The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-3) travel to Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-3) at 2:30 pm (EST) at Huntington Bank Stadium. Minnesota is a 14.0-point favorite and given a 88.5% chance to win according to ESPN’s FPI. With that let’s see what to expect in Rutgers vs. Minnesota.
Minnesota
The Minnesota Gophers come into this game on a three-game losing skid. After starting 4-0 to start the year, Minnesota has dropped three in a row including last week’s 45-17 blowout loss to #13 Penn State. Minnesota’s season is still salvageable. Yes, even at 4-3, Minnesota is in a prime position to rip off five straight wins and end the year 9-3. It all depends though on how they look against a mediocre Rutgers team. Do what they did against Michigan State? The odds are very likely for a good rest of the season. Struggle or lose? It could be a long five weeks for the Gophers.
What To Watch
What I’ll be watching this week is the passing game. The Gophers have not been sharp passing the ball the last few weeks. During their three-game losing streak Minnesota has averaged 184.6 yards passing. Compare that to their first four games where they were averaging 248 yards. The Gophers can run the ball and we know that, but they’re at their best when they complement it with a good passing attack.
Rutgers this season has allowed 196.4 yards passing per game. The Gophers can look to open it up a bit more with a defense that struggles in the secondary. Especially since they have a strong run defense only allowing 87.4 yards rushing per game. The Gophers should look to take advantage of the Scarlet Knight’s secondary and open it up, regardless if Morgan or Kaliakmanis is in at quarterback. Tanner Morgan has yet to clear concussion protocol, if he doesn’t, then Athan Kaliakmanis will get the start again Saturday.
Biggest Question
The biggest question I have, and I’ve been wondering about it for a few weeks is can they bounce back? The Gophers now face an opponent who either isn’t ranked or does great against ranked opponents (yes, I’m talking about Purdue). Rutgers is 4-3 and one of two current teams that are at or above .500 on the Gophers schedule. If Minnesota plays like they are favored to, they should cruise through the rest of their schedule. Yes, Iowa will be tough with that defense, and Wisconsin is always hard just as a rival, but neither are playing well. Minnesota should take care of business and it all starts with the Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights got back on track this past week, snapping their three game losing streak, beating Indiana 24-17. They also ended their 21 game Big Ten home losing streak. The Scarlet Knights now look to keep to their winning ways as they travel to Minneapolis to take on a struggling Gopher team who has lost three straight.
What To Watch
What I’ll be watching for from the Scarlet Knights is their defense. The Scarlet Knights this season have allowed 21.3 points per game and 283.9 yards per game (196.4 passing and 87.4 rushing). Their opponent, on the other hand, averages 32 points per game and 428.0 yards per game (209.1 passing and 218.9 rushing). The Gophers have been on skid recently, giving the Scarlet Knights a chance to take advantage of it. The defense will be their key to success. If they can stifle Minnesota’s offense, then they have a real chance at pulling off the upset.
Biggest Question
My biggest question is can Rutgers score enough points? Rutgers in their last five games is averaging 14.6 points per game. They have given up 24.2 points per game including 49 to Ohio State and 27 to Iowa. Iowa! The Gophers average 32 points per game and allow 16.4. During their three-game skid Minnesota has averaged 13.6 points per game and have allowed 30.3. Now, the Scarlet Knights aren’t anywhere near as good of an offense as Penn State who dropped 45 on them last week. Nor are they as good as an Illini or Boilermaker team that scored over 20 points each.
If they can find a way to score on a struggling Gopher defense, it’ll give them the best opportunity to beat Minnesota. Otherwise, repeats of games against Iowa and Ohio State could be rearing their heads again.
Bold Prediction
My bold prediction is that the Gophers will throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns. Why is this a bold prediction? Minnesota hasn’t even averaged 200 yards passing in their last three games. They’ve struggled, but Saturday they’ll find a grove and light it up through the air. Rutgers allows almost 200 yards passing a game. Even with questions as to who will start at quarterback for the Gophers, both Morgan and Kaliakmanis have the talent and ability to achieve this feat.
Betting
The following betting lines are according to ESPN’s Pick Center.
Spread:
- Minnesota: -14.0
- Rutgers: +14.0
Moneyline:
- Minnesota: -600
- Rutgers: +430
Over/Under: 40.5
Where To Watch
Rutgers vs. Minnesota will air on the Big 10 network at 2:30 pm (EST). Commentators for the game will be Cory Provus (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst), and Rick Pizzo (sidelines). The game will be aired on the Big 10 Network this Saturday. Streaming Services that have the Big 10 network are Big 10 Plus, Fox Sports, Directv Stream, fubo TV, Hulu (with live TV), Sling (with live TV), and Vidgo.
Prediction
Rutgers won’t see another win this week. Minnesota is in desperate need of one and they’ll get it. They are just more talented across the board than the Scarlet Knights. Minnesota’s defense will be out for blood after getting torched by the Nittany Lions last week. The offense will be firing on all cylinders and the Gophers will wear down the Scarlet Knights and, in the end, pull away. Minnesota wins 38-19