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The Minnesota Golden Gophers have enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they must head out on the road. The Golden Gophers and the Michigan State Spartans will face off in a Big Ten battle at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Spartan Stadium. Minnesota should still be feeling good after a win, while MSU will be looking to regain their footing.
Minnesota ran circles around the Colorado Buffaloes last week, and the extra yardage (500 yards vs. 227 yards) paid off. Minnesota steamrolled past Colorado 49-7 at home. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 35 to nothing. RB Mohamed Ibrahim had a dynamite game for the Golden Gophers; he rushed for three TDs and 202 yards on 23 carries.
Meanwhile, the Spartans came up short against the Washington Huskies last week, falling 39-28. MSU was down 36-14 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from. Despite the loss, they got a solid performance out of WR Keon Coleman, who caught nine passes for two TDs and 116 yards. Coleman had some trouble finding his footing against the Akron Zips two weeks ago, so this was a step in the right direction.
This next matchup is expected to be close, with the Golden Gophers going off at just a 3-point favorite. They have been consistent moneymakers against the spread when favored (2-0), so they might be worth a quick bet.
Minnesota's victory brought them up to 3-0 while the Spartans' defeat pulled them down to 2-1. A pair of defensive stats to keep an eye on: Minnesota hasn't allowed a rushing touchdown yet this season. As for MSU, they enter the contest with 12 sacks, good for sixth best in the nation.
