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University of Minnesota Athletics
Blog: On The Road in Syracuse
9/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
The University of Minnesota football team left the Gibson-Nagurski Complex Friday morning at 9:45 a.m., headed for Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. By 11 a.m. the Golden Gophers were in the air on the way to Syracuse, N.Y. and 24 hours away from kickoff of the first contest of the 2009 campaign.
Following an uneventful 1-hour, 52-minute flight, the Gophers boarded buses and headed for the Carrier Dome. Head coach Tim Brewster's squad held a brief walk-through on the artificial turf inside the domed stadium, getting accustomed to their surroundings. Many commented that it didn't take much getting used to, as the facility has a very similar feel to the Metrodome.
Click the video below to see some video of the Gophers' trip and walk-through at the Carrier Dome.
Many have commented on the irony of Minnesota opening in a domed stadium in the historic season when football comes back to campus at TCF Bank Stadium. But I'm not sure if many are aware of exactly how ironic it is that the Gophers are opening the 2009 season indoors.
Let's break down the numbers and let the irony sink in a bit: There are 120 schools who play in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision. Now that Minnesota is out of the Metrodome, there are three FBS teams who still play in a dome. Along with Syracuse, Idaho plays in the Kibbie Dome and Tulane plays in the Louisiana Superdome. That leaves Syracuse as the only team in a Bowl Championship Series conference who are still playing indoor football.
Notes:
- Minnesota wide receiver Eric Decker comes into the game with a reception in 26 consecutive games. That number ranks sixth in the nation. The following is a look at that list:
1. Bryan Anderson (Central Michigan) - 40
2. Naaman Roosevelt (Buffalo) - 38
3. Duke Calhoun (Memphis) - 37
4. Brandon LaFell (LSU) - 28
5. Antonio Brown (Central Michigan) - 27
6. Toren Dixon (Rice) - 26
6. Eric Decker (Minnesota) - 26
6. Delashaun Dean (Arizona) - 26
-Minnesota is 87-32-6 all-time in season-openers for a winning percentage of .720.
-Minnesota is opening the season with an opponent from a Bowl Championship Series conference for the first time since 1994, when the Gophers opened with Penn State.
- Minnesota’s six-game turnaround in 2008 was the best in program history.
- The Gophers went undefeated (4-0) in non-conference play in 2008. It was the first time Minnesota won all its regular-season non-conference games since 2005, when the Gophers went 3-0.
- The Golden Gophers have outscored their last five season-opening opponents by an average score of 43.2-16.7.
That's it for tonight. Join us tomorrow morning at GopherSports.com for a live blog throughout the game. The blog will be interactive and we'll be answering your questions about the play on the field, the atmosphere in and around the Carrier Dome, etc.
-Andy Seeley
