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University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Travel to Penn State Saturday
10/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Minnesota Football Notes - at Penn State
GOPHERS TRAVEL TO FACE NATIONALLY-RANKED PENN STATE
The Minnesota Golden Gophers, coming off a 35-20 Homecoming victory over Purdue, will open a stretch of back-to-back games against nationally-ranked opponents Saturday at Penn State. Minnesota will travel to Columbus, Ohio for a contest vs. Ohio State next week.
Saturday’s matchup at Beaver Stadium is just the 11th in the series between Penn State and Minnesota. Kickoff in the game for the Governor’s Victory Bell is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.
Penn State is coming off a 52-3 throttling of Eastern Illinois last week in University Park, Pa.. The Nittany Lions are 5-1 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten. Penn State’s only loss was a 21-10 home loss to Iowa.
ABC will televise the game regionally, with the rest of the nation seeing the game on ESPN. Sean McDonough will call the play-by-play, Matt Millen will be the analyst and Holly Rowe will be on the sidelines.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State comes into this week’s game with a 5-1 overall record and a 1-1 mark in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions have an average margin of victory of 27.4 points in their five wins. Their lone loss came at home to Iowa in a 21-10 setback.
Penn State is coached by legendary Joe Paterno, who is in his 43rd season as the head coach in State College, Pa. Paterno is the all-time leader in coaching victories among major college football coaches. He was the 2008 Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Offensively, Penn State is one of the more prolific teams in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions are No. 23 in the nation in total offense, No. 32 in rushing and No. 39 in passing. They are averaging 31.1 points per game, ranking No. 38. Defensively, Penn State is even better. The Nittany Lions rank No. 6 in the country in scoring defense, No. 8 in total defense, No. 8 against the run and No. 26 against the pass.
QUICK HITTERS
> Minnesota ranks No. 9 in the nation in punt return average, going for 19.0 yards per return. However, the Gophers have only returned three punts in six games this season
> The Gophers are No. 13 in the nation in net punting, averaging 39.89 yards of field position per punt.
> Minnesota ranks 12th in the nation in kickoff returns, averaging 27.0 yards per kick return. The Gophers returned five kicks, averaging nearly more than 25 yards per return, last week vs. Purdue.
> Minnesota passed for just 74 yards in last week’s victory, but the Gophers rushed for 207.
> Minnesota’s 35 points vs. Northwestern and Purdue are the most since scoring 37 vs. Florida Atlantic last season.
> Minnesota has come from behind in all four of its victories this season.
THE PENN STATE SERIES
Saturday’s game will be the 11th gridiron meeting between the University of Minnesota and Penn State University. Penn State leads the series 6-4.
The two teams have not met since 2006, when the Nittany Lions took a 28-27 win in overtime. Penn State won the first four meetings in the series, while the Gophers won the next four. The Nittany Lions have won the last two.
NO PASSING FANCY
Minnesota passed just 10 times in last Saturday’s victory over Purdue. The Gophers were 5-of-10 for 74 yards with two interceptions in the air last week.
It was the fewest passes thrown by a Gopher squad since they tossed it nine times in a 45-42 win vs. Northwestern exactly seven years prior (Oct. 10, 2002). The five completions last week were the fewest since the Gophers completed five in a 20-16 win over Alabama on Dec. 30, 2004 at the Music City Bowl. The 74 yards were the fewest since the Gophers passed for 73 in a 29-27 loss vs. Iowa on Nov. 13, 2004. It was the lowest output in a win since throwing for 71 in a 20-14 win at Penn State on Sept. 27, 2003.
RUSH HOUR
Minnesota’s 207 yards rushing vs. Purdue last week were a season-high output on the ground. It was the first time the Golden Gophers have gone over the 200-yard mark since Sept. 20, 2008 when they ran for 206 vs. Florida Atlantic.
The last time Minnesota rushed for 200 yards or more vs. a Big Ten team was Oct. 13, 2007 when they rushed for 239 in a 49-48, double-overtime loss to Northwestern. Last week’s output vs. Purdue was also the highest rushing total for the Gophers since that contest at Northwestern.
Eight different Gophers ran the ball in the victory against the Boilermakers last week.
MORE RECORDS FOR DECKER
Senior wide receiver Eric Decker has etched his name at the top of four Minnesota records charts already in the 2009 season. Two weeks ago, he became Minnesota’s career receiving yardage record-holder and tied the school record for career 100-yard games. Earlier this season, he set a new record for career receptions and for consecutive 100-yard receiving games. Decker was a semi-finalist for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver in 2008. For two straight seasons, Decker set the Minnesota single-season record for receptions. He hauled in 67 passes in 2007 and smashed that record with 84 receptions last season. Decker became just the fourth Gopher receiver ever to compile a 1,000-yard season in 2008, finishing with 1,074 yards to rank No. 2 on the school single-season chart.
CAMPBELL'S M'MM M'MM GOOD
Senior linebacker Lee Campbell has led the Gophers in tackling in three of their six games this season, including last week’s win over Purdue. He also tallied his first interception of the season, setting up a TD, and blocked a kick that was returned for a score vs. the Boilermakers. Campbell is ranked No. 9 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten in total tackles.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
Sophomore kick returner Troy Stoudermire is ranked No. 17 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten Conference in kickoff returns, averaging 28.3 yards per return. Stoudermire has taken 13 of his 20 kick returns back for 20 yards or more, while four of them have gone back for 40 yards or more. If Stoudermire’s career ended now, his 26.6-yard average would be a Gopher career record.
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