 2003 that Minnesota is beginning a season playing two opponents it has never played before. The Gophers opened 2003 with home wins against Tulsa (49-10) and Troy State (48-7).
2. Minnesota’s 30-27 triple overtime win at UNLV on Aug. 30 was Minnesota third overtime game to start a season in the last six years. The Gophers posted a 23-20 overtime victory at Syracuse to begin 2009, but fell 32-31 at home against Bowling Green in 2007. The last time Minnesota opened the season with two consecutive overtime games was 2007. After losing to Bowling Green to open the season, the Gophers bounced with a 41-35 triple overtime win against Miami (Ohio) in the second week of the season.
3. Senior quarterback MarQueis Gray accounted for 337 yards of total offense (68 rushing, 269 passing) against UNLV. That is the most yards for a Minnesota starting quarterback in the first game of the season since Tim Schade racked up 536 total yards (58 rushing, 478 passing) in a 38-20 season-opening loss at No. 17 Penn State in 1993. Gray’s 68 rushing yards were the most in the first game of the season for a Minnesota quarterback since Adam Weber scampered for 72 yards in the 2007 overtime loss to Bowling Green. Gray’s 269 passing yards were the most by a Gopher quarterback in the first game of the season since Bryan Cupito tossed for 279 yards in 63-21 win against Toledo in 2004.
4. The Gophers had three interceptions at UNLV on Aug. 30 after having four interceptions all of last season. The last time Minnesota picked off three passes in one game was Sept. 20, 2008 (span of 59 games), when it made four interceptions in a 37-3 win against Florida Atlantic.
5. Minnesota’s 30-27 triple overtime win at UNLV on Aug. 30 was the first road win for the Gophers with Jerry Kill as their head coach. Minnesota was 0-5 on the road last year under Kill. It was also the Gophers first road win since a 38-34 victory at Illinois on Nov. 13, 2010.
A Gopher Victory would …
• the team’s ninth win all-time at TCF Bank Stadium.
• be Minnesota’s second ever win at a home opener at TCF Bank Stadium (other was a 20-13 win against Air Force on
Sept. 12, 2009).
• improve Jerry Kill’s record at TCF Bank Stadium to 4-4.
• be Minnesota’s second straight win at home (Gophers ended 2011 with a 27-7 home win against Illinois).
• snap a two-game losing streak to Division I FCS teams.
• get the team off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2009.
• be the program’s 648th victory.
A Gopher Loss would …
• be Minnesota’s first of the season.
• mark the third straight year that Minnesota lost its home opener (2011 lost to New Mexico State 28-21 and in 2010
lost to South Dakota 41-38.
• be Minnesota’s third straight to a Division I FCS team (2011 lost to North Dakota State 37-24 and in 2010 lost to
South Dakota 41-38).
• be the program’s 462nd loss.