.png&width=42&height=42&type=webp)
University of Minnesota Athletics
Blog: Gophers Working Hard to Prepare for Purdue
10/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
The University of Minnesota football team is wasting no time this week in preparing for Saturday's matchup at Purdue.
The Gophers are putting last week's loss at Wisconsin behind them and looking forward to playing the Boilermakers, a team they have beaten the last two seasons in a row.
"You have to just come back and work hard every week," sophomore linebacker Ryan Grant said. "We're going to practice hard today, tomorrow and Thursday and make sure we have the game plan down and go out and perform on Saturday."
The Minnesota offensive line, which has surrendered only seven sacks so far this season, will have its hands full against the Purdue defense which leads the Big Ten in sacks with 16, including 5.5 by senior defensive end Ryan Kerrigan.
Defensively, the Gophers will be looking to rebound at stopping the run. The Boilermakers are currently No. 30 in the country in rushing with 196.8 yards per game.
One advantage for the Gophers is that Purdue will be without starting quarterback Robert Marve, and instead will be led by redshirt freshman Rob Henry, a mobile signal-caller who leads the Boilermakers in rushing, but has struggled so far throwing the ball with a completion percentage of just 45.8 percent.
The Gophers will be looking to exploit Henry's inexperience, while using their own numerous veterans on offense to continue to control the pace of the game. Minnesota remains first in the Big Ten in time of possession with 33:06 per game.
"We know it's not going to get easier, we just need to keep plugging and hopefully we can make something happen and get a win," junior running back DeLeon Eskridge said.
-Story and video by Athletic Communications Assistant Keith Beise
