THE ESSENTIALS
Date/Time: Nov. 2, 2024 / 11 a.m. CT
Site: Champaign, Ill.
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
Surface: FieldTurf
Capacity: 60,670
Series Overall: Minnesota leads 40-33-3
Series Streak: Minnesota lost 3
Series in Minnesota: Minnesota trails 17-19-1
Streak in Minnesota: Minnesota lost 1
First Meeting: Minnesota lost 11-10 in Minneapolis (11/24/1898)
Last Meeting: Minnesota lost 27-26 in Minneapolis (11/4/2023)
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. On a three-game winning streak, Minnesota (5-3, 3-2) is back on the road Saturday as it visits No. 24 Illinois (6-2, 3-2). Kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. on FS1 and the Gopher Radio Network. The Gophers, who are a win away from becoming bowl eligible, are looking for their first four-game win streak overall since taking the final two contests of 2022 and first two of 2023, and their first four-game win streak in the Big Ten since 2021.
2. Minnesota is coming off a dominant 48-23 victory over Maryland last week. The 48 points were its most in a Big Ten game since totaling 52 versus Maryland in 2019, while the 25-point victory was its largest in Big Ten play since a 31-3 victory over Northwestern on Nov. 12, 2022. The Gophers finished with 443 total yards, their most since tallying 508 at Michigan State in 2022. Max Brosmer threw four touchdown passes Saturday en route to winning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors, while Koi Perich was tabbed the league’s Freshman of the Week after he posted his Big Ten leading fifth interception of the season, which he returned 45 yards, to go with three tackles and 31 yards on three punt returns. The honor was the first of Brosmer’s career, while Perich was also the B1G Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 14. Perich is just the second player in league history to win the Big Ten’s Freshman and Defensive Player of the Week honors in the same season, joining Northwestern’s Godwin Igwebuike in 2014. Of note, Perich did it in separate weeks, while Igwebuike’s honors came in the same week.
3. A true freshman, Perich has made an immediate impact for Minnesota. As a safety, he’s made 13 tackles to go with a Big Ten-best five interceptions (second most nationally) and a forced fumble. His five picks, four of which have come in the last three games, are the most ever by a Gopher freshman. Two of his interceptions came at UCLA, joining Perich with teammate Kerry Brown as the only Gopher freshmen since at least 1990 to have multiple interceptions in a game. For his efforts versus the Bruins, Perich was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, just the second Gopher freshman to ever win the award. On special teams, he’s returned 12 punts for a total of 170 yards this season, which is the most by a Gopher since Marcus Sherels had 179 in 2008, while Perich’s current average of 14.2 yards per punt return leads the Big Ten and would rank third in Gopher single-season history. In addition, Perich has eight kick returns for 145 yards, putting him third on the team in all-purpose yards at 378. Since 2000, Perich is the only freshmen in all of FBS to have recorded over 100 punt return yards, 100 kick return yards and five interceptions in a season. More on Perich can be found on Page 10 of the notes.
4. Minnesota is facing an AP Top-25 team for the third time this season as it takes on the 24th-ranked Illini. The Gophers fell at then-No. 12 Michigan in Ann Arbor on Sept. 28 but bounced back to upset then-No. 11 USC the following week. Minnesota is looking to record two wins over AP top-25 teams in the regular season for the first time since 2000 when it beat No. 6 Ohio State and No. 22 Illinois. A win would also be the sixth top-25 win for the Gophers under P.J. Fleck, which would tie him with Bernie Bierman and Murray Warmath for the most top-25 wins in program history. In addition, a win would also be the first on the road over a ranked team since beating then-No. 24 Iowa in 2023. The Gophers are 2-5 all-time against the No. 24 team.
5. The 2024 campaign is the eighth for Fleck at Minnesota, where his record stands at 55-37. He is tied for fourth in program history in Big Ten wins (32) and is fifth in overall wins and games coached (92). Fleck’s .598 win percentage is third best among Minnesota coaches with at least 45 games under their helm behind only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, ’45-50). In his 12th season overall as a college head coach, Fleck is 85-59 (.590).
JOHNSON CENTER OF ATTENTION
Gopher sophomore center Greg Johnson of Prior Lake joined MNN sports director Mike Grimm:
Greg Johnson
(info and photos courtesy of Gopher Sports)
