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University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Play Host to Purdue for Homecoming
10/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Minnesota Game Notes - vs. Purdue
GOPHERS PLAY HOST TO PURDUE FOR HOMECOMING
The Minnesota Golden Gophers will look to rebound from a loss to Wisconsin last week when Purdue visits TCF Bank Stadium Saturday. The Gophers lead the all-time series with the Boilermakers by a tally of 32-30-3. Saturday’s Homecoming contest will be played at 11:02 a.m.
Minnesota has only won two of the last 11 meetings with the Boilermakers. But the Gophers won last season’s matchup by a 17-6 tally.
Purdue is coming off a 27-21 loss to Northwestern last week. The Boilermakers are 1-4 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play. Purdue’s only victory this season came in its season-opener vs. Toledo.
ESPN2 will televise the game. Pam Ward will call the game action with the play-by-play, while Ray Bentley will be the analyst.
SCOUTING PURDUE
Purdue comes into this week’s game with a 1-4 overall record and an 0-1 mark in the Big Ten. But the Boilermakers have been close to big victories this season. Purdue fell to nationally-ranked Oregon 38-36 on the road and lost by just three, 24-21 to Notre Dame.
Purdue is coached by Danny Hope, who is in his first season as the head coach in W. Lafayette. He is in his sixth overall season on the Purdue staff. Hope was an assistant coach at Purdue under Joe Tiller from 1997-2001.
Offensively, Purdue is one of the more prolific teams in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers are No. 34 in the nation in total offense, No. 30 in passing and No. 56 in rushing. They are averaging 30.2 points per game, ranking No. 41. On the flip side, Purdue is 94th in total defense and 92nd in scoring defense, allowing 399.4 yards and 29.6 points per game.
QUICK HITTERS
> Minnesota ranks No. 9 in the nation in punt return average, going for 19.0 yards per return.
>The Gophers are No. 11 in the nation in net punting, averaging 40.43 yards of field position per punt.
> Minnesota ranks 14th in the nation in kickoff returns, averaging 27.23 yards per kick return. The Gophers returned five kicks, averaging nearly 30 yards per return, last week vs. Wisconsin.
> The Gophers have performed in front of three straight sellout crowds of 50,805 in their first three games at TCF Bank Stadium.
> Minnesota’s 35 points vs. Northwestern two weeks ago were its most in 13 games, -- since scoring 37 vs. Florida Atlantic last season.
> Minnesota has trailed in the fourth quarter of every game it has played this season.
THE PURDUE SERIES
Saturday’s game will be the 66th gridiron meeting between the University of Minnesota and Purdue. Minnesota leads the series 32-30-3, winning 17-6 last season.
Despite last season’s victory at Purdue, Minnesota has won just twice in its last 11 attempts vs. the Boilermakers. The only other Minnesota win during that stretch was a 42-35, double-overtime victory at the Metrodome back in 2005.
RETURN TO SENDER
The return game was a definite strength for the Gophers in 2008. Minnesota was the No. 2 team in the Big Ten and ranked No. 15 in the nation in average kickoff return yards. The Gophers averaged 24.04 yards per kickoff return last season. The longest kickoff return last season was turned in by Troy Stoudermire, who went 60 yards at the Insight Bowl vs. Kansas.
The Gophers nearly doubled their punt-return average in 2008, averaging 9.94 yards per return. Minnesota ranked No. 5 in the Big Ten and No. 46 in the nation in punt returns.
So far in the 2009 season, the Gophers have continued to improve in the return game. Minnesota ranks No. 9 in the country and No. 1 in the Big Ten with an average punt return of 19.0 yards, but they’ve only returned three punts all season. Kickoff returner Troy Stoudermire’s first return of the season was a 54-yarder. As a team, the Gophers are averaging 27.23 yards per kickoff return, which ranks No. 14 in the nation and No. 2 in the conference.
MORE RECORDS FOR DECKER
Senior wide receiver Eric Decker has recorded three new Minnesota records already in the 2009 season. Last week, he became Minnesota’s career receiving yardage record-holder. 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.
BROWN BAGGING IT
Senior defensive tackle Garrett Brown made three stops and forced a fumble in last week’s game vs. Wisconsin. It was the first turnover Brown has been involved in this season. He had a hand in four during the 2008 season, recovering three fumbles and forcing another. Brown has 10 total stops this season, after recording 34 stops in 2008.
TRIPLETT'S TURNOVERS
Senior linebacker Nate Triplett has done a little bit of everything for the Gophers this season. Triplett accounted for two of Minnesota’s three turnovers gained last week vs. Wisconsin. He returned an interception 25 yards to set up a score and also recovered a fumble. Triplett has 40 percent (4-of-10) of the Gophers’ turnovers gained in 2009 with a pair of interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries.
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