Due to Hurricane Joaquin’s approach toward the Atlantic Coast, the Big Ten Network has moved Michigan’s game at Maryland up to noon E.T. from its originally scheduled time of 8 p.m. E.T.
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Northwestern got by Ball State last week, and now comes a big step with the start of Big Ten play.
Northwestern is 4-0 on the season, 3-1 against the spread and 4-0 with the under.
Like Ferentz and Fitgerald before him, Gophers coach Jerry Kill was equally deferential on his prognosis of the West. Northwestern, meanwhile, is looking to cement its status as a contender in the Big Ten West while Minnesota wants to prove it wasn’t over-hyped heading into the season.
“I don’t know if this is any different than the ones that we’ve had in the past from the standpoint that we’ve been pretty successful in September”, Fitzgerald said. “500 in those non-conference games and building confidence as a whole unit”.
“That’s why I thought this could be the year for Minnesota and Iowa“, Jackson said. The Gophers got a few good news, injury-wise, when they found out CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun will not need surgery on the knee he injured last Saturday against Ohio.
Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald and Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz usually scour published quotes for bulletin-board material to pump up their players, not provide it to other teams. Safety Damarius Travis (hamstring) will not play. Both teams are coming off narrow victories over MAC teams last week, as Minnesota beat Ohio by three and Northwestern beat Ball State by five points.
CLAMPING DOWN: Northwestern’s defense has been among the stingiest in the nation.
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Tickets are now available for purchase by contacting the University of Minnesota Ticket Office in Mariucci Arena at 612-624-8080 or 1-800-U-Gopher. That came on the heels of a 120-yard game at Duke in which he carried 35 times. Clayton Thorson has thrown for 583 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 141 yards and two more scores. Perhaps the Wildcats’ success thus far in 2015 has been attributable to the resurgence of their run game, as they now are averaging a league-high 265.0 yards per game on the ground. But he did commit three turnovers in the first half, throwing an interception and losing two fumbles.
