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Minnesota will be returning home after a 2-game road trip. They will take on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday. Minnesota will really need to gear up for this challenge, as Louisiana will be their biggest challenge yet.
Minnesota fought the good fight in their overtime match against Northwestern on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. Minnesota fell just short of Northwestern by a score of 37-34. Minnesota didn't live up to their potential and found themselves falling short of the advantage oddsmakers thought they had coming into the game.
The losing side was boosted by Darius Taylor, who rushed for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Taylor is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last three games he's played. Athan Kaliakmanis didn't exactly stuff the stat sheet, but he still finished with two touchdowns in total.
The Golden Gophers weren't very productive in the air and finished the game with only 153 passing yards. They were destroyed by their opponents in that department as Northwestern threw for 400.
Meanwhile, even though Buffalo scored an imposing 38 points, Louisiana still came out on top. Louisiana walked away with a 45-38 win over Buffalo on Saturday.
Louisiana's win was the culmination of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Zeon Chriss, who threw for 249 yards and a touchdown, and also rushed for 70 yards and two touchdowns. Chriss' most impressive was a 54 yard score in the third quarter. Jacob Kibodi deserves a shout-out for his two touchdowns.
Louisiana's win bumped their season record to 3-1 while Minnesota's defeat dropped theirs to 2-2.
While only Louisiana took care of their fans the last time they played, neither team managed to cover. Looking ahead, Minnesota is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 11 points. For those looking to play the spread, keep their opponent in mind: they have a subpar 0-4 record against the spread vs Louisiana over their last four matchups.
Saturday's matchup might be decided on the ground as these two are among the best in the rush game. The Golden Gophers have been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 191.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like the Ragin' Cajuns struggle in that department as they've been averaging 238.2 per game. Given each team's dominance, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check CBS Sports after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more college football content.
