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Gophers Game Preview: Minnesota Opens B1G Slate in Happy Valley
By Grant Erickson and Travis Erickson
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/703694?referrer_id=331171
Minnesota (3-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) at Penn State (2-2 overall, 0-1 Big Ten)
When: Saturday, 2:30 p.m. CT – University Park, Pa.
Stadium: Beaver Stadium (106,572)
TV/Radio: BTN, KFAN 100.3 FM
Coach: James Franklin (3rd season)
Spread: Penn State -2½, o/u: 56
INSIDE THE GAME
Nittany Lions at a Glance
Beaver Stadium is the second largest venue in college football. Only ‘The Big House’ in Ann Arbor holds more (107,601).
Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley ranks third in the Big Ten in both passing yards (949) and completion percentage (.632).
Keep an eye on No. 6 Malik Golden. The 6-foot, 205-pound safety leads Penn State with 29 tackles and three pass breakups. The senior has also tallied one interception and 2½ tackles for loss through the first four games.
Kicker Tyler Davis has been perfect during his career, going 14-for-14 on field goal attempts and 23-for-23 on extra points. The junior is tied for the second longest active made field goals streak in FBS with 14.
Coach Speak
“Get on the plane and get back here as soon as possible, that's for sure. I enjoy on Saturday, I think coach said he liked ice cream or whatever, and, I like to get back and enjoy a little TV and a little pizza, and I like to watch other college games. I truly love college football, and I don't try to figure out what people are doing or anything, I just sit back and watch the games and enjoy watching the games. That's why the night games I'm not a big fan of. I don't get an opportunity to do that each week.”– Tracy Claeys on how he’ll celebrate a victory on Saturday
“I think the guys spirits are about what you’d expect. There’s disappointment and there’s frustration. There’s also kind of an awareness of what we need to do to get these things fixed and move forward. I was really pleased and impressed.” – James Franklin on his team’s morale after getting throttled by Michigan
STORYLINE CENTRAL
Jourdan Rodrigue from the Centre Daily Times gives us our weekly look at what the opposition sees in the Maroon and Gold. After laying an egg against Michigan, the Nittany Lions are hungry to bounce back.
Frank Bodani of the York Daily Record has a similar take, focusing more on head coach James Franklin, who some consider to be on the hot seat after a slow start.
If you’re watching on TV, you’re likely to spot (more than once) the face of former Gopher offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover. The new Penn State OL coach is a secret weapon against Minnesota according to David Jones of Penn Live.
To say Penn State is thin at linebacker heading into the weekend is a major understatement. The Nittany Lions have lost all three of their starting backers. Joe Juliano of Philly.com has the latest on Penn State’s depleted defense.
WHO WINS?
The Gophers win if…
They can stop Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. Despite the Nittany Lions’ 2-2 record, the sophomore is off to a strong start rushing for 317 and six touchdowns to go with 146 receiving yards and another score. If the Gophers can continue their strong rush defense, that’s allowed just 3.1 yards per carry, they have a shot at shutting down the Penn State offense. If you want to see more on Barkley, take a look at Andy Greder’s story (complete with GIFs!) from Thursday.
The NIttany Lions win if…
They can find a way to convert on third down. It’s a battle of weakness versus weakness on Saturday. Penn State is a league-worst 24.4% on third down, while the Gophers defense is second-to-last in the Big Ten allowing opponents to convert almost 45% of the time. Keeping their offense on the field means less time for the Gophers to attack the struggling and depleted Nittany Lion defense.
By Grant Erickson and Travis Erickson
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/703694?referrer_id=331171
Minnesota (3-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) at Penn State (2-2 overall, 0-1 Big Ten)
When: Saturday, 2:30 p.m. CT – University Park, Pa.
Stadium: Beaver Stadium (106,572)
TV/Radio: BTN, KFAN 100.3 FM
Coach: James Franklin (3rd season)
Spread: Penn State -2½, o/u: 56
INSIDE THE GAME
Nittany Lions at a Glance
Beaver Stadium is the second largest venue in college football. Only ‘The Big House’ in Ann Arbor holds more (107,601).
Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley ranks third in the Big Ten in both passing yards (949) and completion percentage (.632).
Keep an eye on No. 6 Malik Golden. The 6-foot, 205-pound safety leads Penn State with 29 tackles and three pass breakups. The senior has also tallied one interception and 2½ tackles for loss through the first four games.
Kicker Tyler Davis has been perfect during his career, going 14-for-14 on field goal attempts and 23-for-23 on extra points. The junior is tied for the second longest active made field goals streak in FBS with 14.
Coach Speak
“Get on the plane and get back here as soon as possible, that's for sure. I enjoy on Saturday, I think coach said he liked ice cream or whatever, and, I like to get back and enjoy a little TV and a little pizza, and I like to watch other college games. I truly love college football, and I don't try to figure out what people are doing or anything, I just sit back and watch the games and enjoy watching the games. That's why the night games I'm not a big fan of. I don't get an opportunity to do that each week.”– Tracy Claeys on how he’ll celebrate a victory on Saturday
“I think the guys spirits are about what you’d expect. There’s disappointment and there’s frustration. There’s also kind of an awareness of what we need to do to get these things fixed and move forward. I was really pleased and impressed.” – James Franklin on his team’s morale after getting throttled by Michigan
STORYLINE CENTRAL
Jourdan Rodrigue from the Centre Daily Times gives us our weekly look at what the opposition sees in the Maroon and Gold. After laying an egg against Michigan, the Nittany Lions are hungry to bounce back.
Frank Bodani of the York Daily Record has a similar take, focusing more on head coach James Franklin, who some consider to be on the hot seat after a slow start.
If you’re watching on TV, you’re likely to spot (more than once) the face of former Gopher offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover. The new Penn State OL coach is a secret weapon against Minnesota according to David Jones of Penn Live.
To say Penn State is thin at linebacker heading into the weekend is a major understatement. The Nittany Lions have lost all three of their starting backers. Joe Juliano of Philly.com has the latest on Penn State’s depleted defense.
WHO WINS?
The Gophers win if…
They can stop Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. Despite the Nittany Lions’ 2-2 record, the sophomore is off to a strong start rushing for 317 and six touchdowns to go with 146 receiving yards and another score. If the Gophers can continue their strong rush defense, that’s allowed just 3.1 yards per carry, they have a shot at shutting down the Penn State offense. If you want to see more on Barkley, take a look at Andy Greder’s story (complete with GIFs!) from Thursday.
The NIttany Lions win if…
They can find a way to convert on third down. It’s a battle of weakness versus weakness on Saturday. Penn State is a league-worst 24.4% on third down, while the Gophers defense is second-to-last in the Big Ten allowing opponents to convert almost 45% of the time. Keeping their offense on the field means less time for the Gophers to attack the struggling and depleted Nittany Lion defense.
