Nick Tow-Arnett Prepares for Final Regular Season Game as a Gopher

For senior tight end Nick Tow-Arnett, the years have gone by quickly from freshman to now senior. As he prepares for his final regular season game of his Gopher football career, he talked about his preparation for this year’s Minnesota-Iowa football game, as well as how much last year’s 55-0 loss to the Hawkeyes was still talked about, and whether his brother Jeff Tow-Arnett might be able to share the field with him for his final game. Here are Nick Tow-Arnett’s thoughts”¦

On playing his last regular season game of his collegiate career”¦

NTA: It’s crazy. You come here, and your first year the seniors tell you that it goes so fast. Now it’s really starting to realize that, wow, it goes by really fast.

On trying to finish off the regular season with a better finish than last season’s 55-0 loss to Iowa”¦

NTA: That’s something that, between Iowa and Wisconsin, those games are so important to us, and to lose the way we did, that really hurts. So we’re definitely going to come back this year and do all we can to get a win.

On whether his brother Jeff will be able to play this weekend”¦

NTA: Yeah, right now he feels really good. Last week he felt pretty good, but now I think he’s a lot stronger, so I think he’ll be ready to go.

On whether it surprises him that his brother has healed as quickly as he has”¦

NTA: No, the kid is ridiculous when it comes to stuff like that. I mean he’s just staying positive and working, and rehabbing and doing all that stuff like that, and he’s done it, so it’s definitely good for him.

On whether the coaches have talked much about last year’s 55-0 loss to Iowa”¦

NTA: Yeah, that’s something you’re never going to forget, especially being the last game in the Metrodome. It definitely hurts, bringing everything up again from last year. I still remember that game vividly, so we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

On the motivating factors for the Iowa game, including revenge and Floyd of Rosedale”¦

NTA: Obvioulsy with Iowa there’s going to be a lot of motivation, but then with the bowl game (improvement possibilities) and my last regular season game, it’s definitely a game we’re going to go out there and give it everything we’ve got.

On whether a win over Iowa would be more meaningful than a bowl game win”¦

NTA: I don’t know, because that would also be my last game. It’s not like we’re going to go out to win this week, and then not try to win the next week. What I can say is that this is the most important game for us right now.

On whether they have talked at all about their game vs. Iowa two years ago, when it was a very close game”¦

NTA: Yeah, that’s one thing we’re going to use, that we’ve been to Iowa and we’re familiar with that, and we’ve played well there. That will give us more confidence, now we’ve got to do that again and get a win there this time.

On what he thinks of Iowa’s visitor’s locker room, which is painted pink”¦

NTA: It’s funny. We went there last time, and I wasn’t sure about it, but it’s light pink all over. Everything, bathroom, sinks, stalls, everything. I think you just have to laugh at it. I don’t know if it plays any other games with anybody else, but I just think it’s kind of funny.

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