The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers will play the second of a three-game homestand Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium. Minnesota hosts Miami University, with kickoff set for 2:37 p.m. CT. This will be the third meeting between the schools, with Minnesota holding a 2-0 lead in the short series.
Both teams enter the contest looking for their first victory. The Gophers are 0-2 after falling to New Mexico State 28-21 last week. Meanwhile, the Redhawks dropped a 17-6 decision in week one at Missouri. Miami was off last week. The last time Minnesota and Miami hooked up, a three-overtime affair ensued. The Gophers won 41-35 in their only victory of the 2007 season.
BTN will televise the game. Matt Devlin will call the play-by-play action. Former Gopher head coach Glen Mason will serve as the analyst in the booth. Rebecca Haarlow will provide reports from the TCF Bank Stadium sidelines.
SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
Miami University (Ohio) opened its 2011 season with a 17-6 loss at the hands of Missouri back on Sept. 3 in Columbia, Mo. The Redhwawks were off last week.
Miami is coached by alum Don Treadwell, who is in his first season as the head coach in Oxford. This is Treadwell’s first head coaching assignment. He spent the previous eight seasons as offensive coordinator at Cincinnati (2004-06) and Michigan State (2007-10). Treadwell was an All-MAC wide receiver as a junior at Miami and a team captain as a senior.
The Redhawks fumbled three times, losing one, and threw an interception against Missouri. Miami rushed for just 76 yards against the Big 12 foe, but actually gained more first downs than Mizzou (19-15). Erik Finklea led the Redhawk offense on the ground with 71 yards and a score. Zac Dysert was 26-of-39 passing for 194 yards and an interception. Pat Hinkel and Evan Harris each tallied nine tackles for Miami in the contest.
LAST TIME VS. MIAMI
(Sept. 8, 2007) — An Amir Pinnix 2-yard touchdown in the third overtime period of the NCAA-record tying second consecutive overtime game this season for the Golden Gophers handed Minnesota an emotional 41-35 victory over Miami (Ohio) in front of 45,383 fans at the Metrodome.
Senior cornerback Jamal Harris’ second interception of the game, ending the RedHawks’ drive in the final overtime period, set up the winning effort. Harris’ first interception on the first play of the fourth quarter also halted a Miami scoring threat. He added a forced fumble and a fumble recovery to the winning effort.
Pinnix finished with 126 yards on 28 carries, his fifth consecutive game with over 100 yards.
Minnesota briefly enjoyed a 28-12 lead after Adam Weber fired his second scoring strike to Ernie Wheelwright with 8:35 left in the fourth quarter. Miami looked to sophomore quarterback Daniel Raudabaugh in relief of starter Mike Kokal and the RedHawks responded with a pair of scoring drives to tie the score at 28-28 and force overtime.
DYNAMIC DUAL THREAT
Minnesota QB Marqueis Gray passed for 211 yards and rushed for 110 more in last week’s game vs. New Mexico State. He is the first Gopher QB to rush for more than 100 yards in a game since Asad Abdul Khaliq (106 vs. Michigan Oct. 10, 2003). His 110 rushing yards are the most by a Minnesota quarterback since Billy Cockerham put up 122 at Iowa (Nov. 20, 1999). Cockerham’s performance vs. Iowa also marked the last Minnesota QB to pass and rush for more than 100 yards (175 passing). Cockerham was also the last Gopher QB to pass for 200+ and rush for 100+ (218, 156 vs. Illinois St., Sept. 18, 1999).
McKNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR
Senior Da’Jon McKnight is the most accomplished wide receiver returning for the Gophers. McKnight is on the Biletnikoff Award watch list. He hauled in 10 receiving touchdowns last season, nearly tying the school record of 11 for that category. McKnight was No. 75 in the nation and No. 9 in the Big Ten last season, averaging 62.5 receiving yards per game. McKnight tallied career-best marks for receptions and receiving yards last week vs. New Mexico State, with nine catches for 146 yards. He needs just 305 yards to crack the school’s career receiving yards top 10 list.
MIKE MARKS MARK
Junior linebacker Mike Rallis turned in a career day against New Mexico State last week. His 13 tackles matched a Gophers’ season-high (CB Brock Vereen also had 13 at USC). Rallis’ 13 stops were the most by a Gopher linebacker this season and the most by a Gopher LB since Gary Tinsley turned in 14 tackles last year at Wisconsin. For Rallis, his 13 total tackles topped his previous high mark of nine vs. South Dakota last season. He recorded 12 solo stops vs. New Mexico State, which doubled his previous best for solo tackles.
NOTHIN’ BUT NET
The University of Minnesota ranked dead last (120th of 120) in net punting in all of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision last season. But the Gophers have turned that around in a big way during the first two weeks of 2011. Minnesota’s net average of 43.0 yards per punt attempt rank No. 13 in the nation. Punter Dan Orseske’s average of 45.62 yards per punt also ranks No. 13 in the nation.