MaxyJR1
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http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/100316aad.html
FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
1. Minnesota welcomes Iowa to TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday. Once again, the schools will be playing for the coveted Floyd of Rosedale, which is a solid bronze pig that is 15.5 inches tall, 21 inches long and weighs 98.3 pounds. Minnesota leads the all-time series 62-45-2 and is 42-37-2 against Iowa when Floyd has been on the line. The Gophers enter Saturday's tilt looking to regain possession of Floyd as Iowa prevailed 40-35 last season in Iowa City. Minnesota is 39-16-1 all-time against Iowa at home and that includes a 51-14 victory in 2014. Minnesota and Iowa are 3-3 in their last six meetings.
2. Minnesota scored 51 points against Iowa in 2014 and 35 in defeat last season. The 86 combined points over two years are the most Minnesota has scored against Iowa since the 1936-37 seasons. Minnesota won 52-0 in 1936 and 35-10 in 1937 to score a combined 87 points. Guiding the Gopher offense in the past two games against Iowa has been quarterback Mitch Leidner. The senior is 1-1 against Iowa, but has been impressive against the Hawkeyes. In his two combined games against Iowa, Leidner has rushed 22 times for 109 yards and a touchdown and has completed 29-of-40 passes (72.5%) for five touchdowns and no interceptions.
3. Minnesota has scored 145 through four games this year (36.2 average) under new offensive coordinator Jay Johnson. The last time Minnesota scored at least 145 points through the first four games of the season was 2008 when it combined to score 145 against Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Montana State and Florida Atlantic. The last time Minnesota scored more than 145 points in the first four games of the season when it played a Big Ten game was 2005. The Gophers combined to score 185 points against Tulsa, Colorado State, Florida Atlantic and Purdue.
4. Through four games, Minnesota has had three running backs record 100-yard games in Rodney Smith (125 vs Oregon State, 104 at Penn State), Shannon Brooks (100 at Penn State) and Kobe McCrary (176 vs Indiana State). This is the first time that Minnesota has had three running backs notch 100-yard games in a season since 2007 when Amir Pinnix (168 vs Bowling Green, 126 vs Miami (Ohio)), Jay Thomas (100 vs Northwestern) and Duane Bennett (106 vs Michigan) did it.
5. Shannon Brooks has rushed for nine career touchdowns (has also passed for one career touchdown, 42 yards to Drew Wolitarsky at Iowa last season) and has covered 281 yards while doing so. That means the sophomore averages 31.2 yards per touchdown. His seven scores last year came from 75, 71, 40, 38, five and three yards (twice) and he has scored from 37 and nine yards this season. A year ago, he became the first Gopher since Laurence Maroney in 2005 to have four touchdown runs longer than 35 yards in one season, as Maroney had scoring runs of 93 yards (Wisconsin), 73 (Tulsa), 67 (Tulsa) and 38 (Florida Atlantic). For his career, Brooks has 146 carries for 894 yards and a 6.1 average.
FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
1. Minnesota welcomes Iowa to TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday. Once again, the schools will be playing for the coveted Floyd of Rosedale, which is a solid bronze pig that is 15.5 inches tall, 21 inches long and weighs 98.3 pounds. Minnesota leads the all-time series 62-45-2 and is 42-37-2 against Iowa when Floyd has been on the line. The Gophers enter Saturday's tilt looking to regain possession of Floyd as Iowa prevailed 40-35 last season in Iowa City. Minnesota is 39-16-1 all-time against Iowa at home and that includes a 51-14 victory in 2014. Minnesota and Iowa are 3-3 in their last six meetings.
2. Minnesota scored 51 points against Iowa in 2014 and 35 in defeat last season. The 86 combined points over two years are the most Minnesota has scored against Iowa since the 1936-37 seasons. Minnesota won 52-0 in 1936 and 35-10 in 1937 to score a combined 87 points. Guiding the Gopher offense in the past two games against Iowa has been quarterback Mitch Leidner. The senior is 1-1 against Iowa, but has been impressive against the Hawkeyes. In his two combined games against Iowa, Leidner has rushed 22 times for 109 yards and a touchdown and has completed 29-of-40 passes (72.5%) for five touchdowns and no interceptions.
3. Minnesota has scored 145 through four games this year (36.2 average) under new offensive coordinator Jay Johnson. The last time Minnesota scored at least 145 points through the first four games of the season was 2008 when it combined to score 145 against Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Montana State and Florida Atlantic. The last time Minnesota scored more than 145 points in the first four games of the season when it played a Big Ten game was 2005. The Gophers combined to score 185 points against Tulsa, Colorado State, Florida Atlantic and Purdue.
4. Through four games, Minnesota has had three running backs record 100-yard games in Rodney Smith (125 vs Oregon State, 104 at Penn State), Shannon Brooks (100 at Penn State) and Kobe McCrary (176 vs Indiana State). This is the first time that Minnesota has had three running backs notch 100-yard games in a season since 2007 when Amir Pinnix (168 vs Bowling Green, 126 vs Miami (Ohio)), Jay Thomas (100 vs Northwestern) and Duane Bennett (106 vs Michigan) did it.
5. Shannon Brooks has rushed for nine career touchdowns (has also passed for one career touchdown, 42 yards to Drew Wolitarsky at Iowa last season) and has covered 281 yards while doing so. That means the sophomore averages 31.2 yards per touchdown. His seven scores last year came from 75, 71, 40, 38, five and three yards (twice) and he has scored from 37 and nine yards this season. A year ago, he became the first Gopher since Laurence Maroney in 2005 to have four touchdown runs longer than 35 yards in one season, as Maroney had scoring runs of 93 yards (Wisconsin), 73 (Tulsa), 67 (Tulsa) and 38 (Florida Atlantic). For his career, Brooks has 146 carries for 894 yards and a 6.1 average.