Pinned
Link copied
Through 3 Quarters
The Minnesota Golden Gophers were expected to win this one, and they are just one quarter away from fulfilling that expectation. Sitting on a score of 18-6, they have looked like the better team out there today, but there's still one more quarter to play. RB Ky Thomas has led the way so far for Minnesota, as he has rushed for one TD and 107 yards on 12 carries.
The Golden Gophers have been led by Thomas, who so far has rushed for one TD and 107 yards on 12 carries. Thomas' longest run so far was for 50 yards in the second quarter.
With five sacks, the Minnesota defense has been a true menace for West Virginia's offensive line. We'll see how many sacks Minnesota can scare up the rest of the game.
Who's Playing
West Virginia @ Minnesota
Regular Season Records: West Virginia 6-6; Minnesota 8-4
What to Know
The Minnesota Golden Gophers and the West Virginia Mountaineers will compete for holiday cheer in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl this past Tuesday at Chase Field at 10:15 p.m. ET.
Minnesota was hampered by 82 penalty yards against the Wisconsin Badgers five weeks ago, but luckily for them that wasn't the tale of the game. The Golden Gophers beat Wisconsin 23-13. No one had a standout game offensively for Minnesota, but they got scores from WR Chris Autman-Bell and RB Ky Thomas.
Special teams collected 11 points for Minnesota. K Matthew Trickett delivered a perfect 3-for-3 game.
Meanwhile, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, West Virginia beat the Kansas Jayhawks 34-28 five weeks ago. It was another big night for the Mountaineers' RB Leddie Brown, who rushed for one TD and 156 yards on 19 carries.
The Golden Gophers are the favorite in this one, with an expected 6-point margin of victory. They might be worth taking a chance on against the spread as they are currently on a two-game streak of ATS wins.
A couple offensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Minnesota is 192nd worst in the nation in passing yards per game, with only 166.4 on average. The Mountaineers have experienced some struggles of their own as they are stumbling into the matchup with the 160th fewest rushing yards per game in the nation, having accrued only 126.8 on average. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
How To Watch
- When: Tuesday at 10:15 p.m. ET
- Where: Chase Field -- Phoenix, Arizona
- TV: ESPN
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds
The Golden Gophers are a solid 6-point favorite against the Mountaineers, according to the latest college football odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Golden Gophers as a 5.5-point favorite.
Over/Under: -113
See college football picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
This is the first time these teams have played each other within the last six years.
