University of Minnesota Athletics

Date/Time:

Nov. 4, 2023 / 2:30 pm CT
Site: Minneapolis
Stage: Huntington Bank Stadium
Surface: FieldTurf
Capacity: 50,805
Series Overall: Minnesota Leads 40-32-3
Streak Overall: Minnesota Lost 2
Minnesota series: Minnesota Leads 13-23-2
Minnesota streak: Minnesota Lost 1
FirstMeeting: Minnesota Lost 11-10 at Minneapolis (11/24/1898)
Last Meeting: Minnesota Lost 26-14 in Champaign (10/15/2022)
Television: BTN // Connor Onion (PXP), Matt Millen (Analyst), Elise Menaker (Reporter)
Gopher Radio: KFAN FM 100.3 | SiriusXM: 108 or 196; SXM App // Mike Grimm (PXP), Darrell Thompson (Analyst), Justin Gaard (Reporter), Tanner Hoops (Host), Dan Rowbotham (Engineer)

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. Tied for first in the Big Ten West and having won two games in a row, Minnesota (5-3, 3-2 B1G) closes out a two-game homestand Saturday as it welcomes in Illinois (3-5, 1-4 B1G ) to Minneapolis. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 pm on Big Ten Network.

2. Saturday marks the 100th game in the 15-year history of Huntington Bank Stadium. The facility opened in 2009 and saw Minnesota defeat Air Force, 20-13, in its first game on Sept. 12. In total, the Golden Gophers have posted a 61-38 record at the stadium, including a 29-14 mark since PJ Fleck took over in 2017. The Gophers have had a winning record at home in each of the last six full seasons played and 10 times overall (excluding this year), including a program-best 6-1 record in 2014, 2016 and 2019. More details on the stadium can be found on Page 15 of the notes.

3. Jordan Nubin was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after his standout performance in Saturday’s 27-12 victory against Michigan State. Entering the game with 15 career rushing attempts for 51 yards, he rushed 40 times for 204 yards and two touchdowns against the Spartans. His 204 yards are also the 28th most in program history and 18th most this season in the FBS. Nubin’s 40 carries set a Huntington Bank Stadium record and tied for the seventh most in program history. For further context, no other player in the country this year has more than 34 carries in a game. On Saturday, he had four carries of 10 yards or more, which included a career-long of 19 yards and an 18-yard touchdown run. Nubin rushed 18 timed for 79 yards in the first half and followed with 22 carries for 125 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. He is the first Gopher to be named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week since Mohamed Ibrahim on Nov. 21, 2022.

4. Since 2021, Minnesota has seen seven different running backs combine for 26 100-yard rushing games: Mohamed Ibrahim (10), Ky Thomas (5), Mar’Keise Irving (3), Trey Potts (3), Darius Taylor (3), Jordan Nubin (1) and Bryce Williams (1). Ibrahim (2) and Nubin (1) have also combined for three 200-yard games. Within the Big Ten, only Michigan State and Nebraska (five each) have had more than four different 100-yard rushers since 2021. In addition, Michigan joins Minnesota as the only teams to have multiple 200-yard rushers in that same time span.

5. The 2023 campaign is the seventh for head coach PJ Fleck at Minnesota, where his record is 49-30. He is fifth in program history for overall wins, Big Ten wins (29) and games coached (79). Fleck’s .620 win percentage is third best among Minnesota coaches with at least 45 games under their helmet behind only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, ’45-50). In his 11th season overall as a college head coach, Fleck is 79-52 (.603).

You can read Minnesota’s complete game notes here.