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University of Minnesota Athletics
Golden Gophers Host Temple in Home Opener
9/12/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
After opening the season with two games on the road, the University of Minnesota football team will open host its season opener at the Metrodome on Saturday, Sept. 16 against Temple.
Temple (0-2) at Minnesota (1-1)
Notes to Know
• The Gophers enter Saturday’s game against Temple with a 19-2 overall record in home games against non-conference opponents under Glen Mason. Minnesota is 27-4 in non-conference games under Glen Mason all-time. The Gophers have won 12 consecutive non-conference home games under Mason.
• The Gophers have amassed more than 300 yards of total offense in 40 of the team’s last 41 games dating back to the 2002 season.
• The Gophers are the only team in the country to have an offense that has rushed for 2,000 yards and passed for 2,000 yards in each of the past seven seasons. During the seven-year “run,” the Gophers have averaged 239.0 yards rushing per game, the highest seven-year rushing average in school history.
• Minnesota has won 33 consecutive games when holding their opponents to 20 or fewer points.
• The Gophers currently have a +4 in the turnover ratio category which is tops in the Big Ten and tied for fourth in the NCAA. They are also tied for first in the Big Ten and third in the country in fumbles recovered with 4 and the Gophers are tied for second in the Big Ten and 17th in the NCAA in passes intercepted with 3.
• Senior quarterback Bryan Cupito is among the leaders in almost every passing category in the Gopher record book. Cupito is only 264 passing yards away from moving into third place all-time in career passing yardage, surpassing both Rickey Foggie and Marquel Fleetwood.
• Senior defensive back Trumaine Banks is only two pass breakups away from tying Ukee Dozier (2001-04) and Michael Lehan (1999-2002) for the career pass breakup record.
• Tight end Matt Spaeth moved into second place all-time for career receptions by a tight end with 71 and is only 13 catches away from surpassing Ben Utecht for No. 1 all-time. He is also ranked fourth among tight ends in Minnesota school history for receiving yardage with 878.
• Dominic Jones’ 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Cal (9/9) was the first kickoff return for a touchdown by a Gopher player since Laurence Maroney returned one 88 yards for a TD vs. Troy State on Sept. 6, 2003. The kickoff return by Jones was the fourth longest kickoff return in school history trailing only 100-yard TD returns by Jermaine Mays (at Indiana, 2000), Bobby Weber (vs. Ohio State, 1977) and Rick Upchurch (vs. Wisconsin, 1974). Jones leads the Big Ten in kickoff return average (42.0 ypr) and is second in the NCAA, trailing only Boston College’s Jeff Smith, who has a 42.6-yard average.
• Running back Alex Daniels is currently ranked second in the Big Ten in rushing and 14th in the nation, averaging 116.5 yards per game. He is also second in the Big Ten and ninth in the NCAA in scoring, averaging 12 points per game.
