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University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Battle Iowa for Floyd Saturday
11/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Minnesota Game Notes - vs. Iowa
GOLDEN GOPHERS BATTLE IOWA FOR FLOYD ON SENIOR DAY
The University of Minnesota football team, fresh off a bye week and an upset victory over Illinois, will look to send its seniors out in style Saturday. The Gophers host Iowa in the annual battle for Floyd of Rosedale.
The Gophers are 2-9 overall and 1-6 in Big Ten action. The 24th-ranked Hawkeyes are coming off a heart-breaking loss to Ohio State last weekend, 20-17.
Minnesota leads the series with the Hawkeyes by a 59-42-2 count. However, Iowa has won eight of the last nine meetings. The Gophers have been held scoreless in the last two meetings between the teams. This will be Iowa’s first-ever visit to TCF Bank Stadium.
The Big Ten Network will air the game. Eric Collins, Chris Martin and Charissa Thompson will call the action. This week’s game will also air on Sirius/XM satellite radio (91/197).
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
Minnesota won its season-opener at Middle Tennessee and then lost nine straight contests. But the Gophers pulled a huge upset, winning 38-34 at Illinois last week. Following a sixth consecutive loss at Purdue, Tim Brewster was relieved of his head coaching duties and Jeff Horton was named interim coach.
On offense, QB Adam Weber has taken nearly every snap for the past three-plus seasons. A few snaps have gone to MarQueis Gray in the past two weeks. Weber is lining up behind an offensive line with four returning starters. His fullback (Jon Hoese) and running backs (Duane Bennett/DeLeon Eskridge) both have starting experience. Minnesota lost just two starters -- WR Eric Decker and TE Nick Tow-Arnett -- from last year’s core starting group.
Conversely, the Gophers have only two starters from last year’s defense on the roster for 2010. Safeties Kim Royston and Kyle Theret are the only regular starters from 2009 returning, but neither played in the first two games. Royston suffered a broken leg in spring ball and he has yet to play this season. Theret was suspended for the first two games, but has returned to the starting lineup since.
The Gophers are averaging 22.8 points per game and are allowing an average of 33.8 points per contest.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
The Iowa Hawkeyes are 7-4 on the season and 4-3 in Big Ten play. The records may be a bit deceiving, however. Three of Iowa’s losses have come to nationally-ranked teams.
Iowa is coached by Kirk Ferentz, who is in his 12th season as the head coach of the Hawkeyes. He is in his 88-59 overall in Iowa City. Prior to taking over the Iowa program, he was the offensive line coach for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. Ferentz did have college head coaching experience at Maine from 1990-92.
Illinois boasts the No. 4-ranked passing offense in the Big Ten, averaging 247.5 yards per game. The Hawkeyes score 29.5 points per game to rank No. 6 in the conference. Defensively, Iowa is the No. 2-ranked unit in the Big Ten in both scoring (15.5 ppg) and total defense (311.2 ypg). The Hawkeyes are the No. 1 defense in the Big Ten in red zone efficiency, allowing scores 72.7 percent of the time.
QUICK HITTERS
> Minnesota is 59-42-2 in its history vs. Iowa.
> Minnesota is in its 127th season of college football in 2010. Only three other schools -- Rutgers (141), Michigan (131) and Navy (130) will have played more at the end of this season.
> Wide receiver Da’Jon McKnight has hauled in 10 touchdown passes in 11 games this season. He is just one score away from tying the Gophers’ single-season record.
> Despite a school record time of possession of 45:34 in the season -opener, the Gophers have slipped to No. 3 in the Big Ten in average possession time after ranking No. 1 through the first six weeks.
> Quarterback Adam Weber became just the fifth Big Ten signal-caller to pass for 10,000 career yards earlier this season.
NOT ANOTHER NO-VEMBER
The Golden Gophers’ 38-34 victory at Illinois in their last outing marked the program’s first victory over a Big Ten or FBS opponent in the month of November or later in nearly four years. The last time Minnesota defeated an FBS or Big Ten foe in November was in Glen Mason’s last season (34-24 vs. Iowa, 11/18/06).
SLUMP BUSTERS
Minnesota’s victory over Illinois on Nov. 13 snapped a nine-game losing streak for the Golden Gophers. With the win, Minnesota avoided tying a school record for consecutive losses in a season. The previous record of 10 was set in 2007 -- the first season under former head coach Tim Brewster.
IRON MAN
Adam Weber now holds the Big Ten record for consecutive starts by a quarterback. With one more start, he could tie the all-time record for consecutive starts (50) in the Big Ten.
JACOBS JUMPS UP
Junior defensive lineman Anthony Jacobs has quickly become one of Minnesota’s best defensive linemen. He has led the defensive linemen in stops in four of the last five games, including a career-best eight stops vs. Illinois. He added a sack and 1.5 tackles-for-loss vs. the Illini.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
Junior cornerback/kick returner Troy Stoudermire is now the Big Ten career kickoff return-yardage leader. A 90-yard return vs. Illinois last time out helped push him in front of Wisconsin senior David Gilreath. Stoudermire has 2,920 yards on 114 returns, while Gilreath has 2,866 on 127 returns.
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