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First Look: Minnesota

Iowa at Minnesota, Nov. 13, 2020

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2019 Purdue-Minnesota

2018 Purdue-Minnesota highlights


Here's an updated early look at Purdue's fourth opponent in 2020, the Minnesota Golden Gophers

Date/time: Friday, Nov. 20, 7:30 p.m. ET

Location: TCF Bank Stadium

Surface: Field Turf

Capacity: 50,805 Tickets | Stadium information

Schedule/records: Minnesota 1-3 overall/1-3 Big Ten in 2020, 11-2 overall/7-2 Big Ten in 2019 | Purdue 2-1/2-1 in 2020, 4-8/3-6 in 2019.

Series notes: Minnesota leads the series, 39-33-3, and blew out Purdue, 41-10, in the freezing cold of TCF Bank Stadium in the last meeting in Minneapolis on Nov. 10, 2018. Coaches P.J. Fleck and Jeff Brohm are in their fourth seasons at their respective schools, with Fleck holding a 2-1 series advantage after last year's 38-31 Gopher victory on Sept. 28 in Ross-Ade Stadium. Purdue is winless in five attempts at TCF Bank Stadium, a facility that opened in 2009. The teams first played in 1894, and the Boilermakers are just 12-32-3 in games played in Minneapolis over the years, while they are 21-7 in contests played in West Lafayette.

TV: BTN

Early line: It opened as a pick-em and moved to Purdue -2

Here are some early storylines:

The Gophers are really struggling defensively

With many departures from 2019, on defense, it isn't shocking that Minnesota would have issues on that side of the ball. But it has been worse than coach P.J. Fleck imagined. The Gopher defense ranks second to last in the league giving up 35.8 points per contest and a league worst 7.8 yard per play.

This past Friday night, Minnesota was in the game at halftime versus Iowa trailing 14-0. Yet, when its first drive of the second half (16 plays, 74 yards that last nearly 11 minutes) ended with no points, things went more downhill from there. It lost 35-7.

Minnesota has really been hampered by penalties to date.

The Gopher "Stars" are shining (sort of)

After a school record-setting sophomore season which included a record 21 of 22, 396 yards, four TDS performance last year against Purdue, Tanner Morgan has been underwhelming in 2020. He is completing just 57.1 percent of his passes, he’s struggled to find consistency this year. It is reflected in his 4-4 TD-INT ratio.

Yet, the Gophers have the leading rusher in the Big Ten by a long shot in Mohamed Ibrahim who is averaging 5.3 yards per attempt and 178 yards a contest. He also has 10 touchdowns. Rashod Bateman is fourth in the league in receiving, averaging 103.3 yards per contest.

Brohm vs. Fleck: Year 4

In one way this game is a measuring stick of where these programs are in Year 4. Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck has won two of three games versus coach Jeff Brohm and has a 24-18 overall record with the Gophers. Brohm, who inherited a program in much worse shape than Fleck, is 19-22 overall.

The two programs have gone head-to-head in several recruiting battles adding to the intrigue in this game.

Brohm on Minnesota

"Last year they crushed us in the run/pass option. They are very well coached and hungry as we know their season hasn't gone to plan to date. We haven't played well up there and we will have to be really focused in order to be competitive on Friday night.

"They are well coached and have two great players in Rashod Bateman and Mohamed Ibrahim. It will not be easy for us up there, it never is."

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