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University of Minnesota Athletics
Game 10: Nebraska at Minnesota
11/6/2017 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 6, 2017
FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO ROW
1. Minnesota welcomes Nebraska to TCF Bank Stadium for an 11 a.m. game on Saturday. The Gophers and Cornhuskers are both 4-5 overall this season. Minnesota leads the all-time series against Nebraska 31-24-2. The teams are 2-2 in the last four meetings. The Gophers posted wins in 2013 (34-23 at home) and 2014 (28-24 in Lincoln), but dropped meetings in 2015 (48-17 at home) and in 2016 (24-17 in Lincoln).
2. Forty-nine of Minnesota's 110 players (44.5%) are freshmen or redshirt freshmen and 76 (69%) are underclassmen. Minnesota's lack of depth is perhaps most evident in the secondary. The Gophers have played 11 defensive backs this season, which includes four freshmen, three sophomores, two juniors and two seniors. Seven of those eleven players have missed time this year and sophomore Coney Durr has played in only two games after returning from an ACL injury suffered in the 2016 Holiday Bowl. In addition to Durr, the three secondary players who have not missed action are Jacob Huff (only defensive back to play in every game), redshirt freshman walk-on Calvin Swenson (has played in six games) and true freshman Justus Harris (has played in three games). The injuries and lack of depth forced Minnesota to move safety Adekunle Ayinde (started his career as a walk-on) to corner, where he has started the last three games. Despite all this, Minnesota is 10th in the NCAA in passing yards allowed per game at 169.8
3. Minnesota's defense - despite missing multiples starters because of injury - has been playing at an elite level. Through nine games the Gophers have allowed 150 points for a 20.3 average (T29 scoring defense in the nation), which is the lowest amount since 2008 when Minnesota allowed 161 points for a 17.88 average. Last year, Minnesota had allowed 208 points for a 23.11 average through nine games. This year's 20.33 average is also the fifth lowest average through nine games for the Gophers in the last 30 years. Minnesota allowed an average of 14.5 points in 1999; 17.8 points in 2008; 18.8 points in 2002; 19.3 points in 2003 and then 20.3 points this year. Minnesota is No. 23 in total defense at 329.0 yards per game, despite starting five underclassmen against Illinois and Iowa and four at Michigan.
4. Tyler Johnson is having one of the best seasons ever for a Minnesota sophomore receiver. Johnson has seven touchdowns and one more will tie him with former tight end Maxx Williams (2014) for the school record for touchdown receptions for a sophomore. Through nine games, Johnson has 32 receptions for 620 yards. He needs nine catches to break into the top five for receptions by a sophomore, as Aaron Osterman (1992) and Dwayne McMullen (1982) are fifth in program receptions for a sophomore with 41 (Eric Decker is first with 67 in 2007). Johnson needs 20 yards to tie McMullen (1982) for fifth in yards by a sophomore with 640 (Decker, 2007 and Jared Ellerson, 2003 are tied for first with 909 yards).
5. Minnesota is no stranger to the Barber name. Marion Barber played running back at Minnesota from 1977- 80 and ranks sixth all-time in program history with 3,094 rushing yards. Marion Barber III played running back at Minnesota from 2001-04 and ranks fourth all-time in program history with 3,276 rushing yards. Dom Barber lettered at Minnesota as a defensive back from 2004-07 and notched 187 career tackles. Now, Thomas Barber is etching his name into Gopher history with a breakout sophomore season. Barber leads the Gophers with 82 tackles (57 solo) including nine for a loss and also has one interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He leads the entire Big Ten and is sixth in the country in solo tackles. Barber had double-digit tackles in the first five Big Ten games this season to become the first Gopher to do that since Tyrone Carter did so in 10 straight games in 1998.
You can read Minnesota's complete game notes here.
| Nebraska (4-5, 3-3) at Minnesota (4-5, 1-5) | |
| Date | Saturday, November 11 |
| Time | 11 a.m. Central |
| Tickets | GopherSports.com/tickets |
| Location | TCF Bank Stadium (50,805 capacity) |
| Bag Policy | Stadium Bag Policy |
| Parking | Event Information |
| Metro Transit | Get to the Game |
| Television | FS1 |
| Radio | KFAN 100.3 | Gopher Radio Network |
| Internet | Listen Live | I Heart Radio App |
| Live Stats | |
| Game Notes | Minnesota Notes // Fleck Press Conference // Nebraska Notes |
| Social Media | @GopherFootball | Facebook | Instagram |
FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO ROW
1. Minnesota welcomes Nebraska to TCF Bank Stadium for an 11 a.m. game on Saturday. The Gophers and Cornhuskers are both 4-5 overall this season. Minnesota leads the all-time series against Nebraska 31-24-2. The teams are 2-2 in the last four meetings. The Gophers posted wins in 2013 (34-23 at home) and 2014 (28-24 in Lincoln), but dropped meetings in 2015 (48-17 at home) and in 2016 (24-17 in Lincoln).
2. Forty-nine of Minnesota's 110 players (44.5%) are freshmen or redshirt freshmen and 76 (69%) are underclassmen. Minnesota's lack of depth is perhaps most evident in the secondary. The Gophers have played 11 defensive backs this season, which includes four freshmen, three sophomores, two juniors and two seniors. Seven of those eleven players have missed time this year and sophomore Coney Durr has played in only two games after returning from an ACL injury suffered in the 2016 Holiday Bowl. In addition to Durr, the three secondary players who have not missed action are Jacob Huff (only defensive back to play in every game), redshirt freshman walk-on Calvin Swenson (has played in six games) and true freshman Justus Harris (has played in three games). The injuries and lack of depth forced Minnesota to move safety Adekunle Ayinde (started his career as a walk-on) to corner, where he has started the last three games. Despite all this, Minnesota is 10th in the NCAA in passing yards allowed per game at 169.8
3. Minnesota's defense - despite missing multiples starters because of injury - has been playing at an elite level. Through nine games the Gophers have allowed 150 points for a 20.3 average (T29 scoring defense in the nation), which is the lowest amount since 2008 when Minnesota allowed 161 points for a 17.88 average. Last year, Minnesota had allowed 208 points for a 23.11 average through nine games. This year's 20.33 average is also the fifth lowest average through nine games for the Gophers in the last 30 years. Minnesota allowed an average of 14.5 points in 1999; 17.8 points in 2008; 18.8 points in 2002; 19.3 points in 2003 and then 20.3 points this year. Minnesota is No. 23 in total defense at 329.0 yards per game, despite starting five underclassmen against Illinois and Iowa and four at Michigan.
4. Tyler Johnson is having one of the best seasons ever for a Minnesota sophomore receiver. Johnson has seven touchdowns and one more will tie him with former tight end Maxx Williams (2014) for the school record for touchdown receptions for a sophomore. Through nine games, Johnson has 32 receptions for 620 yards. He needs nine catches to break into the top five for receptions by a sophomore, as Aaron Osterman (1992) and Dwayne McMullen (1982) are fifth in program receptions for a sophomore with 41 (Eric Decker is first with 67 in 2007). Johnson needs 20 yards to tie McMullen (1982) for fifth in yards by a sophomore with 640 (Decker, 2007 and Jared Ellerson, 2003 are tied for first with 909 yards).
5. Minnesota is no stranger to the Barber name. Marion Barber played running back at Minnesota from 1977- 80 and ranks sixth all-time in program history with 3,094 rushing yards. Marion Barber III played running back at Minnesota from 2001-04 and ranks fourth all-time in program history with 3,276 rushing yards. Dom Barber lettered at Minnesota as a defensive back from 2004-07 and notched 187 career tackles. Now, Thomas Barber is etching his name into Gopher history with a breakout sophomore season. Barber leads the Gophers with 82 tackles (57 solo) including nine for a loss and also has one interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He leads the entire Big Ten and is sixth in the country in solo tackles. Barber had double-digit tackles in the first five Big Ten games this season to become the first Gopher to do that since Tyrone Carter did so in 10 straight games in 1998.
You can read Minnesota's complete game notes here.
Players Mentioned
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Tight End
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