Minnesota at Penn State Preview

By Chuck Bednar  |   Friday, September 30, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!

In a conference that boasts such powerhouse programs as Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Purdue and Iowa, it may be hard to believe that this week's marquee Big Ten match-up will pit the Minnesota Golden Gophers against the Penn State Nittany Lions. But here it is, a battle of unbeaten teams set for a 3:30pm kickoff at University Park, Pennsylvania.

The big knock on the No. 18 Minnesota Golden Gophers has always been that they couldn't win the big game, but with last week's 42-35 double overtime win over the Boilermakers last week, they proved that this team is ready to take it to the next level. Junior RB Laurence Maroney gained a career best 217 yards on 46 carries against Purdue, raising his season totals to 723 yards on 113 rushes, a 6.4 average and six touchdowns. He hasn't been doing it alone, though. Sophomore RB Gary Russell averages more than eight yards a carry and has scored a total of nine touchdowns on the season, while junior QB Brian Cupito has thrown for nearly 900 yards and 8 scores on the year. Simply put, the Gophers appear to be an unstoppable force in 2005 -- they average more than 570 yards per game of total offense.

Don't sell unranked the Penn State Nittany Lions short, though. They've got game as well. Senior QB Michael Robinson looks more comfortable every week, and has thrown for more than 850 yards and nine scores on the season. He is also the team's second leading rusher with 229 yards and four touchdowns, teaming with junior RB Tony Hunt and explosive freshman Justin King to power a ground game that averages 6.6 yards per carry and has scored seven touchdowns on the season. With two potent offenses taking the field, the difference may be which defense can play better. Statistically, the edge belongs to Penn State in both yardage (330 to 372.5) and points allowed (17.3 to 19), but only by a very slight margin. This one is shaping up to be a real barnburner, folks!
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report