THE ESSENTIALS
Date/Time: Oct. 26, 2024 / 2:30 p.m. CT
Site: Minneapolis
Stadium: Huntington Bank Stadium
Surface: FieldTurf
Capacity: 50,805
Series Overall: Minnesota trails 3-4
Series Streak: Minnesota won 1
Series in Minnesota: Minnesota leads 2-1
Streak in Minnesota: Minnesota won 2
First Meeting: Minnesota lost 17-7 in 1977 Hall of Fame Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., (12/22/77)
Last Meeting: Minnesota won 34-16 in Minneapolis (10/23/2021)
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. Coming off a 21-17 win at the Rose Bowl over UCLA on Oct. 12 and a bye in Week 8, Minnesota (4-3, 2-2) is back home Saturday for a Homecoming contest against Maryland (4-3, 1-3). Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. on FS1 and the Gopher Radio Network.
2. All-time, Minnesota is 65-40-3 in its Homecoming Games, including a 35-24 victory last season over Louisiana. The Golden Gophers have never faced Maryland on Homecoming, making the Terrapins the 19th different opponent they’ve faced in such games. Minnesota’s most frequent Homecoming opponent is Northwestern, sporting a 9-8-2 record in 19 games with the Wildcats, while the Gophers’ 10 victories over Iowa are their most against one opponent for Homecoming. A full list of games can be found on Page 13 of the Game Notes.
3. The Gophers enter Saturday’s game allowing just 139.6 passing yards per game, fourth-best in the FBS and on pace to be the best at Minnesota since yielding 107.1 yards per game through the air in 1977 (see chart below). Before UCLA threw for 293 yards last time out, the Gophers had not given up more than 200 yards passing in any game this season. It was the first time since at least 2000 that Minnesota had gone six straight games holding an opponent to 200 or fewer pass yards. The Gophers rank second in the FBS in interceptions (13), fifth in opponent passer rating (95.15), and sixth in pass yards per attempt allowed (5.3). The Gophers’ INT:TD ratio of 13:3 (4.3 INT per TD) is second best in the country behind only Texas (10:1). More on the defense can be found on Page 7 of the notes.
4. True freshman Koi Perich has made an immediate impact on both special teams and defense so far this season. As a safety, he’s made 10 tackles to go with four interceptions (most in the Big Ten; second nationally) and a forced fumble. His four picks, three of which have come in the last two games, are the most ever by a Gopher freshman. Two of his interceptions came last time out 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, as well as the Thorpe Award National DB of the Week. On special teams, he’s returned nine punts for a total of 139 yards this season, which is already the most by a Gopher since Craig James also had 139 in 2014, while Perich’s current average of 15.4 yards per punt return would rank second in Gopher single-season history to the mark of 16.9 set by Paul Giel in 1953. In addition, Perich has eight kick returns for 145 yards, putting him fourth on the team in all-purpose yards at 302. Since 2000, Perich and Texas’ Quandre Diggs in 2011 are the only freshmen in all of FBS to have recorded over 100 punt return yards, 100 kick return yards and four interceptions in one season. More on Perich can be found on Page 9 of the notes.
5. The 2024 campaign is the eighth for head coach P.J. Fleck at Minnesota, where his record stands at 54-37. He is fifth in program history for overall wins, Big Ten wins (31) and games coached (91). Fleck’s .593 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 84-59 (.587).
EASTERN
Gopher junior defensive tackle Deven Eastern of Shakopee sat down with MNN sports director Mike Grimm:
Deven Eastern
(info and photo courtesy of Gopher Sports)
