The Minnesota Golden Gophers play host to the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday afternoon in a crucial showdown from Huntington Bank Stadium. The Wildcats were able to grab a win in their first matchup of the season, though a run of eight-straight losses has this team struggling to find an identity. For Minnesota, they continue to have its eyes set on a potential division title and with back-to-back wins, confidence is high. With two straight wins in the series, the Golden Gophers would love nothing more than to make it three-straight against the Wildcats on Saturday.
After taking down Nebraska in Ireland during the first week of the season, there were few who would then expect this group to go winless over the next handful of months. Unfortunately, that's where the Wildcats find themselves right now. Eight straight losses have them sitting right near the bottom of their division of the Big Ten, while improvement doesn't look to be on the horizon. Whether at home or on the road, it hasn't seemed to matter to this group, though their struggles the last years against Minnesota, only casts even more doubt over their mindset heading into this one.
One piece of good news is that Northwestern only has one injury that they're monitoring head into this, as Coco Azema (undisclosed) continues to be out, likely for this season. While a key cog earlier in the season, his absence certainly wouldn't be new or concerning for the defense.
Northwestern's Peter Skoronski this season
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?? 5 pressures allowed pic.twitter.com/LJV2UhVOz9— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 6, 2022
Moving the ball is expected to be a problem for this group on Saturday, even regardless of how strong Minnesota has been on that side of the ball. The Wildcats rank outside the top 100 when it comes to rushing yards per game and scoring, while peaking in passing, still only ranked 75th nationally. Inconsistency at quarterback continues to plague this group but expect a heavy dose of Evan Hull (4.2 yards per carry, four touchdowns) could help take some pressure off this offense.
Defensively, they've been stronger but find themselves batting quite a bit of balance. They rank 35th against the pass, though considering Minnesota's struggles through the air, that shouldn't matter much. On the other hand, the Wildcats rank 35th against the run, which has continued to be a point of emphasis for Minnesota. Bryce Gallagher (86 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 interception) has established himself as one of the best linebackers in the count ry and the more his name is called in this one, the better news that is for Northwestern.