Five things: Can banged-up Gophers win fourth straight in Big Ten?
MINNEAPOLIS -- The University of Minnesota football team is
the hottest football team in town after beating Indiana last weekend to improve
to 7-2 on the season and 3-2 in the Big Ten. The Gophers have turned some heads
nationally with their recent play and have a chance to do so again this weekend
against visiting Penn State. Here are five things to watch for as Minnesota
looks to keep the good vibes rolling in Dinkytown.
1. Four in a row?
Believe it or not, the Gophers haven't won four straight Big
Ten games in a season since 1973. Minnesota did win four consecutive conference
games in 1975-76, but that streak spanned two seasons. Following wins over
Northwestern, Nebraska and Indiana, the Gophers now have a chance to make it a
four-game winning streak. With each win, the confidence of Minnesota's players
has grown. While they still insist they take things one game at a time, there's
no mistaking the fact that the Gophers believe they can win each game they play
-- an attitude that hasn't been seen around here in quite some time. “Winning
solves a lot of problems,” said Gophers head coach Jerry Kill. If Minnesota
does come away with a win on Saturday, it would enter the bye week with an 8-2
record, the first eight-win season since going 10-3 in 2003. A fourth win in a
row would give the Gophers all sorts of momentum heading into its rivalry game
against the Wisconsin Badgers, who could also be 8-2 when that game comes. But
Minnesota must first worry about this Saturday as it tries to snap a
40-year-old drought.
2. How can Minnesota limit PSU wide receiver Allen Robinson?
The Gophers faced the Big Ten's best passing offense last
week in the win against Indiana. This Saturday, Minnesota's secondary will face
another tough test when the conference's top wide receiver comes to town. Penn
State junior Allen Robinson currently leads the Big Ten in receptions per game
(8.2) and receiving yards per game (130.4) and he's found the end zone six
times this year as the favorite target of freshman quarterback Christian
Hackenberg. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Robinson has good size and is a tough matchup
for opposing cornerbacks. He's topped 120 receiving yards in six of PSU's eight
games -- Kent State held him to three catches for 43 yards, and he had 84 yards
on five catches against Michigan -- and will no doubt be a focal point of the
Nittany Lions offense Saturday. Minnesota's defensive backs will need to make
sure Robinson doesn't beat them deep. How exactly will the Gophers stop him?
"That's the million dollar question," head coach Jerry Kill said on
Thursday's radio show. "You just can't let him pick you apart. He's done
it a lot. Sometimes he's covered and he still makes the catch."
3. Just how healthy will the Gophers be?
Minnesota has remained relatively healthy all season, but
the Gophers suffered a big loss this past Saturday when center Jon Christenson
was lost for the year with a leg injury. Junior Tommy Olson will replace him at
center, a position he switched to this season. Meanwhile, quarterback Philip
Nelson was dinged up last weekend and suffered a hip pointer. He temporarily
left the game but eventually came back and led the Gophers to a game-winning
drive late in the fourth quarter. He's practiced this week and should play
Saturday, but Minnesota will no doubt be cautious with him. The same goes for
wide receiver Derrick Engel, who injured his ankle against Indiana. Like
Nelson, Engel has practiced this week and should be good to go against Penn
State. Minnesota's offense will need him, as he leads all Gophers in receptions
(22), receiving yards (361) and touchdowns (5). If Engel is limited, look for
freshmen Drew Wolitarsky and Donovahn Jones to play a bigger role in the
passing game.
4. Can the defense keep the foot on the gas?
In each of Minnesota's last two wins, the Gophers nearly let
their opponents steal the game late. Nebraska cut Minnesota's 14-point lead to
four points early in the fourth quarter, while Indiana came back from 22 points
down in the third quarter to take a four-point lead with 5:33 remaining in the
game. Minnesota's offense eventually came back to win, but the defensive lapse
-- even though it was against a high-octane Hoosiers offense -- was a bit of a
red flag. Gophers safety Brock Vereen said the defense needs to learn that the
game isn't over until the final whistle. If Minnesota does build a lead on the
Nittany Lions, it will be important to keep that foot on the gas and not let up
and not let Penn State back into the game. The Gophers played with fire in each
of the last two games, and they'd be wise to not test their luck again.
5. A well-balanced Penn State team
The Hoosiers last weekend had a quick-strike offense but a
porous defense. It was a similar situation against Nebraska one week prior, as
both teams gain plenty of yards but also give up plenty on defense. The Nittany
Lions have exhibited more balance on both sides of the ball this season. The
passing game is Penn State's strongest suit, but junior running back Bill
Belton is coming off his best game of the season; he rushed for 201 yards and a
touchdown in PSU's overtime win against Illinois. While Hackenberg and Robinson
are a threat through the air, Belton will keep Minnesota's defense honest. On
the other side of the ball, Penn State's defense has been a middle-of-the-road
unit. The Nittany Lions have allowed 389.0 total yards per game, less than
Nebraska and Northwestern and far less than Indiana. The Gophers were able to
put up 20, 34 and 42 points, respectively, in their last three games, but those
totals all came against weaker defenses. While Penn State doesn't boast the
best defense in the Big Ten by any means, Minnesota's offense will no doubt
face a tougher challenge than it has during its three-game winning streak.
