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GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 8 • 9 BY BRIAN NEUBERT BNeubert@GoldandBlack.com M innesota doesn't hide its in- tentions on offense. So when Purdue faces the Gophers at noon Saturday in TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, it's going to know exactly what's com- ing: Minnesota's going to run the ball first, second and third, literally. Coach Jerry Kill's team has kept workhorse running back David Cobb and its other backs busy, running the ball nearly 75 percent of the time. In fact, the passing game has been so marginalized at Minne- sota that only Eastern Michigan, New Mexico and a pair of option- running academies have thrown for fewer yards per game in the FBS ranks than the Gophers have, about 122 per game. Minnesota's thrown only 103 passes all season, in six games and completed just 54. It's just not an emphasis. This tells you two things. First, you have to wonder what would happen if Minnesota had to throw to win a game. Quarterback Mitch Leidner's thrown five picks on his 91 passes this season. "The passing game still seems to be a little bit of a work in prog - ress," said Lucas Trickle, who cov- ers Minnesota for Rivals.com's Go- p h e r I l l u s t r a t e d . com. "It has gotten better the last two games, but it's still not where I'm sure the coaching staff would like it to be. But Leidner seems to be settling down and the re- ceivers have done a better job of get- ting open in the last two games." More impor- tantly, what the low-volume pass- ing also tells you, though, is that Minnesota can really run the ball and really play defense. If it couldn't, a team with a non-existent pass- ing game wouldn't be 5-1 and unbeaten through two Big Ten games. "They're very pa- tient offensively," Purdue coach Darrell Hazell said. "I think they do a great job running the ball and putting two tight ends in the formation, putting another back in the formation. They throw play-action pass- es at you. They throw naked (bootleg) passes at you, and then they're very content with punt- ing the ball and play- ing great defense. And I think that's been their formula for winning. "I think they under- stand what they're good at and where they're going to make their hay with their football team. I think they've done a great job doing that." Game 8 Opponent Preview: Minnesota Noon ET • TCF Bank Stadium • TV: BTN MINNESOTA IS GOING TO RUN THE BALL … A LOT Minnesota David Cobb is one of the nation's leading running backs, rushing for an average of 137 yards per game, and the key cog in Minnesota's offense. Minnesota Mitch Leidner isn't asked to do much, but Purdue will need to watch for post-corner routes off play-action.