Minnesota at Purdue

Date/Time/Place: Saturday, Sept. 28 , 2019: 3:30 ET, Ross-Ade Stadium

Surface: Natural Grass

Capacity: 57,236 (Tickets Available)

Schedule/records: Minnesota 3-0 in 2019, 7-6 in 2018; Purdue 1-2 in 2019, 6-7 in 2018

Line: Minnesota -1.5

Series notes: Minnesota leads the series 38-33-3, but the Boilermakers have a 21-6 record in games played in West Lafayette. Minnesota beat Purdue handily last year in Minneapolis 41-10, but the Boilermakers defeated the Gophers 31-17 in their last meeting in Ross-Ade Stadium. The Gophers have won five of six games in the series dating back to 2012. The teams are 8-8 against one another since 2000.

TV: ESPN2 (Mark Kestecher PBP, Rod Gilmore Analyst, Quint Kessenich Sideline

Radio (Purdue): Sirius 108/ XM 195/ Tunein.com (Tim Newton, play-by-play; Pete Quinn, analyst; Kelly Kitchel sideliines, Rob Blackman, studio host). Coverage concludes with Boilermaker Sports Wrap with Nate Barrett and Alan Karpick at 30 minutes after game.

Pregame: Gold and Black Radio

Purdue roster | Purdue Schedule/results | Purdue Game Notes | Purdue Depth Chart

Minnesota Roster | Minnesota Schedule/Results | Minnesota Game Notes | Minnesota Depth Chart

West Lafayette Weather

MORE: Brohm on Sindelar: "I think he's making progress" | Minnesota Opponent View | Twin City Superstore Video: Jeff Brohm on injuries, bye week, Gophers, more | Gold and Black Radio podcast: Purdue restarts for Minnesota after bye | GoldandBlack.com Roundtable: Purdue's most important missing player | Anthrop to pull double duty | Coach's corner: Purdue must deal with 1700 pounds of Gopher linemen | What is Purdue's concussion protocol?

Minnesota has had a field day running against Purdue in recent years. It is doubtful that in the history of Purdue football the Boilermakers have faced three opponent backs in the same game that have previously rushed for 100 yards against them. But that is the case this year as Shannon Brooks (No. 4), who is returning from injury, has broken the 100-yard barrier against the Boilermakers in 2015 and 2017, Rodney Smith (1) in 2016 and Mohamed Ibrahim (24) last year. Smith and Ibrahim have been banged up as well, but are expected to play on Saturday as, like Purdue, the Gophers were off last week.

Purdue will undoubtedly load up against the run to try to make quarterback Tanner Morgan (2) beat it, but that will be no easy task as the Gophers run behind one of the largest offensive lines in college football. Minnesota ranked 12th in the Big Ten averaging just 123.7 yards per game and under three yards per carry, so there is opportunity for the Boilermakers here.

Morgan has been good this year, especially in the fourth quarter when he has made plays when the Gophers needed it most. He is 7-2 as a starter and he has shown enough moxie to lead his team to three fourth quarter comebacks in 2019. His completion percentage has been 71 in the game's final 15 minutes. He has two NFL caliber receivers in Tyler Johnson (6) and Rashod Bateman (13), and they will be Purdue's biggest challenge to date from the wideout position.

Defensive coordinator Nick Holt will need to scheme his way into pressuring Morgan, as the Gophers line has struggled to date giving up 11 sacks. For Purdue to have a chance, this category has to be near even, but that could be wishful thinking.

Speaking of scheming, coach Jeff Brohm will have to devise a way for the Boilermakers to be serviceable in the run game as it has suffered through a historic downturn averaging just 50 yards a contest through three games. He has moved Jackson Anthrop to the backfield, but the problems is equally, if not greater, with the Boilermakers' offensive line not getting enough push. Does Rondale Moore get some carries this week?

Last year, the Boilermakers managed just 88 yards in the freezing cold of Minneapolis, and the Gophers have just about everyone back on their defense.

The Gophers rank 43rd nationally against the run giving up 118 per game. So while it may be unlikely that the Boilermakers will be picked to have this advantage in this category for the rest of the season, if they can just make two yards when they need it, it may be considered a win.

This category is based on fifth-year senior quarterback Elijah Sindelar playing, which is very much an unknown as of this writing. The weather is supposed to clear by game time (there is a chance of morning rain) with little wind so conditions are good for a big day. Minnesota has been good in pass defense ranking 26th nationally and giving up under 200 yards per game and defensive back Antoine Winfield (11) is one of the leagues best, though he is especially proficient in the run game.

Minnesota's freshman kicker Michael Lantz has tried just a pair of field goals, with a 37-yarder. Gopher punter Jacob Herbers averages 40 per kick and has placed three of 10 inside the 20 and has yet to have punt return yardage againt on him in 2019.. The Gophers' sample size on kick returns is small, with a long kickoff return of 36 yards and a long punt run back of 19.

For the Boilermakers to change the trajectory of their season,, they need to make something happen in special teams. With Rondale Moore that is possible, though the Gophers gave up a 47 yard kickoff return in their season opener against South Dakota State.

This is where the fate of this game lies for Purdue. It has to muster up enough momentum to turn its season around. Will revenge from last year's embarrassing loss help? Will the banged-up Boilermakers heal up sufficiently and/or find ample replacements now that they have had a couple of weeks since their last game? Lots of questions with definitive answers unlikely to come until about 7 p.m. Saturday night.

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