Two dominant defenses will dictate this as the Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-1) take on the Northwestern Wildcats (4-0). The Big 10’s second-leading rusher, Justin Jackson (516 yards, 1 TD), and the third-leading rusher, Rodney Smith (363 yards, 1 TD) will be featured in this game. It starts at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct 3 and will be available on BTN and BTN2.
In last week’s matchup, Northwestern defeated Ball State 24-19. Clayton Thorson had a huge game through the air in the victory, connecting on 18 of 31 pass attempts for 256 yards, three TDs and one interception. Justin Jackson also had a great game with 184 rushing yards on 33 carries. Minnesota won a tight one against Ohio 27-24 in its matchup. Mitch Leidner had a solid performance through the air for the Golden Gophers, connecting on 22 of 32 pass attempts for 264 yards. Shannon Brooks had a great game as well, adding 82 rushing yards and two TDs on 10 carries.
The odds between the Wildcats and the Golden Gophers are even this week, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available.
Sitting at 4-0 Straight Up (SU) and 3-1 Against The Spread (ATS), the Wildcats will look to improve heading into Week 5. A focal point of Northwestern’s offense is the running game, which ranks 15th in the country with 265 rushing yards per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the ball, the Wildcats look to have a distinct advantage in certain spots. Expect the Wildcats defense to restrict Minnesota’s passing attack. The Wildcats have the 11th-ranked pass defense in the nation and give up only 137.8 passing yards per game. If the Golden Gophers want to win this game, they will have to keep Northwestern from taking the ball away. The Wildcats have the 20th-most fumbles recovered per game in the nation with one. Penalties aren’t likely to cost Northwestern this week’s game. They earn the 14th-fewest penalties among Division I teams, averaging only 4.5 per game.
As for their opponent, the Golden Gophers haven’t fared well ATS, sitting at 1-3. However, they are 3-1 SU this season. Minnesota’s pass defense ranks 21st in the nation. This terrifying unit gives up just 161.2 yards per game through the air.
Predictions: SU Winner – Northwestern, ATS Winner – Northwestern
Notes
Northwestern is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Northwestern’s last 5 games.
Northwestern is 4-12 ATS in its last 16 games at home.
Northwestern is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota.
Northwestern is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota.
Minnesota is 3-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Northwestern is 4-0 SU when leading at the end of the third quarter.
When comparing just conference ratings, Minnesota seems to have an advantage in the passing game. Its offensive passing game (ranked 12th in the Big 10) will face the 14th-ranked pass defense of Northwestern, while its 12th-ranked pass defense will look to control the 14th-ranked aerial attack of the Wildcats.
Northwestern also has an advantage in the run game when comparing just in-conference stats. Its fifth-ranked rushing attack will face the 14th-ranked run defense of Minnesota, while its fifth-ranked rush defense will look to contain the 14th-ranked ground game of the Golden Gophers.
