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The Minnesota Golden Gophers can't call it a day yet, but they are winning as expected. They have jumped out to a quick 7 to nothing lead against the Illinois Fighting Illini. The Golden Gophers have been led by RB Treyson Potts, who so far has rushed for one TD and 45 yards on two carries.
Minnesota and Illinois have certainly played as if they're avenging a defeat, because they are. Minnesota is out front, but they can't get complacent.
Who's Playing
No. 18 Minnesota @ Illinois
Current Records: Minnesota 0-2; Illinois 0-2
What to Know
The Illinois Fighting Illini are 1-4 against the Minnesota Golden Gophers since November of 2015, but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit Saturday. Illinois and Minnesota will face off in a Big Ten battle at 3:30 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium. Both teams might be coming in a bit winded after having run the length of the field multiple times in their most recent games.
The Fighting Illini were hampered by 106 penalty yards against the Purdue Boilermakers last week. Illinois came up short against Purdue, falling 31-24. Illinois was down 31-10 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from. The losing side was boosted by WR Brian Hightower, who caught four passes for one TD and 97 yards. Hightower hadn't helped his team much against the Wisconsin Badgers two weeks ago, so this was a nice turnaround for him.
It wasn't all bad for the Fighting Illini, as the Illinois defensive unit accumulated four sacks. Leading the way was DL Owen Carney Jr. and his three sacks. Those were the first sacks for Carney Jr.
Meanwhile, the Golden Gophers missed a PAT kick in overtime against the Maryland Terrapins last Friday, and it came back to haunt them. Minnesota lost to Maryland in overtime 45-44. Minnesota was up 38-21 at the end of the third quarter but couldn't hold on to the lead. They might have lost, but man -- RB Mohamed Ibrahim was a total machine. He rushed for four TDs and 207 yards on 41 carries.
Both of these teams will be looking to put their recent losses behind them and walk away with a victory. Giving up five turnovers, the Fighting Illini had had trouble holding onto the ball. We'll see if the Golden Gophers can exploit that vulnerability.
How To Watch
- When: Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Memorial Stadium -- Champaign, Illinois
- TV: Big Ten Network
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds
The Golden Gophers are a solid 7-point favorite against the Fighting Illini, according to the latest college football odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 7-point spread, and stayed right there.
Over/Under: -110
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Series History
Minnesota have won four out of their last five games against Illinois.
- Oct 05, 2019 - Minnesota 40 vs. Illinois 17
- Nov 03, 2018 - Illinois 55 vs. Minnesota 31
- Oct 21, 2017 - Minnesota 24 vs. Illinois 17
- Oct 29, 2016 - Minnesota 40 vs. Illinois 17
- Nov 21, 2015 - Minnesota 32 vs. Illinois 23
