Northwestern (5-5 overall, 4-3 Big Ten) at Minnesota (7-3 overall, 4-3 Big Ten)
When: Saturday, 2:30 p.m. CT – Minneapolis, Minn.
Stadium: TCF Bank Stadium (50,805)
TV/Radio: BTN, KFAN 100.3 FM
Coach: Pat Fitzgerald (11th season)
Spread: Northwestern -1½, o/u: 45
INSIDE THE GAME
Wildcats at a Glance
Pat Fitzgerald is only 40 years old, but he’s already the second-longest tenured coach in the B1G. He’s been at the helm in Evanston for 11 seasons and has led his alma mater to 75 wins and six bowl appearances.
Senior wide receiver Austin Carr might be the best player in the conference you’ve never heard of. Carr leads the Big Ten in receptions (75), receiving yards (1,102), yards per game (110.2), receptions per game (7.5), and touchdowns (12).
You likely have heard of running back Justin Jackson, who has topped 1,000 for the third-straight season. He’s the first player in program history to accomplish that feat.
With the conference’s best wideout and a prolific running back, it’s surprising that Northwestern has struggled to score this season. NU ranks last in scoring offense; averaging under 10 points per game.
Coach Speak
“Well, it’s control the running game part of it. We got to make sure that they don’t have a big day running the football, and then keep the ball in front of us on the passing game. So, sounds like it’s going to be a little windy and that, and so, we’re definitely going to — we’re going to have to control Justin Jackson and keep him from having a big day, and if we do that, then I think we’ll have an opportunity to win.” – Tracy Claeys on what concerns him facing Northwestern
“Big challenge this weekend. A Minnesota team that is playing at a very high level and doing it physically. Entire defense is very physical, fast. [Rodney] Smith and [Shannon] Brooks are really good in the backfield.” – Pat Fitzgerald on the Gophers
Storyline Central
Jack White with the Minnesota Daily wrote about his chat with Northwestern’s student beat writer, Bobby Pillote. Anything you’d want to know about the Wildcats is here, except for the 28-27 win prediction for Northwestern. Try again, Bobby.
Bobby does have a nice story about Northwestern’s new spending on their football facilities. Like the Gophers, the Wildcats are looking to improve their athletic components of their campus.
Ben Pope of the Daily Northwestern takes a look at redshirt-freshman running back John Moten. Last week, against Purdue, Moten rolled for 119 yards and was named a Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week.
The Gophers Win If…
They hold on to the ball, especially in the passing game. Mitch Leidner has thrown seven interceptions in 10 games this year, but four have come in Minnesota’s three losses. They seem to come at important times, too, like last game against Nebraska. The Gophers were down to the Huskers 17 and trailing by seven when Leidner’s errant pass ended in a turnover. Leidner has his critics, but is capable of winning conference games if he’s able to protect the ball. Minnesota’s ground game can dominate, but they’ll need to avoid costly turnovers – especially late – if they want to pick up their eighth win.
The Wildcats Win If…
They can pass protect. The Wildcats are near the top of the conference with over 150 passing yards per game, but have given up a Big Ten-low two sacks per game. On the other side, the Gophers have produced 3.3 sacks per contest, good for third in the conference. The statistical comparison is even more interesting when looking at only Big Ten games. Minnesota averages 2.9 sacks in conference games, while, you guessed it, the Wildcats are giving up 2.9 sacks. Northwestern has weapons on offense, but will need to keep Minnesota out of the backfield if they want to win on the road.