Minnesota at Northwestern football preview and score prediction
Minnesota (2-1) vs. Northwestern (1-2)
TV: Big Ten Network // Lisa Byington (PXP), Anthony Herron (Analyst), Elise Menaker (Reporter)
Series:Minnesota Leads 56-36-5
Last game:Minnesota Won 31-3 in Minneapolis (11/12/22)
Vegas betting line: Minnesota (-11.5) with an O/U of 38.5
Weather Report: 68 degrees with east wins at 9 mph
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1.Minnesota (2-1, 1-0 B1G) heads out on the road for the first time in conference play this season as it visits Northwestern (1-2, 0-1) Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. CT on BTN.
2.Saturday's trip to Northwestern marks the first Big Ten road game of the season for Minnesota. It is 45-71-8 all-time in B1G road openers, including a 3-3 mark under head coachP.J. Fleckand a 12-10-1 record in such games versus the Wildcats. Minnesota has won each of its last two conference road openers: last year at Michigan State and at Purdue in 2021. It's the first time since 1989-90 that the Gophers have won consecutive league road openers. The 1985-87 seasons mark the last time the Maroon and Gold won three straight Big Ten road openers.
3.Minnesota is 1-0 in Big Ten play thanks to a season-opening win over Nebraska on Aug. 31. The Golden Gophers are looking to go to 2-0 in league play for the second time under Fleck, also doing so in 2019 when they opened 6-0 against Big Ten foes. A win Saturday would mark the 37th time in program history Minnesota won its first two conference games and just the third time since 2004 (started 3-0 in B1G in 2014).
4.Darius Taylorhas been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second straight week after a standout performance at North Carolina. A true freshman, Taylor gained 138 yards and scored one touchdown on 22 carries against the Tar Heels. He also caught one pass for 25 yards. He rushed 12 times for 66 yards and the score in the first half against the Tar Heels, including two runs of more than 10 yards. Taylor had four rushes of more than 10 yards in the game, giving him 10 this season. A week ago, he rushed 33 times for 193 yards (second most in school history for a true freshman behind Darrell Thompson who had 205 yards against Bowling Green in 1986) and one touchdown against Eastern Michigan. Taylor is the first Minnesota true freshman to rush for more than 100 yards in consecutive games since the 2021 season and just the second to do so since 2003. In his past two games, Taylor has paced the Gophers with 55 rushes for 331 yards (6.0 ypc) and two touchdowns. Taylor is Minnesota's first repeat Big Ten Freshman of the Week honoree since running back Shannon Brooks, who claimed the honor on November 16 and November 23 in 2015.
5. The 2023 campaign is the seventh for head coachP.J. Fleckat Minnesota, where he holds a record of 46-28. He is already fifth in program history for overall wins and Big Ten wins (27) and sixth in games coached (74). Fleck's .622 win percentage is third best among the Minnesota coaches with at least 45 games under their helm behind only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, '45-50). In his 11th season overall as a college head coach, Fleck is 76-50 (.603).
