Minnesota Vs. Purdue 2022 - Media Predictions

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All the writers at College Football News are taking Minnesota, making it the Consensus Pick

Oddshark has Minnesota winning 38-24
Minnesota will win, cover the spread, and the total will go over.

The Daily Gopher has Minnesota winning 31-10
Michigan State’s defensive front is superior to Purdue’s and they opted to put an extra defender in the box to stop the run, trusting their defensive backs in tight man coverage and daring quarterback Tanner Morgan to beat them through the air. That proved to be a fatal mistake on their part and they were forced to pivot from single-high safety coverage to two-high, but that only allowed the Gophers to get the ground game rolling. We’ll see if Purdue takes a similar approach, but obviously shutting down this dynamic Minnesota offense is easier said than done.

Jeff Brohm is 1-4 against P.J. Fleck, having lost four straight to Minnesota. The Boilermakers haven’t won in Minneapolis since 2007 and are 0-6 at Huntington Bank Stadium. Purdue has struggled against FBS opponents this season, dropping one-score games to Penn State and Syracuse and needing a late turnover to squeak past Florida Atlantic by a two-point margin. This doesn’t seem like a good matchup for the Boilermakers, especially if O’Connell is out. This Purdue team is also very undisciplined, averaging 7.5 penalties per game.

ATS has the Gophers winning this match-up
Last time out, Purdue hosted Florida Atlantic and escaped with a 28-26 win. Purdue led 7-0 after the first quarter, but themselves down 13-7 late the second quarter. The Boilermakers scored late in the second to take the lead into the half and then extended that lead with an early score in the third quarter. Purdue led 21-20 heading into the fourth and stopped a FAU two-point conversion to get the win. Austin Burton went 21.29 for 166 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception on the night. Charlie Jones grabbed nine passes for 59 yards, a 6.6 average, and two touchdowns in the win. Defensively, the Boilermakers allowed 419 total yards and forced two FAU turnovers, one interception and one recovered fumble.

Minnesota opened Big Ten play with a dominant 34-7 win at Michigan State. The Golden Gophers jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead and led 21-0 at the half. Minnesota scored the first 34 points of the game and were 17 seconds away from pitching a road shutout, but the Spartans scored a consolation touchdown. Tanner Morgan went 23/26 for 268 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions on the night. Daniel Jackson hauled in two touchdown passes and Nick Kallerup grabbed the other touchdown from Tanner Morgan. Defensively, Minnesota allowed 240 total yards and forced three Michigan State turnovers, two interceptions and one recovered fumble.

I think Minnesota is a top 10 team in the country and I am going to bet them until they tell me not to.

Sporting News has Minnesota winning 34-27
The Gophers are ranked after an encouraging 4-0 start, and they have the top defense in the nation so far. Purdue will test that with a passing attack that averages 311 yards per game. It's hard to make a pick here without knowing whether Boilermakers quarterback Aidan O'Connell plays. We want to see that battle of sixth-year quarterbacks with Tanner Morgan. We'll assume for now O'Connell plays. The last three meetings have been one-score victories for Minnesota.

Pick: Minnesota wins 34-27 and fails to cover the spread.
 

Jerry Palm, a Gopher skeptic has the following:

Purdue at No. 21 Minnesota​


Sometimes, one team just has the other team's number. That is the case in this series, where the Golden Gophers have won eight of the last nine. This time, Purdue is banged up and could be without its starting quarterback, running back, second-best receiver and top defensive player. The Boilermakers are also one of the most penalized teams in the FBS and, in particular, their defense has already committed eight penalties with automatic first downs to keep opponents' drives alive. The Gophers are rolling and will likely continue that roll this week. Pick: Minnesota -12
 

Bleacher Report has Minnesota winning 38-21
Here's your fun fact of the day: Minnesota ranks third in the nation in total offense (543.0 YPG) and first in total defense (187.8 YPG).
 Sure, its first three games were laughably weak, but the Golden Gophers also went on the road and destroyed Michigan State last weekend.

They are one of two teams (along with mighty Alabama) that has both more rushing yards and more passing yards than total yards allowed.
 And Purdue...darn near messed around and lost a home game to Florida Atlantic on Saturday. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for upset potential. Minnesota has also won eight of the last nine games in this Big Ten West rivalry.

College Football News has Minnesota winning 34-17
Minnesota is playing really, really well.

Purdue struggled too much against Florida Atlantic, but the passing game will click against the Gophers. Michigan State was able to throw relatively well against the Minnesota D, but it didn’t matter. There wasn’t any Spartan ground game, and Purdue won’t be able to run, either.

Minnesota will need a quarter to get rolling, and then the offensive balance will kick in. It won’t be the breeze the first four games were, but there’s no complaining about 5-0.
 




PURDUE AT MINNESOTA​

When: 11 a.m. Saturday
Where: Huntington Bank Stadium
TV: ESPN2
Radio: KFAN, 100.3 FM
Weather: 61 degrees, partly sunny, 6 mph northwest wind
Betting favorite: Minnesota, minus-12.6

Records: Minnesota is 4-0 and 1-0 in Big Ten after a dominating 34-7 win at Michigan State last Saturday. The U has outscored all opponents 183-24 and climbed into the AP poll at No. 21 this week. Purdue is 2-2, 0-1 Big Ten. They lost the season opener to now-No. 11 Penn State, 35-31, and fell 32-29 at Syracuse in Week 3. They beat Indiana State and Florida Atlantic.

History: At Minnesota, P.J. Fleck is 4-1 against Purdue and a win Saturday would be the first time he’s beaten an opponent five times in his head-coaching career. The U has won eight of nine games to take a 41-33-3 lead in the all-time series against the Boilermakers.

Key matchup: Gophers secondary vs. Purdue receiver Charlie Jones. Minnesota might have faced the best receiver corps of the season last week with the Spartans, but Jones is the best No. 1 option. The Iowa transfer leads the nation with 41 receptions and seven touchdowns, along with 533 yards. He will, of course, be the focal point for U defensive backs.


Who has the edge?​

Gophers offense vs. Purdue defense: Tanner Morgan has been rolling and Purdue’s pass D gave up 308 yards through air in the loss to Penn Sate. Morgan won Big Ten co-offensive player of the week for completing 88 percent of his passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns vs. Spartans. Morgan feasted on Purdue in 2019 the same way he did Michigan State last week. He currently is the highest-graded QB in the nation (95.2), according to Pro Football Focus College. … The remade Gophers offensive line hasn’t had an issue integrating four new starters. Minnesota has allowed Morgan to be sacked only once in 79 passing attempts this season. Purdue lost top pass rusher George Karlaftis to the NFL and don’t have a player with more than one sack through four games. RT Quinn Carroll has allowed a team-high four pressures in four games. … LB Jalen Graham, all-Big Ten honorable mention last season, hasn’t played in the last three games. … Without Chris Autman-Bell (season-ending knee injury), the Gophers’ by-committee approach had 10 pass catchers, including six with two receptions and four with at least three grabs. … Back from an ankle injury, WR Daniel Jackson had his first career two TD game, and backup TE Nick Kallerup had his first career TD. EDGE: Gophers

Gophers defense vs. Purdue offense: QB Aidan O’Connell did not play in the 28-26 win over FAU last week with a reported rib injury suffered in the Syracuse loss. Head coach Jeff Brohm said Monday it was too early to discuss O’Connell’s status for Saturday. Gophers defensive coordinator Joe Rossi pegged O’Connell as a “top five quarterback in the country.” ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him in the top 10 in the 2023 draft class. If O’Connell doesn’t play, Austin Burton is most likely to step in. He completed 72 percent of passes for 166 yards, three touchdowns and one interception against the Conference USA opponent last week. … Brohm is credited with vast offensive creativity, but hasn’t gotten much out of the ground game. Boilers were dead last in nation in rushing efficiency last season. Before Dylan Downing rushed for 113 yards against FAU, the Boilers hadn’t had a 100-yard rusher since massive RB Zander Horvath in 2020. No. 1 RB King Doerue has missed last two games.… The Gophers starting defense has yet to give up a touchdown this season and forced a season-high three takeaways against Michigan State. … LB Mariano Sori-Marin leads team with 25 total tackles. CB Terell Smith (84.1) and Thomas Rush (82.0) are the two highest-graded defensive players, per PFF. Eight defensive lineman have played at least 40 of the 192 snaps this season; this keeps them fresher longer. EDGE: Gophers

Special teams: Charlie Jones is also a fearless kick and punt returner, but Minnesota has been stingy in both areas this season. Mitchell Fineran is 2 for 4 on field goals with two misses in the 40-50-yard range. K Matthew Trickett is 5 for 5, with a long of 46. EDGE: Gophers

Prediction: Brohm called the Gophers the “best team we’ve played to date,” and that includes a Penn State squad now in the top 15 in the nation. Minnesota’s is well-oiled machine and will continue to grind opponents to dust. Gophers, 31-13

www.twincities.com

Gophers football vs. Purdue: Keys to game, how to watch and who has the edge

Minnesota is off to a 4-0 start and is ranked No. 21 in the nation. Purdue is 2-2.
www.twincities.com www.twincities.com
 

Sports Book Wire (USA Today) has Minnesota winning 31-13
We did not know what to expect from Minnesota after playing 3 easy home games to start the season. After holding New Mexico State, Western Illinois, and Colorado to a combined 17 points, we still needed to see more. We saw it as Minnesota held Michigan State to 7 points on the road last Saturday.

The Gophers’ offense is good. The defense is great. Much of this is due to their ability to not only pass with Tanner Morgan, but also run with Mohamed Ibrahim. They can control the clock and keep opposing teams off the field. Against the Spartans, Minnesota had the ball for 42 minutes to Michigan State’s18.

Doing this against Purdue, while also knowing that Purdue is completely one-dimensional on offense, means the Golden Gophers are set to dominate another game early in the season.

Athlon Sports has Minnesota winning 28-17
Purdue comes into this game with its starting quarterback not guaranteed to play and some members of its secondary dealing with injuries. It's not an ideal situation considering the Boilermakers' passing game and defense will be critical to counter Minnesota's prolific rushing attack.

The Golden Gophers may have had the benefit of an easier schedule thus far, but that doesn't take away from the offensive balance they have shown or their performance on defense in the early going. Minnesota appears to have too much talent and depth for Purdue to handle in this Big Ten West contest.
 

​

Purdue vs. Minnesota: Final thoughts and a prediction​

Kyle Charters
https://www.facebook.com/dialog/sha...vs-minnesota-final-thoughts-and-a-prediction/

It’s not even October and Minnesota has already established itself as the team to beat in the Big Ten West.
The Golden Gophers are undefeated, having whooped up on 3 patsies in the non-conference season before smacking Michigan State around in East Lansing last week. Minnesota has a workable schedule on its way to what it hopes is a West title, but it’s not without challenges, including from Purdue on Saturday.
The Boilermakers, once thought to be a dark horse challenger in the West, come limping into Saturday’s game, missing as many as 6 starters due to injury, possibly including All-Big Ten quarterback Aidan O’Connell. He, like other Purdue players, will be a game-time decision in the hours before kickoff.
Because of their hot start and Purdue’s questions, the Golden Gophers will enter the game as a near 12-point favorite.
A few final thoughts:

Will he or won’t he?​

Purdue’s chances for an upset on Saturday likely hinge on the status of O’Connell, the star quarterback who is a game-time decision due to an undisclosed injury (although speculation is that he’s suffering bruised ribs). If the 6th-year senior quarterback can not go — he was injured, according to Jeff Brohm, early in the loss at Syracuse but powered through, likely riding an adrenaline high — then the Boilermakers’ chances are minimized.
Fellow 6th-year quarterback Austin Burton would get his 2nd straight start. But Purdue’s offense is changed with Burton under center, centered around more of a ball-control, run-oriented attack that likely has a lower ceiling. The Boilermakers would need to run the ball, as they did vs. FAU (188 rushing yards, including 113 from Dylan Downing), to set up the pass and keep the Gophers’ defense off-balance. But Minnesota’s rush defense is the 3rd-best nationally, allowing less than 62 yards per game.
Can the Boilermakers win that way? Yes. Is the margin for error incredibly small? Also yes.
In the 2-point win over FAU Saturday, Burton passed for 3 touchdowns and 166 yards, but he did so on 29 attempts, illustrating that many of his throws were at or behind the line of scrimmage. Purdue’s downfield attack, a hallmark of Brohm offenses, particularly with O’Connell at quarterback, was almost non-existent.


O’Connell isn’t Purdue’s only injury issue — and it should also be noted that Minnesota isn’t at full strength either, not after the season-ending injury to star wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell — as the Boilermakers also have questions about 5 other starters: Running back King Doerue, right tackle Cam Craig, wide receiver Broc Thompson, linebacker/safety/nickel Jalen Graham and cornerback Reese Taylor.
It’s unlikely the public will know more about their status until Saturday morning before the 11 a.m. local start in Minneapolis.

Minnesota will attack​

Minnesota isn’t going to let its foot off the gas petal any time soon.
The Golden Gophers’ offense has been nuking opponents, not only the over-matched ones of the first 3 weeks but Michigan State last Saturday, as well. Minnesota ranks 3rd nationally in yardage, averaging 543 yards per game, putting it just behind Tennessee and Ohio State and ahead of Georgia.
The Gophers have balance, ranking No. 2 in rushing offense (at 294.5 yards per game) and 67th in passing (at 248.5). In the 34-7 win at Michigan State, Minnesota couldn’t have been much more even offensively, as veteran QB Tanner Morgan picked apart a struggling Spartan secondary for 268 yards with 3 scores while hitting on a ridiculously good 23-of-26 attempts, while the Gophers rushed for 240 yards and a score, including 103 yards from starter Mohamed Ibrahim.
Purdue — historically — has struggled against the Morgan-led RPO offense. Three years ago, Morgan hit on 21-of-22 passes for 396 yards and 4 TDs in a Minnesota victory. Last season in a driving downpour in West Lafayette, the Gophers upended Purdue 20-13.
It’s likely the Boilermakers will maintain the same defensive strategy they’ve employed this season, stacking up against the run and playing largely man defense in the secondary with a single high safety. Co-defensive coordinator Ron English’s play-calling has helped Purdue hold opponents to 115.8 yards rushing per game, 46th-best in the country, but it’s also putting a ton of stress on the Boilermakers’ cornerbacks.
Trying to figure out what to take away from Minnesota’s attack is a huge challenge.


Gophers got the number​

PJ Fleck and the Golden Gophers have won 4 straight against Purdue, dating back to the Boilermakers’ last win in 2017 in Brohm’s first season in West Lafayette.
Since then, it’s been all Fleck, although the last 3 games have been decided by single scores. Minnesota won by 7 in West Lafayette in 2019, then by 3 in Minneapolis in 2020 (when a last-minute Payne Durham Purdue touchdown was wiped off the board by a phantom offensive pass interference call), and the 7-point margin last season in the Ross-Ade rain.
Those games won’t matter on Saturday, but the series trend is certainly heavily in Minnesota’s favor.

Can Purdue counter?​

Purdue’s defense has been opportunistic this season, with 4 interceptions, including 2 that the Boilermakers returned for touchdowns in the first 2 weeks. A couple more interceptions were negated by defensive penalties against Syracuse, both of which were questionable, at the least.
Morgan has thrown only 1 interception this season, against 7 touchdowns, and Minnesota has lost 2 fumbles, but perhaps Purdue’s path to victory includes winning the turnover margin. If Purdue can get a bonus score, on defense or special teams, maybe it’ll stay close in the 4th quarter.

And the prediction …​

Purdue might have a chance if O’Connell returns from his injury. If he’s good to go, then the Boilermakers quick-strike, big-play offense returns, even against a salty Minnesota defense.
But it’s not as if the Boilermakers have been infallible even with O’Connell. Purdue made gigantic mistakes in losses to Penn State and Syracuse, unable to close out either opponent in the final minutes, due to failures on offense and defense and a slew of mind-numbing penalties. Meanwhile, Minnesota has done nothing of the sort. The Gophers aren’t hurting themselves with penalties or turnovers and are putting heavy pressure, in almost all facets, on their opponents.
All in all, it’ll be too much for the Boilermakers to overcome, whether O’Connell goes or not.
Minnesota 34, Purdue 21


saturdaytradition.com

Purdue vs. Minnesota: Final thoughts and a prediction

Minnesota has more firepower and fewer injury questions than Purdue heading into Saturday's early kickoff in Minneapolis.
saturdaytradition.com saturdaytradition.com
 

Dustin Shutte -sp on Eyes On Big Ten podcast (and Purdue fan) picks Purdue.
He believes it's possible Aidan wasn't hurt that bad and Brohm left him out just to distract Minnesota from Aidan.

Shutte also always predicts that Minnesota might play down each and every week because we've done that with Bowling Green and previously South Dakota State.
 



Face The Facts said:
Dustin Shutte -sp on Eyes On Big Ten podcast (and Purdue fan) picks Purdue.
He believes it's possible Aidan wasn't hurt that bad and Brohm left him out just to distract Minnesota from Aidan.

Shutte also always predicts that Minnesota might play down each and every week because we've done that with Bowling Green and previously South Dakota State.
Click to expand...
What a dink
 

Face The Facts said:
Dustin Shutte -sp on Eyes On Big Ten podcast (and Purdue fan) picks Purdue.
He believes it's possible Aidan wasn't hurt that bad and Brohm left him out just to distract Minnesota from Aidan.

Shutte also always predicts that Minnesota might play down each and every week because we've done that with Bowling Green and previously South Dakota State.
Click to expand...
I'm not offended by someone picking Purdue - it's certainly not out of the question that they steal one. But referencing a game from 2019 as evidence is a little odd to me.
 

Gophers1992 said:
I'm not offended by someone picking Purdue - it's certainly not out of the question that they steal one. But referencing a game from 2019 as evidence is a little odd to me.
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He didn't reference it for this pick, but almost every week this year when making the pick for the Gophers he says "Well, we've seen Minnesota play down" or "Is this the week they don't show up like last year".

Very skeptical overall of the Gophers in my opinion. Both he and Jeff were very largely down on MSU's chances this week as well.
 

GopherIllustrated (247 Sports) has Minnesota winning 30-21
A few quick reminders.
  • Minnesota has allowed an opponent to score 24 or more points just once (Iowa, of all teams) since Ohio State did it 16 games ago to start the 21' season.
  • Minnesota has allowed an opponent to score 20 points just twice in their last 15 games.
  • Minnesota hasn't allowed the an opposing offense to score over 14 points in their last seven games.
Taking out the monsoon game last season when the Gophers and Purdue played, Brohm put up 31 points against Rossi in 2020 and 2019. I'm not going to say Purdue puts up that many in Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday, but I think his offense crosses the 20-point threshold for the first time against the Gophers this season.

I don't trust Purdue if this is a close game to win it, as we've already seen them fold twice in that situation this season. They've been undisciplined in those crucial moments, which has played a role in the Boilermakers leading the Big Ten in penalty yardage per game at 74.5 yards. I'd also mention that Purdue's kicker is just 2-4 on field goals through four games, with a long of 41 yards. He's just 1-3 from 40+.

The Gophers win homecoming and remain undefeated.

Saturday Tradition has Minnesota winning 34-21
Purdue might have a chance if O’Connell returns from his injury. If he’s good to go, then the Boilermakers quick-strike, big-play offense returns, even against a salty Minnesota defense.
But it’s not as if the Boilermakers have been infallible even with O’Connell.

Purdue made gigantic mistakes in losses to Penn State and Syracuse, unable to close out either opponent in the final minutes, due to failures on offense and defense and a slew of mind-numbing penalties. Meanwhile, Minnesota has done nothing of the sort. The Gophers aren’t hurting themselves with penalties or turnovers and are putting heavy pressure, in almost all facets, on their opponents.

All in all, it’ll be too much for the Boilermakers to overcome, whether O’Connell goes or not.

Pick Dawgz has the Gophers winning (-12)
Even if O’Connell comes back in this game, this is still going to be an easy win for the Gophers. The Gophers defense giving up only six points per game and they are going to lockdown the Purdue offense in this game.

Look for Ibrahim to have a big game against the Purdue defense, and Minnesota will win this game by at least two touchdowns. Back Minnesota to come away with a cover of the spread.

Wolverines Wire (USA Today) has Minnesota winning 34-20
The Gophers continue to play inspiring football. Minnesota is averaging 45.8 points-per-game and allowing six points to the opposition. Getting running back Mo Ibrahim back has really sparked the Gophers’ offense. Ibrahim has 567 yards and eight touchdowns through four weeks.

Purdue could possibly put up a challenge this Saturday if Aidan O’Connell plays. The Boilermakers usually don’t have an issue moving the ball, but it will all depend on if the Purdue defense can stop Tanner Morgan and the Gophers.

I think the boat will keep rowing in Minnesota this Saturday.

Saturday Blitz (FanSided) has the Gophers winning
The Golden Gophers have taken Big Ten football by a bit of a surprise this season, getting off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2019 — a season in which they finished with 11 wins and were ranked as high as No. 7 in the AP Top 25.

The team is powered by running back Mohamed Ibrahim, who has been churning out unbelievable performances this season. He’s rushed for more than 100 yards in all four games and has currently racked up the second-most rushing yards and the second-most rushing touchdowns in all of college football this season. He’s one of the best Big Ten football players and should be in consideration to be a Heisman trophy finalist.

The unstoppable Ibrahim and the Gophers will extend their four-game winning streak against Purdue this week in a big way. The team’s defense, which is allowing just 6 points per game, will look to limit the Boilermakers’ passing game and make this all about the run game.

Winners and Whiners has the Gophers winning (-12.5)
I'm kind of surprised the line is only 12.5 points here. Minnesota is just coming off a game where they throttled Michigan State by 27 points, on the road, as a three-point favorite.

Michigan State is ranked higher than Purdue in the most recent power rankings, even after getting drubbed by Minnesota, so I just don't see how Purdue will have enough firepower to keep this close enough to cover.

I'm even more skeptical after seeing Purdue struggle against a very average Florida Atlantic team. Minnesota's defense is legit, with no apparent weaknesses, so I don't see a Purdue offense that was outgained by Florida Atlantic doing much against it. Take Minnesota giving up the points.
 



Face The Facts said:
Dustin Shutte -sp on Eyes On Big Ten podcast (and Purdue fan) picks Purdue.
He believes it's possible Aidan wasn't hurt that bad and Brohm left him out just to distract Minnesota from Aidan.

Shutte also always predicts that Minnesota might play down each and every week because we've done that with Bowling Green and previously South Dakota State.
Click to expand...
Haven't listened to this podcast but if that kind of take is common on it I won't be starting anytime soon. The idea that Brohm would have sat a healthy O'Connell last week is just monumentally and mind numbingly stupid.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Haven't listened to this podcast but if that kind of take is common on it I won't be starting anytime soon. The idea that Brohm would have sat a healthy O'Connell last week is just monumentally and mind numbingly stupid.
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Agreed. Imagine if they lose that game and it comes out that Brohm sat his QB. No coach is that stupid. Plus why would O'connell agree to the idea when he wants to boost his draft stock?
 

Gophers1992 said:
Agreed. Imagine if they lose that game and it comes out that Brohm sat his QB. No coach is that stupid. Plus why would O'connell agree to the idea when he wants to boost his draft stock?
Click to expand...
The other MASSIVE hole in that guys stupid take is that O'Connell wasn't even dressed. No coach in the country would not even dress their healthy, clear cut #1 and then watch his team almost lose to a bad FAU team.
 

IceBoxGopher said:
Bleacher Report has Minnesota winning 38-21
Here's your fun fact of the day: Minnesota ranks third in the nation in total offense (543.0 YPG) and first in total defense (187.8 YPG).
 Sure, its first three games were laughably weak, but the Golden Gophers also went on the road and destroyed Michigan State last weekend.

They are one of two teams (along with mighty Alabama) that has both more rushing yards and more passing yards than total yards allowed.
 And Purdue...darn near messed around and lost a home game to Florida Atlantic on Saturday. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for upset potential. Minnesota has also won eight of the last nine games in this Big Ten West rivalry.

College Football News has Minnesota winning 34-17
Minnesota is playing really, really well.

Purdue struggled too much against Florida Atlantic, but the passing game will click against the Gophers. Michigan State was able to throw relatively well against the Minnesota D, but it didn’t matter. There wasn’t any Spartan ground game, and Purdue won’t be able to run, either.

Minnesota will need a quarter to get rolling, and then the offensive balance will kick in. It won’t be the breeze the first four games were, but there’s no complaining about 5-0.
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Agree with the overall scores but this line does not make much sense. 70 yards passing on that final drive against backup defense. Had about 130 up to that point. Also with the caveat in a lot of these predictions about the #1 QB playing or not playing making it a close game or blowout, I hope he does start and Gophs proceed to blowout Purdue regardless.
 

PMWinSTP said:
Agree with the overall scores but this line does not make much sense. 70 yards passing on that final drive against backup defense. Had about 130 up to that point. Also with the caveat in a lot of these predictions about the #1 QB playing or not playing making it a close game or blowout, I hope he does start and Gophs proceed to blowout Purdue regardless.
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Right, Payton Thorne really gashed our defense to the tune of 17/24 for 132 0TD 2INT. It's a wonder he didn't win BIG10 player of the week.
 

B1G Today's Dave Revsine and Gerry DiNardo preview Saturday's game. Dave Revsine incorrectly states that Tanner Morgan hasn't thrown a pick yet, but notes that Morgan is the highest rated QB through 4 weeks according to PFF College.

 

The guys over at BetUS do a really good job of previewing the game, predict MN to cover the -12.5 pts:

 

jonnyganas said:
B1G Today's Dave Revsine and Gerry DiNardo preview Saturday's game. Dave Revsine incorrectly states that Tanner Morgan hasn't thrown a pick yet, but notes that Morgan is the highest rated QB through 4 weeks according to PFF College.

Click to expand...
I mean in fairness to DiNardo the only pick Morgan has thrown so far hit BSF in the hands and should have been caught. :)
 


Here are the staff predictions at the Daily Gopher (SB Nation)
GoAUpher has Minnesota winning 31-17: Purdue can score points. Minnesota can score points. Unfortunately for Purdue, Minnesota has a much better defense which means the Gophers will score more points. In fact, I am fully prepared for Minnesota to limit Purdue to far fewer than 17 points. I just don’t want to jinx anything.

GopherGuy05 has Minnesota winning 34-17: If Aidan O’Connell can go for Purdue this will be a bit closer, he’s worth at least a touchdown for the Boilermakers. But if he is out, there is no reason why this game should not be once again comfortably in check by the fourth quarter.

GopherNation has Minnesota winning 38-17: Purdue will be the first team to score a touchdown on the Gophers’ first-team defense. But they will not win.

Hipster Gopher is predicting a 31-14 Minnesota victory: With @statsofwar predicting a 31.35 - 17.48 Gophers win, I looked back to 1979, when Minnesota last won by a similar score. FYI.

Mowe0018 is taking Minnesota 24-17: Can’t possibly keep playing as well as they have, so I feel like we’re in for a nail-biter. But some late game heroics still bring home a win for the good guys.

UStreet has the Gophers winning 34-17: For the reasons gopherguy05 said it.

White Speed Receiver has Minnesota winning 37-7: In addition to not being healthy right now, Purdue just doesn’t match up well at all against Roc and Rossi. Get ready for more fun.

WildCatToo has the Gophers winning 35-17: Purdue’s offense is decent, but the defense is not and that might make the difference here.

ZipsOfAkron is predicting a 31-10 Minnesota win: You know when the birds flee before a storm hits? Well, the opposite is happening with our local bluehairs, who are plopping lawn chairs down for this team. They have a sixth sense for this thing, and I’m taking notice.

From the other side, here are the predictions from Hammer and Rails (Purdue SB Nation)
Jumbo Heroes has Minnesota winning 31-17: The only other game is Michigan State and I just don’t think we know enough about them to know if that’s a good win or not.

I discussed this on the latest podcast but the weak schedule and their WR1 being out are both huge helps for Purdue. The question mark is does AOC play? At this point I’m inclined to think he doesn’t and that hurts Purdue too. I think Purdue keeps it close but they are unable to completely stop Ibrahim and the Minnesota running attack.

Travis has Minnesota winning 30-10: Minnesota has been really good so far. Sure, they usually have an early stumble under PJ, but haven’t had that so far. They are now my pick to win the Big Ten West, and I think it will not be close. I also think AOC doesn’t play, making this an even bigger task for Purdue. The strong Gopher defense sits on Purdue’s head and Mo Ibrahim wears us down.

Minnesota winning 38-31: Jeff Brohm has struggled mightily against PJ Fleck since they both came to the Big Ten in 2017, and I think those struggles continue. Purdue possibly not having O’Connell once again would make things even worse. I am going to assume he plays in this game, but it’s still not enough. Minnesota has looked very good this year though, giving up just 6 points per game and Mo Ibrahim dominating out of the backfield. (If O’Connell remains out, Purdue loses 38-21.)

Drew has Minnesota winning 34-31/34-24 depending on if their starting QB is in: If O’Connell plays, Purdue has a puncher’s chance on the road. This game needs to get into the 30’s (maybe 40’s?) for Purdue to win. That’s possible with O’Connell at the helm.

If it’s Burton and the run first offense, Purdue is in trouble. I don’t think the defense can hold Minnesota under 30, and I don’t think the Purdue offense under Burton (or any other QB on the roster) can get Purdue over 30. Either way. I’m not picking Purdue to win this one on the road after what we’ve seen at home this season.

Kyle has Minnesota winning 31-21: Fleck owns CJB, I am not super optimistic as it stands, especially if AOC is exempt.

Holmes has Purdue winning 28-27: Look, we have to get lucky against Minnesota so time. Why not now?

Casey has Minnesota winning 28-13: I’ve lost confidence in this team’s ability to get the job done. They had me to start the season but I fell off pretty fast. It’s a shame because this could have been a special year. As it stands Purdue can’t stop the run game and without AOC the offense is just ordinary. Minnesota finds a way to slow Charlie Jones.
 

Iceland12 said:

PURDUE AT MINNESOTA​

When: 11 a.m. Saturday
Where: Huntington Bank Stadium
TV: ESPN2
Radio: KFAN, 100.3 FM
Weather: 61 degrees, partly sunny, 6 mph northwest wind
Betting favorite: Minnesota, minus-12.6

Records: Minnesota is 4-0 and 1-0 in Big Ten after a dominating 34-7 win at Michigan State last Saturday. The U has outscored all opponents 183-24 and climbed into the AP poll at No. 21 this week. Purdue is 2-2, 0-1 Big Ten. They lost the season opener to now-No. 11 Penn State, 35-31, and fell 32-29 at Syracuse in Week 3. They beat Indiana State and Florida Atlantic.

History: At Minnesota, P.J. Fleck is 4-1 against Purdue and a win Saturday would be the first time he’s beaten an opponent five times in his head-coaching career. The U has won eight of nine games to take a 41-33-3 lead in the all-time series against the Boilermakers.

Key matchup: Gophers secondary vs. Purdue receiver Charlie Jones. Minnesota might have faced the best receiver corps of the season last week with the Spartans, but Jones is the best No. 1 option. The Iowa transfer leads the nation with 41 receptions and seven touchdowns, along with 533 yards. He will, of course, be the focal point for U defensive backs.


Who has the edge?​

Gophers offense vs. Purdue defense: Tanner Morgan has been rolling and Purdue’s pass D gave up 308 yards through air in the loss to Penn Sate. Morgan won Big Ten co-offensive player of the week for completing 88 percent of his passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns vs. Spartans. Morgan feasted on Purdue in 2019 the same way he did Michigan State last week. He currently is the highest-graded QB in the nation (95.2), according to Pro Football Focus College. … The remade Gophers offensive line hasn’t had an issue integrating four new starters. Minnesota has allowed Morgan to be sacked only once in 79 passing attempts this season. Purdue lost top pass rusher George Karlaftis to the NFL and don’t have a player with more than one sack through four games. RT Quinn Carroll has allowed a team-high four pressures in four games. … LB Jalen Graham, all-Big Ten honorable mention last season, hasn’t played in the last three games. … Without Chris Autman-Bell (season-ending knee injury), the Gophers’ by-committee approach had 10 pass catchers, including six with two receptions and four with at least three grabs. … Back from an ankle injury, WR Daniel Jackson had his first career two TD game, and backup TE Nick Kallerup had his first career TD. EDGE: Gophers

Gophers defense vs. Purdue offense: QB Aidan O’Connell did not play in the 28-26 win over FAU last week with a reported rib injury suffered in the Syracuse loss. Head coach Jeff Brohm said Monday it was too early to discuss O’Connell’s status for Saturday. Gophers defensive coordinator Joe Rossi pegged O’Connell as a “top five quarterback in the country.” ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him in the top 10 in the 2023 draft class. If O’Connell doesn’t play, Austin Burton is most likely to step in. He completed 72 percent of passes for 166 yards, three touchdowns and one interception against the Conference USA opponent last week. … Brohm is credited with vast offensive creativity, but hasn’t gotten much out of the ground game. Boilers were dead last in nation in rushing efficiency last season. Before Dylan Downing rushed for 113 yards against FAU, the Boilers hadn’t had a 100-yard rusher since massive RB Zander Horvath in 2020. No. 1 RB King Doerue has missed last two games.… The Gophers starting defense has yet to give up a touchdown this season and forced a season-high three takeaways against Michigan State. … LB Mariano Sori-Marin leads team with 25 total tackles. CB Terell Smith (84.1) and Thomas Rush (82.0) are the two highest-graded defensive players, per PFF. Eight defensive lineman have played at least 40 of the 192 snaps this season; this keeps them fresher longer. EDGE: Gophers

Special teams: Charlie Jones is also a fearless kick and punt returner, but Minnesota has been stingy in both areas this season. Mitchell Fineran is 2 for 4 on field goals with two misses in the 40-50-yard range. K Matthew Trickett is 5 for 5, with a long of 46. EDGE: Gophers

Prediction: Brohm called the Gophers the “best team we’ve played to date,” and that includes a Penn State squad now in the top 15 in the nation. Minnesota’s is well-oiled machine and will continue to grind opponents to dust. Gophers, 31-13

www.twincities.com

Gophers football vs. Purdue: Keys to game, how to watch and who has the edge

Minnesota is off to a 4-0 start and is ranked No. 21 in the nation. Purdue is 2-2.
www.twincities.com www.twincities.com
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I approve this non-dink take. Score checks out, too.
 


Face The Facts said:
Shutte also always predicts that Minnesota might play down each and every week because we've done that with Bowling Green and previously South Dakota State.
Click to expand...

Well that is an odd take. I wonder if he knows that we are one of the only teams in America this year who has to yet to play down to our opponents? Georgia has. Alabama has. Not playing down to our opponents is exactly why we are getting buzz.
 

IceBoxGopher said:
Here are the staff predictions at the Daily Gopher (SB Nation)
GoAUpher has Minnesota winning 31-17: Purdue can score points. Minnesota can score points. Unfortunately for Purdue, Minnesota has a much better defense which means the Gophers will score more points. In fact, I am fully prepared for Minnesota to limit Purdue to far fewer than 17 points. I just don’t want to jinx anything.

GopherGuy05 has Minnesota winning 34-17: If Aidan O’Connell can go for Purdue this will be a bit closer, he’s worth at least a touchdown for the Boilermakers. But if he is out, there is no reason why this game should not be once again comfortably in check by the fourth quarter.

GopherNation has Minnesota winning 38-17: Purdue will be the first team to score a touchdown on the Gophers’ first-team defense. But they will not win.

Hipster Gopher is predicting a 31-14 Minnesota victory: With @statsofwar predicting a 31.35 - 17.48 Gophers win, I looked back to 1979, when Minnesota last won by a similar score. FYI.

Mowe0018 is taking Minnesota 24-17: Can’t possibly keep playing as well as they have, so I feel like we’re in for a nail-biter. But some late game heroics still bring home a win for the good guys.

UStreet has the Gophers winning 34-17: For the reasons gopherguy05 said it.

White Speed Receiver has Minnesota winning 37-7: In addition to not being healthy right now, Purdue just doesn’t match up well at all against Roc and Rossi. Get ready for more fun.

WildCatToo has the Gophers winning 35-17: Purdue’s offense is decent, but the defense is not and that might make the difference here.

ZipsOfAkron is predicting a 31-10 Minnesota win: You know when the birds flee before a storm hits? Well, the opposite is happening with our local bluehairs, who are plopping lawn chairs down for this team. They have a sixth sense for this thing, and I’m taking notice.

From the other side, here are the predictions from Hammer and Rails (Purdue SB Nation)
Jumbo Heroes has Minnesota winning 31-17: The only other game is Michigan State and I just don’t think we know enough about them to know if that’s a good win or not.

I discussed this on the latest podcast but the weak schedule and their WR1 being out are both huge helps for Purdue. The question mark is does AOC play? At this point I’m inclined to think he doesn’t and that hurts Purdue too. I think Purdue keeps it close but they are unable to completely stop Ibrahim and the Minnesota running attack.

Travis has Minnesota winning 30-10: Minnesota has been really good so far. Sure, they usually have an early stumble under PJ, but haven’t had that so far. They are now my pick to win the Big Ten West, and I think it will not be close. I also think AOC doesn’t play, making this an even bigger task for Purdue. The strong Gopher defense sits on Purdue’s head and Mo Ibrahim wears us down.

Minnesota winning 38-31: Jeff Brohm has struggled mightily against PJ Fleck since they both came to the Big Ten in 2017, and I think those struggles continue. Purdue possibly not having O’Connell once again would make things even worse. I am going to assume he plays in this game, but it’s still not enough. Minnesota has looked very good this year though, giving up just 6 points per game and Mo Ibrahim dominating out of the backfield. (If O’Connell remains out, Purdue loses 38-21.)

Drew has Minnesota winning 34-31/34-24 depending on if their starting QB is in: If O’Connell plays, Purdue has a puncher’s chance on the road. This game needs to get into the 30’s (maybe 40’s?) for Purdue to win. That’s possible with O’Connell at the helm.

If it’s Burton and the run first offense, Purdue is in trouble. I don’t think the defense can hold Minnesota under 30, and I don’t think the Purdue offense under Burton (or any other QB on the roster) can get Purdue over 30. Either way. I’m not picking Purdue to win this one on the road after what we’ve seen at home this season.

Kyle has Minnesota winning 31-21: Fleck owns CJB, I am not super optimistic as it stands, especially if AOC is exempt.

Holmes has Purdue winning 28-27: Look, we have to get lucky against Minnesota so time. Why not now?

Casey has Minnesota winning 28-13: I’ve lost confidence in this team’s ability to get the job done. They had me to start the season but I fell off pretty fast. It’s a shame because this could have been a special year. As it stands Purdue can’t stop the run game and without AOC the offense is just ordinary. Minnesota finds a way to slow Charlie Jones.
Click to expand...
Purdue will not score more than 13pts if AOC is out. And no more than 17 if he plays.
 

After a quick scan of this thread, I don't think I saw anybody picking Purdue. That makes me nervous.
 

Here's the Boiler Radio Network's pregame show. Grimm does the Gophers overview and gave them hope by saying he thought it would be close. They are very beat up by their own reckoning.

These guys say that Purdue is going to try to stop the run and pray for some turnovers...try to get Tanner uncomfortable. I just don't see it...

Both see the Gophers winning. Not a bad listen if you want to be in the weeds for the other guys this game...

www.blogtalkradio.com

Gold and Black Radio Pregame: Purdue at Minnesota

The battered Boilermakers head on the road for the first time in the Big Ten season, perhaps in a game that will go a long way toward deciding the Big Ten West. We'll preview the Boilermakers and Golden Gophers on Gold and Black Radio.
www.blogtalkradio.com www.blogtalkradio.com
 
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I've got to change my best and get rid of some learned Minnesota sports teams' expectations. It scares me that everybody expects us to beat Purdue. I know I have to change.
 

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