WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SATURDAY'S OPPONENT PURDUE-MINNESOT A PREVIEW
BY GOLD AND BLACK STAFF WORTH NOTING
banged up, not a good thing when you're playing a true freshman quarterback, as the Gophers will do with Philip Nelson. Left tackle Ed Olson hurt his against
R Minnesota's offensive line is leg
is not expected to play. He also missed last year's game against the Boilermakers.
Northwestern and
• Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Gophers moving forward with freshmen • Minneapolis Star-Tribune: For Minnesota, any bowl will do • St. Paul Pioneer-Press: Rook- ie quarterback taking full course load on the field • St. Paul Pioneer-Press: New QB, beatable opponent add spice to Minnesota's weekend • University of Minnesota:
OPPONENT NEWSSTAND
Purdue game notes Red text are live links to the stories mentioned.
yes, they're brothers — has battled ankle problems through the Big Ten season, but it is hoped he'll be
Left guard Tommy Olson —
ceiver MarQueis Gray has been plagued by ankle and knee injuries but is expected to play. His injuries and the shoulder
available against the Boilermakers. RQuarterback-turned-re-
injury sustained by fellow QB Max Shortell led to Nelson being pulled out of redshirt to, presumably, start
the remainder of the season. R Part of it has to do with the
fact that Minnesota's opponents have had to kick off a lot in recent years, but nevertheless, cornerback Troy Stoudermire is one of the most prolific return men in the game. The senior is the Big Ten's ca-
reer leader with 3,288 yards off kickoff returns, needing just 229 more to match the NCAA record set by Tyron Carrier at Houston from 2008-2011. This season, Stoudermire is
averaging nearly 21 yards on nine returns. Minnesota returned a kickoff
for a touchdown against Purdue last season, but it was Marcus Jones,
not Stoudermire, who was injured. R Gopher coach Jerry Kill's
THE LAST TIME...
after what's been described as a minor episode. Last year, Kill experienced a
periences 15-20 episodes per year. He has insisted, though, that
Date
much more severe seizure on the field during a game. Kill recently told reporters he ex-
the condition will not drive him out of coaching. "I've been as open as I can be,
Kill said, according to the St. Paul Pi- oneer-Press. "Everybody knows the situation. I'm an epileptic. I've got seizures. I'm going to have them for the rest of my life. I could have one today. It is what it is.
Purdue's only appearance in TCF Bank Stadium came on a cold, early October day in 2009 in Minneapolis. After bolting out to a 10-0 lead, Ralph Bolden and the Boilermakers were quickly slowed down. The Boilermakers turned the ball over three times and saw a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown in a disappointing 35-20 loss. Bolden rushed for 58 yards on 18 car- ries in the contest.
Tom Campbell
patches on its uniforms and stick- ers on its helmets marked "GT51" to honor late linebacker Gary Tinsley. Tinsley, who completed his
R Minnesota is wearing "
Aug. 30 at UNLV
MINNESOTA 2012 SCHEDULE Opponent
Result
Sept. 8 NEW HAMPSHIRE W, 44-7 Sept. 15 WEST. MICHIGAN W, 28-23 Sept. 22 SYRACUSE Sept. 29 at Iowa
"
Oct. 13 NORTHWESTERN L, 13-21 Oct. 20 at Wisconsin Oct. 27 PURDUE Nov. 3 MICHIGAN Nov. 10 at Illinois Nov. 17 at Nebraska
Nov. 24 MICHIGAN STATE —
L, 13-38 — — — —
in his coaching career, winning in West Lafayette in 2009 as North- ern Illinois' coach before losing in Ross-Ade Stadium in his first year with Minnesota.
R Kill is 1-1 against Purdue
eligibility last season, died of car- diomegaly (commonly referred to as an enlarged heart) in April at the age of 22, weeks before graduation. One of Minnesota's top defen-
history of seizures again struck again this season after Minnesota's 21-13 loss to Northwestern earlier this month. After the game, Kill, an epi- leptic, was hospitalized overnight
sive players his junior and senior seasons, Tinsley was awarded his degree posthumously in May. Each week, a different Gopher player is wearing Tinsley's No. 51 jersey. R More than 60 of Minnesota's
last year's 45-17 win over Minne- sota, a game in which the Gophers scored the final two touchdowns after being down 45-3. The Boiler- makers ran for three touchdowns in that game. 1: Minnesota's Big Ten ranking
in kickoff coverage, with an aver- age net kickoff of 41 yards. 5.17: Opponents'
players are shaving their heads this weekend as part of an initiative to support pediatric cancer research.
gain per passing attempt against Minnesota this season, one of the lowest averages in college football. The Gophers are allowing 9.3 yards per completion. j
average GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 23, EXPRESS 8 • 9
NUMBER CRUNCHING 217: Purdue's rushing total in
W, 17-10 L, 13-31
W, 30-27 (OT)
