Last season’s win in Minneapolis was a major turning point for Purdue. At the time, the Boilermakers were 2-2 with a pair of narrow losses to Penn State and Syracuse that came in the final seconds. We were not sure what we had at that point, while Minnesota was 4-0 and in the top 25. The Golden Gophers were dominant in the process, giving up only 24 points in their first four games. Purdue was even facing uncertainty in regards to Aidan O’Connell, who had missed the previous week against Florida Atlantic.

The result was a surprise. Purdue won 20-10 thanks to a couple of big plays. It turned the entire season around and eventually Purdue won the division title, in large part because of its win over Minnesota. Devin Mockobee had the first 100 yard game of his career as he proved to be a real difference maker for the first time.

Minnesota went on to finish an impressive 9-4 with a bowl win over Syracuse, but this loss started a three-game losing streak that ultimately cost them. Under PJ Fleck Minnesota has become a solid team. They have won at least nine games in each of the last three full seasons. They won 11 games in 2019. The only thing missing has been a division title. They have come close in that time, and in a wide open West they have a chance to grab that title.