Media Prediction Thread: Minnesota at Northwestern

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BleedGopher

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CFN is first out of the gate:

Minnesota vs Northwestern Who Will Win​

Northwestern has to find consistency on offense that might not be there early on. Minnesota needs to run, run, and keep running.

Rutgers wasn’t effective on the ground against Northwestern, but it kept trying. That was just enough to control the game in the 24-7 win. That’s what the Gophers will do.

They’ll try to spread things around with Kaliakmanis trying to get hot early, but they don’t have to worry about getting into a firefight like they did against North Carolina. They won't take any chances.

Minnesota 27, Northwestern 16


Go Gophers!!
 

College Football News has Minnesota winning 27-16
Northwestern has to find consistency on offense that might not be there early on. Minnesota needs to run, run, and keep running.

Rutgers wasn’t effective on the ground against Northwestern, but it kept trying. That was just enough to control the game in the 24-7 win. That’s what the Gophers will do.

They’ll try to spread things around with Kaliakmanis trying to get hot early, but they don’t have to worry about getting into a firefight like they did against North Carolina. They won't take any chances.

Cappers Picks is going with Minnesota, 27-17
After struggling to move the ball in the passing game against North Carolina, I’m not expecting much from Minnesota this week.

After putting up 14 vs. Duke last week I’m expecting the [Northwestern] to keep making strides this week.
They won’t go down without a “small” fight. I’m picking the Gophers by 10.

The Daily Gopher has a prediction out, with Minnesota winning 23-10
It’s a safe bet Gopher running back Darius Taylor will get a lot of work on Saturday. Northwestern has allowed at least 100 rushing yards in each of their first three games. After getting gashed on the ground by Duke last week, the Wildcats are allowing an average of 164.7 rushing yards per game, which ranks 102nd nationally. They have struggled to win at the line of scrimmage and tackling has been issue, even with veteran linebacker Bryce Gallagher leading the defense.

It’s tough to gauge how well the Northwestern secondary has played up to this point. Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt and UTEP quarterback Gavin Hardison had a fair amount of success, but neither is a prolific passer. Duke quarterback Riley Leonard was efficient, finishing 15-of-20 for 211 passing yards, though he did most of his damage running the ball.

This is not a great defense, but I don’t think they are pushovers, either. I could see P.J. Fleck calling Taylor’s number most of the night, but even when Minnesota was having success on the ground against North Carolina, the Gophers refused to turn away from the passing game.

The Gophers win ugly.

Picks and Parlays is predicting a 37-21 Minnesota win
Despite the Golden Gophers recent loss against the Tar Heels, Minnesota still has a winning record on the season as they have previously beat Eastern Michigan and Nebraska. In the game against the Tar Heels, Kaliakmanis didn’t have himself a good game, as he only completed 11 of his 29 passing attempts while throwing in zero touchdowns and one interception.

This game will be nothing short of a mismatch, as the Golden Gophers have been showing signs of promise in their three games this season, while the Northwestern Wildcats have been very dull on both sides of the ball so far. Expect Athan Kaliakmanis to have a bounce back game and to get his team the win.

Dimers has Minnesota winning 25-14
DimersBOT, gives Minnesota an 84% chance of beating Northwestern.

At Buckeye Wire (USA Today), all five writers are taking Minnesota. Same story at Spartan Wire.
 


The Pioneer Press has Minnesota winning 28-9
Who has the edge: Gophers offense vs. Northwestern defense - QB Athan Kaliakmanis has completed only 51 percent of his passes this season and his rating is outside the top 100 in the nation. In his ninth start, the redshirt sophomore needs to improvement his accuracy and touch. RB Darius Taylor rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown against the Tar Heels, earning Big Ten freshman of the week honors for second straight time. Northwestern’s rush defense is worse (89th in country) than its pass defense (49th). Chris Autman-Bell does not yet look like the same player after his knee injury last September. He has only one target in two games played. EDGE: Gophers

Gophers defense vs. Northwestern offense - The Wildcats totaled 381 yards in their 38-7 win over Texas-El Paso and have averaged 230 yards in their two losses. UTEP is 1-3, including a defeat to Jacksonville (Ala.) State. Starting QB Ben Bryant, a transfer from Cincinnati, has completed 55 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and three inceptions this season. The Gophers defense has six picks, including two on NFL prospect Drake Maye last week. Cam Porter, is averaging only 49 yards per game and has yet to reach end zone. EDGE: Gophers

Special teams - K Dragan Kesich is a perfect 7 for 7 on field goals inside 50 yards this season. EDGE: Gophers

The Gophers have outscored Northwestern 72-17 in the last two meetings and this matchup will serve as a “get-right” game for Kaliakmanis and Co. The U will be the only Big Ten West team at 2-0 in the division.
 




Dakota2 said:
Michigan St. last year ring a bell?
Click to expand...
Yeah, let's do that again. I loved that.

I just don't like when every media column predicts "it's gonna be a close, ugly game" when our team is more talented than the other team.
 


The Star Tribune has Minnesota winning 24-10
The Gophers will win if: Their defense gets off the field on third down, their running game behind Taylor continues to excel and they avoid turnovers. Getting the win is the primary focus, but developing the passing game to the point that it's an asset should be Task 1A on the to-do list.

The Wildcats will win if: They put doubt in the Gophers' mind by taking an early lead, they control the ball with RB Cam Porter, they win the turnover battle and they get efficient play from QB Ben Bryant, a Cincinnati transfer who started 11 games for the Bearcats last season.

Prediction: The Gophers have the edge in athletic ability throughout their roster, and the Wildcats still are picking up the pieces after longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired amid allegations of hazing in the program.

Minnesota can be vulnerable if it continues to settle for field goals instead of scoring touchdowns. Fleck has the option of turning the game over to a solid running game, but he knows the passing game must gain confidence. Expect Kaliakmanis to take his shots and the deep receiving corps to make a difference against the Wildcats.

My expectation: The Gophers improve on offense, get a strong defensive effort and pull away in the second half.

Sports Jaw has Minnesota winning 37-13
The Wildcats' inadequate throwing capabilities will not benefit them against Minnesota's secondary, not to mention their lacking ground play. The Gophers' linebackers will take full advantage of this, overpowering the backfield on running downs.

Minnesota QB Kaliakmanis, a sophomore, is certainly capable of regaining the form he showed early in the season. This Saturday, the Gophers are expected to run the ball effortlessly against Northwestern, as they are heading in different directions in comparison.

Boiler Upload (Purdue Rivals) has Minnesota winning 17-7
Both of these teams played in the state of North Carolina last week and lost big. Neither one has shown much offense, either. I'll side with Minnesota, the team with at least a stronger defense

The Crimson Quarry (Indiana SB Nation) picked Minnesota to win
Minnesota running back Darius Taylor was the bright spot down in Chapel Hill last Saturday, rushing for 138 yards and a score in the Gophs’ 31-13 loss to No. 20 North Carolina. Taylor leads all FBS true freshmen with 334 rushing yards through three games.

Northwestern also spent last weekend in the Tar Heel State, falling to No. 21 Duke 38-14. Given the football team’s poor on-field product and recently-uncovered hazing scandal, I strongly recommend Wildcat fans shift their focus towards the upcoming women’s lacrosse season.

Gopher Illustrated (Minnesota 247 Sports) has Minnesota winning 24-10
Is Minnesota capable of losing this game? Absolutely. Winning a road game in the Big Ten is hard no matter the opponent.

But I think recency bias is affecting the minds of fans a little too much. The Gopher defense has been stout under Rossi's eye, and in the last two games against Northwestern, he's allowed a total of 17 points. And I wouldn't say this Wildcat offense is much different with their scoring output than what the previous Northwestern teams have been.

It all comes down to if the Gopher offense can just start to execute and get out of their own way. I expect two-time Big Ten freshman of the week in Darius Taylor to have over 20 carries in this game, but Harbaugh has to get Athan on the right path, and that starts this weekend in Evanston.

Here are the staff picks at The Daily Gopher (Minnesota SB Nation)
  • Goaupher has Minnesota winning 27-9: This is a game of football that will be played. We will not remember it in two weeks, because it is unlikely to be that great. Minnesota will win even if they play poorly because Northwestern is hot stinky garbage.
  • GopherGuy05 is taking Minnesota, 30-6: The defense from the first two games shows up and we still struggle to score touchdowns in the red zone, but it’s comfortable and we lead the Big Ten West for two more weeks at least.
  • GopherNation has Minnesota winning 31-13: More Darius Taylor please.
  • Mowe0018 is going with Minnesota, 26-9: Nothing is ugly about being 2-0 in conference play, therefore this game will be beautiful.
  • UStreet has Minnesota victorious, 24-7: I don’t know why anyone other than a partisan or a degenerate gambler watches this game.
  • White Speed Receiver is taking Minnesota, 31-3: Fuck them cats.
  • Zips Of Akron has the Gophers winning 31-10: Not worried but we really need a confidence boost for Athan. I’m hoping a date with Northwestern is just what the doctor ordered.
All 15 writers at Off Tackle Empire (Big Ten SB Nation)
 



jonnyganas said:
Just once, I'd like to win in a non-ugly fashion.
Click to expand...
As soon as the befuddled Gophers’ offense can start (1) producing explosive plays and (2) scoring TDs in the red zone, we can win in non-ugly fashion. Until then, don’t get your hopes up.
 



Massy's Predic
col_min.gif
col_nw.gif
Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN, USA		Northwestern
Evanston, IL, USA
Actual Score00
Most Likely2413
Median2412
Mean25.2412.89
Win Probability85%15%
 



From a net betting site

Predicted Score 32.7 MINN

13.0 NWEST
 

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