Gophers at Purdue
Will Gophers get bowl eligible vs. last-place Purdue? Randy Johnson's call.
The Gophers shook off their Northwestern loss to win at Iowa the following week. Now, they're reeling from another loss heading into a must-win game.
November 10, 2023 at 1:24PM
• Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
• Where: Ross-Ade Stadium
• TV/Radio: NBC, 100.3-FM
• Line: Purdue by 1
After suffering a devastating 27-26 loss to Illinois last week, the Gophers (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) head to West Lafayette, Ind., in search of a sixth win to gain bowl eligibility. Purdue (2-7, 1-5) has lost four consecutive games, but two have been against East powers Ohio State and Michigan.
Three big story lines
Will the Gophers find consistency this season? The one consistent thing for the Gophers this season has been their inconsistency. They haven't been able to put together a full game on offense, defense or special teams, as was glaringly apparent in the first half and second half against Illinois. They're running out of time.
Will Athan Kaliakmanis build on a solid first half from last week? Kaliakmanis completed nine of 11 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns against Illinois, but he struggled with accuracy, touch and the Illini's pass rush in the second half when he was 2-for-11 for 37 yards, including the go-ahead TD pass to Daniel Jackson.
Will the Gophers special teams be an asset or liability? Kicker Dragan Kesich has been an efficient weapon for the Gophers, while punter Mark Crawford has improved as the season has progressed. Minnesota's return game has been a liability. The Gophers are last in the Big Ten in kick return average (19.3 yards) and have returned only four punts.
Two key matchups
Gophers secondary vs. Purdue QB Hudson Card
A transfer from Texas, Card ranks sixth in the Big Ten in passing yards per game (206.8) and has nine TD passes against eight interceptions. He's been solid on third down, passing for 598 yards and three TDs. The Gophers secondary must rebound from its collapse vs. Illinois.
Related Coverage
Gophers OTs vs. Purdue pass rushers
Boilermakers outside linebackers Kydran Jenkins and Nic Scourton share the Big Ten lead with seven sacks each, and they're the best players on a defense that's giving up the most points in the conference (31.2 per game). Gophers tackles Aireontae Ersery and Quinn Carroll will be challenged.
One stat that matters
Plus-1
The Gophers' point differential in Big Ten West games this year. They're 2-2, have scored 85 points and have given up 84.
The Gophers will win if … they put any emotional damage from the Illinois loss in the past; they start much more quickly than they have the past two weeks; they protect Kaliakmanis to the point he's not forcing passes; they play 60 minutes of defense rather than the 59 they played against Illinois.
The Boilermakers will win if … they get an early lead in front of the home crowd and put the pressure on the Gophers; Card and top target Deion Burks keep Minnesota's defense guessing; they win the turnover battle; and their kickoff return and punt return units make a noticeable difference.
Prediction
In the come-from-ahead losses to Northwestern and Illinois, the Gophers were the better team for roughly 80% of each game, but they did a horrendous job of finishing both contests and paid a high price. Saturday, they bring an air of desperation with them, and that should be a good thing. This does not look like a team that has given up on the season, but one that's made mistakes at the worst possible times. Look for Minnesota's defense especially to shore things up while Kaliakmanis and the backfield take advantage of a Purdue defense that leaks yards and points.
My expectation: This being a Big Ten West game involving the Gophers, it should be tight and come down to the wire. Gophers 27, Purdue 24
Sam Rinzel had two of the Gophers’ three power play goals against the Irish.
