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University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, November 3
Urbana-Champaign, IL
2:30 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Illinois
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Game 9: Minnesota at Illinois
10/29/2018 1:30:00 PM | Football
Minnesota is 13-4 in its last 17 games against Illinois
FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
1. Minnesota is back on the road for the third time in four weeks, as the Gophers visit Illinois on Saturday. Minnesota leads the all-time series against the Illini 38-29-3 and have won three straight against Illinois. In addition, the Gophers are 13-4 in their last 17 games against Illinois and are 6-2 in their last eight games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.
2. Tanner Morgan replaced an injured Zack Annexstad to start the second half at Nebraska on Oct. 20 and then played the entire game against Indiana. In the last six quarters (two at Nebraska and four against Indiana), Morgan has completed 28-of-40 passes (70 percent) for 516 yards and three touchdowns. Morgan has also rushed six times for 33 yards and one score in those six quarters. Against Indiana, Morgan completed 17-of-24 passes (70.8 percent) for 302 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start. His 302 passing yards ranks fourth all-time by a Minnesota freshman quarterback since 1980 and is the most in the same timeframe for a freshman making his first career start. Morgan's 302 yards are also the most by a Gopher freshman quarterback since Adam Weber's 352-yard game against Wisconsin on Nov. 17, 2007. It was also Minnesota's first 300-yard individual passing game since Mitch Leidner threw for 317 yards against Michigan on Oct. 31, 2015. Against Indiana, Morgan found fellow freshman Rashod Bateman for a 67-yard game-winning touchdown with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter.
3. Minnesota has 19 receptions of at least 25 yards and receivers Tyler Johnson (9), Rashod Bateman (5), Chris Autman-Bell (3) and Seth Green (1) all have at least one catch of more than 25 yards. Last year, Minnesota had 14 total receptions of 25 yards or more in 12 games. Minnesota had 18 receptions of 25 yards or more in 13 games in 2016 and 25 in 13 games in 2015. Autman-Bell's 69-yard catch at Nebraska is the team's longest of the year and longest since 2008 (71 yards, Adam Weber to Brandon Green).Â
4. Minnesota has had four running backs rush for more than 100 yards in a game this year in Mohamed Ibrahim (101 vs. New Mexico State and 157 at Ohio State), Rodney Smith (153 vs. New Mexico State), Bryce Williams (141 vs. Miami) and Shannon Brooks (154 vs. Indiana). This is the first time in school history that Minnesota has had four different running backs record 100-yard games (according to stats dating back to 1942). Four different players have rushed for 100 yards in a season before, but one was always the quarterback.Â
5. Minnesota finished the Indiana game with 482 yards of total offense (180 rushing/302 passing), and has now averaged 450.7 yards over the past three games. The Gophers had 396 (178 rushing/218 passing) at Ohio State and had 474 (125 rush/349 pass) at Nebraska. Minnesota had a 99-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter against Indiana. It was the longest scoring drive for the Gophers since it also went 99 yards at Northwestern on Oct. 4, 2003
You can read Minnesota's complete game notes here.Â
1. Minnesota is back on the road for the third time in four weeks, as the Gophers visit Illinois on Saturday. Minnesota leads the all-time series against the Illini 38-29-3 and have won three straight against Illinois. In addition, the Gophers are 13-4 in their last 17 games against Illinois and are 6-2 in their last eight games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.
2. Tanner Morgan replaced an injured Zack Annexstad to start the second half at Nebraska on Oct. 20 and then played the entire game against Indiana. In the last six quarters (two at Nebraska and four against Indiana), Morgan has completed 28-of-40 passes (70 percent) for 516 yards and three touchdowns. Morgan has also rushed six times for 33 yards and one score in those six quarters. Against Indiana, Morgan completed 17-of-24 passes (70.8 percent) for 302 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start. His 302 passing yards ranks fourth all-time by a Minnesota freshman quarterback since 1980 and is the most in the same timeframe for a freshman making his first career start. Morgan's 302 yards are also the most by a Gopher freshman quarterback since Adam Weber's 352-yard game against Wisconsin on Nov. 17, 2007. It was also Minnesota's first 300-yard individual passing game since Mitch Leidner threw for 317 yards against Michigan on Oct. 31, 2015. Against Indiana, Morgan found fellow freshman Rashod Bateman for a 67-yard game-winning touchdown with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter.
3. Minnesota has 19 receptions of at least 25 yards and receivers Tyler Johnson (9), Rashod Bateman (5), Chris Autman-Bell (3) and Seth Green (1) all have at least one catch of more than 25 yards. Last year, Minnesota had 14 total receptions of 25 yards or more in 12 games. Minnesota had 18 receptions of 25 yards or more in 13 games in 2016 and 25 in 13 games in 2015. Autman-Bell's 69-yard catch at Nebraska is the team's longest of the year and longest since 2008 (71 yards, Adam Weber to Brandon Green).Â
4. Minnesota has had four running backs rush for more than 100 yards in a game this year in Mohamed Ibrahim (101 vs. New Mexico State and 157 at Ohio State), Rodney Smith (153 vs. New Mexico State), Bryce Williams (141 vs. Miami) and Shannon Brooks (154 vs. Indiana). This is the first time in school history that Minnesota has had four different running backs record 100-yard games (according to stats dating back to 1942). Four different players have rushed for 100 yards in a season before, but one was always the quarterback.Â
5. Minnesota finished the Indiana game with 482 yards of total offense (180 rushing/302 passing), and has now averaged 450.7 yards over the past three games. The Gophers had 396 (178 rushing/218 passing) at Ohio State and had 474 (125 rush/349 pass) at Nebraska. Minnesota had a 99-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter against Indiana. It was the longest scoring drive for the Gophers since it also went 99 yards at Northwestern on Oct. 4, 2003
You can read Minnesota's complete game notes here.Â
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