MINNESOTA at SYRACUSE
SCHEDULE/RESULTS SEPTEMBER 5 12 19 26
at Syracuse (ESPN2) Air Force (BTN) California (ESPN2) at Northwestern*
OCTOBER
3 10 17 24 31
Wisconsin* Purdue [HC]* at Penn State* (ABC) at Ohio State* Michigan State* (BTN)
NOVEMBER
7 Illinois* 14 South Dakota State 21 at Iowa*
Date: Saturday, Sept. 5 Time: 12:02 p.m. (ET) Site: Syracuse, N.Y. Stadium: Carrier Dome Surface: FieldTurf Capacity: 49,262 Series: Tied 1-1 Last Meeting: Sept. 21, 1996 Minnesota 35, Syracuse 33 Minneapolis, Minn.
12:02 p.m. ET 6 p.m. CT 11 a.m. CT TBA
TBA 11 a.m. 3:30 p.m. ET Noon ET 7 p.m. CT
TBA TBA TBA
All times local to site * - Big Ten Conference Game [HC] - Homecoming
GOPHER COACHES TIM BREWSTER (SL) Head Coach JEDD FISCH (SL) Offensive Coordinator KEVIN COSGROVE (SL) Co-Defensive Coordinator RONNIE LEE (SL) Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs JOHN BUTLER (SL) Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers TIM CROSS (SL) Associate Head Coach/Defensive Line TIM DAVIS (SL) Running Game Coordinator/Offensive Line THOMAS HAMMOCK (SL) Running Backs RICHARD HIGHTOWER (SL) Wide Receivers DEREK LEWIS (PB) Tight Ends Gameday Locations: SL - Sideline; PB - Press Box
WEEK 1 SCHEDULE MONDAY, AUGUST 31 9-10 a.m................................. Brewster available for out of town media TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 11:15 a.m. ................................................................... Media Luncheon Noon........................................................Tim Brewster Press Conference 12:30-12:45 p.m.............................. Press Conference Player interviews 12:40 p.m....................................Big Ten Teleconference (Tim Brewster) 3:45-6:15 p.m. .............................Practice (players available following) WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 3:45-6:15 p.m...................Practice (Coach, Players available following) THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 3:45-6:15 p.m. ................................................ Practice (no availability) 7 p.m.................................Tim Brewster Show (Joe Senser’s - Roseville)
MINNESOTA
GOLDEN GOPHERS 0-0
SYRACUSE
ORANGE 0-0
GOPHERS HEAD EAST FOR SEASON-OPENER WITH ORANGE
The Minnesota Golden Gophers lift the lid on the 2009 college football season Saturday, traveling to face the Syracuse Orange in Syracuse, N.Y. at the Carrier Dome. Kickoff is set for 12:02 p.m. (EDT). The game kicks off the 126th season of intercollegiate football at Minnesota.
This will be the first time Minnesota has opened on the road since 2006, when the Gophers traveled to Kent, Ohio and rolled to a 44-0 win over Kent State. The Gophers have only opened on the road three times in the last 10 seasons and are 2-1 in those matchups. Minnesota has won 12 of its last 14 season-opening contests. ESPN2 will televise the game. Pam Ward will call the play-by-play with Ray Bentley as the analyst in the booth.
BROADCAST INFORMATION Television ESPN2
Pam Ward - Play-by-play Ray Bentley - Analyst
Radio Gopher Sports Network Dave Lee - Play-by-play Dave Mona - Color Darrell Thompson - Analyst
Satellite Radio
XM Radio - Channel 197 or 198
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 ............................................................................Travel (no availability)
www.GOPHERSPORTS.com
Internet www.GopherSports.com Gold Zone Audio
Tickets Ticket Office: Mariucci Arena Phone: 1-800-UGOPHER Web: www.gophersports.com
MINNESOTA at SYRACUSE
MINNESOTA FOOTBALL NOTES • GAME 1
MEDIA SERVICES Minnesota Athletic Communications 516 15th Avenue S.E., Suite 244 Minneapolis, MN 55455 Phone: 612.626.0299
SCOUTING MINNESOTA Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster will open his third season at the helm of the Gopher program with a solid core of returning starters and experienced players. Minnesota returns 53 letterwinners from last season, including 18 starters (10 offense, 8 defense). In fact, the Gophers have more returning starters than any team in the Big Ten.
Fax: 612.625.0359 Andy Seeley, Associate Director/Primary Football Contact e-mail: aseeley@umn.edu mobile: 612.269.2706 Garry Bowman, Director e-mail: gbowman@umn.edu
ON THE INTERNET
Minnesota’s athletics website, www.gophersports.com, provides the latest information on the Golden Gophers. All releases, game notes, results, statistics, box scores, schedules, rosters and coach and player information is available. Recaps and statistics are updated after each game.
WEEKLY RELEASE
The Minnesota Athletic Communications Office e-mails its weekly football release on Mondays. Fax versions of the update are sent by request only. The release is also available on the Internet at www. gophersports.com in both text and PDF formats. If you are interested in receiving the weekly release via e-mail, please contact Associate Athletic Communications Director Andy Seeley at aseeley@umn.edu to be placed on the distribution list.
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES
Junior quarterback Adam Weber returns after taking nearly every snap for the last two seasons. Weber holds numerous school records and is on pace for even more. He set the Minnesota single-season records for passing yardage (2,895), TDs passing (24), completions (258) and attempts (449) in 2007. He is just 26 completions away from the career record. Senior wide receiver Eric Decker set a new Minnesota record for receptions for the second consecutive season, grabbing 84 in 2008. Decker was a Biletnikoff Award finalist and an All-Big Ten selection in 2008. In the backfield, sophomore running backs Duane Bennett and DeLeon Eskridge return. Defensively, the Gophers were opportunistic last season, ranking No. 11 in the nation in turnovers, creating 31. Up front, Eric Small and Garrett Brown will anchor the middle of the line. The linebacking corps will include returning starters Lee Campbell and Simoni Lawrence. The secondary will return three starters -- CBs Marcus Sherels and Traye Simmons and safety Kyle Theret.
SCOUTING SYRACUSE Ironically, in the season when Minnesota goes back to outdoor football, the Gophers will open 2009 in dome. The Gophers visit Syracuse and new coach Doug Marrone at the Carrier Dome to open the season.
Sunday
Marrone is a first-time head coach. The Syracuse product came back to his alma mater after serving as the offensive coordinator for the NFL’s New Orleans Saints.
Tuesday
The Orange was 3-9 last season, posting wins over Northeastern, Louisville and Notre Dame.
Head coach Tim Brewster will conduct a media briefing each Sunday in the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex from 12-12:30 p.m.
Head coach Tim Brewster hosts a regularly scheduled news conference on Tuesday of each week. Media luncheons and news conferences will be held in the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex, beginning at 11:15 a.m. with lunch. Brewster will address the media beginning at 12 p.m. (Noon), with requested players available at 12:40 p.m. To request players for the weekly news conference, media should contact Andy Seeley with requests by noon each preceding Monday at 612.626.0299 or via e-mail at aseeley@umn.edu. Practice schedules can change on a weekly basis. Please contact Andy Seeley for practice times. Gopher practices will take place on Rod Wallace Field. Tuesday practices are open to the media for the first 30 minutes. Requested players will be made available to the media following Tuesday practices.
Wednesday
Practice schedules can change on a weekly basis. Please contact Andy Seeley for practice times. Gopher practices will take place on Rod Wallace Field. Wednesday practices are open to the media for the first 30 minutes. Coach Brewster and requested players will be made available to the media following Wednesday practices.
Thursday
No media availability.
Friday
Coach Brewster and requested players are available for network television pregame production packages only.
Sept. 5 Sept. 12 Sept. 19 Sept. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 10 Oct. 24 Oct. 31 Nov. 7 Nov. 14 Nov. 21 Nov. 26
Minnesota at Penn State Northwestern Maine South Florida* West Virginia* Akron Cincinnati* at Pittsburgh* at Louisville* Rutgers* at Connecticut*
12:02 p.m. Noon TBA TBA Noon TBA TBA TBA TBA Noon TBA Noon
Syracuse has named former Duke University basketball player Greg Paulus as its starting QB. Paulus will have a go-to target in WR Mike Williams, who sat out 2008, but had 60 receptions as a sophomore in 2007. The Orange will be led defensively by DT Arthur Jones, who recorded 13 tackles for loss last season. Syracuse’s punter, Rob Long, ranked No. 14 in the NCAA with an average punt of 43.9 yards in 2008.
TALE OF THE TAPE (2008 Stats, Rankings) MINNESOTA (0-0/0-0 Big Ten) Team Statistics UM Points/Game 23.3 First Downs 214 Rushing/Game 103.9 Passing/Game 219.1 Total Off./Gm 322.9 Time of Poss. 30:00
OPP 24.7 253 143.3 240.3 383.6 30:00
Returning Individual Leaders Rushing Att Net Avg TD Eskridge 184 678 3.7 7 Weber 127 233 1.8 4 Passing Weber
C-A-I 255-410-8
Receiving Decker Simmons
Rec Yds Avg TD 84 1074 12.8 7 36 331 9.2 2
Defense U-A-TT Campbell 50-30-80 Theret 59-19-78
PG. 2
ORANGE SCHEDULE
TD 15
TFL 5.5 2.5
YPG 52.2 17.9
SYRACUSE (0-0/0-0 BIG EAST) Team Statistics SU Points/Game 18.1 First Downs 164 Rushing/Game 148.7 Passing/Game 121.5 Total Off./Gm 270.2 Time of Poss. 27:15
OPP 32.7 270 189.4 225.1 414.5 32:45
Returning Individual Leaders Rushing Att Net Avg TD Brinkley 237 1164 4.9 7 Hogue 35 232 6.6 2
YPG 212.4
Passing Dantley
C-A-I 121-251-5
YPG 89.5 25.5
Receiving Davis Owen
Rec Yds Avg TD 29 312 10.8 2 19 175 9.2 2
Defense Flaherty Smith
U-A-TT 44-37-81 36-37-73
FR 3 2
www.GOPHERSPORTS.com
TD 11
TFL 4.0 5.0
YPG 97.0 21.1 YPG 118.0 YPG 26.0 14.6 INT 1 1
NCAA TEAM RANKINGS Category UM Rush Off. 104 (103.9) Pass Off. 55 (219.1) Pass Eff. 50 (127.9) Tot. Off. 91 (322.92) Scor. Off. 83 (23.23) Rush Def. 68 (143.3) Pass Def. 93 (240.3) Pass Eff. D 78 (131.7) Tot. Def. 80 (383.6) Scor. Def. 61 (24.8) Net Punt 38 (36.3) Punt Ret. 46 (9.9) KO Ret. 15 (24.0) TO Marg. 16 (+0.92) Sacks T24 (2.54) Sacks All. 90 (2.31) Tack/Loss 25 (6.69)
SU 55 (148.7) 113 (121.5) 113 (94.9) 114 (270.2) 108 (18.1) 101 (189.4) 83 (255.1) 101 (141.1) 101 (414.5) 101 (32.7) 22 (37.4) 114 (4.5) 42 (22.0) 67 (-0.08) 100 (1.33) 98 (4.67) 98 (2.42)
a
MINNESOTA FOOTBALL NOTES • GAME 1
QUICK HITTERS u Minnesota is 87-32-6 all-time in season-openers for a winning percentage of .720. u Minnesota is opening the season with an opponent from a Bowl Championship Series conference for the first time since 1994, when the Gophers opened with Penn State. u Minnesota’s six-game turnaround in 2008 was the best in program history. u The Gophers went undefeated (4-0) in non-conference play in 2008. It was the first time Minnesota won all its regular-season non-conference games since 2005, when the Gophers went 3-0. u The Golden Gophers have outscored their last five season-opening opponents by an average score of 43.2-16.7. u Minnesota ranked No. 16 in turnover margin last season, creating 31 and losing just 18.
THE SYRACUSE SERIES Saturday’s game will be just the third gridiron meeting between the University of Minnesota and Syracuse University. The series is tied, with the home team winning both games of the series. Syracuse won the first meeting 27-17 on Sept. 23, 1995. Minnesota’s 35-33 victory vs. the Orange on Sept. 21, 1996 was highlighted by then-freshman Tyrone Carter returning two fumbles for touchdowns in a span of 56 seconds.
LAST TIME VS. SYRACUSE Freshman Tyrone Carter burst onto the national scene in just the third game of his career. In front of a national television audience on ESPN2, Carter scored on a pair of fumble recoveries just 56 seconds apart to help lead the Gophers to a 35-33 upset win over No. 23 Syracuse. Syracuse jumped out to an early 12-0 lead, but the Gophers pulled back within one score just before halftime. Tutu Atwell hauled in a 50-yard scoring strike from Cory Sauter to make it 12-7 at the break. In the middle of the third quarter, Carter’s two fumble returns put Minnesota on top 22-12. Thomas Hamner added a three-yard TD plunge and the Gophers led 29-12. But Syracuse answered with three straight TDs to grab a 33-29 advantage. Gopher placekicker Adam Bailey pulled his team back within one, 33-32 with just more than five minutes left. With 42 seconds remaining, Bailey gave the Gophers the lead for good, hitting a 26-yard field goal. Hamner rushed for 98 yards and a score, whle Sauter passed for 193 yards and a TD. Syracuse was led by running back Malcolm Thomas with 168 yards and two TDs, while Donovan McNabb threw three INTs.
LAST TIME OUT (Dec. 31, 2008) -- Minnesota held an early 14-7 lead and was tied with Kansas 14-14 after one quarter at the Insight Bowl. But the Jayhawks’ Dezmon Briscoe caught a game-record 14 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns, and Todd Reesing threw for four scores in Kansas’ 42-21 victory. After Minnesota took its 14-7 lead, Kansas scored 28 unanswered points to grab control of the contest. Reesing completed 27 of 35 passes, hitting on a school-record 14 straight passes in the first half. He threw for 313 yards and improved to 20-6 as a starter. He was intercepted once. Kerry Meier caught one touchdown pass and threw another for the Jayhawks. Eric Decker caught eight passes for 149 yards and a touchdown for the Golden Gophers. Both marks are bowl game records for Minnesota. Minnesota found itself down by a touchdown after 11 seconds. On the game’s first snap, Reesing rolled away from pressure and found Briscoe down the left sideline for a 60-yard score. The Golden Gophers responded quickly to the early deficit. On their first offensive snap, receiver David Pittman hit Decker for a 75-yard pass to the KU 12, and three plays later Jon Hoese bulled over from a yard out to tie it at 7. Nine minutes later, he scored again, on a 2-yard run, to give Minnesota a 14-7 lead.
www.GOPHERSPORTS.com
MINNESOTA at SYRACUSE
GOLDEN GOPHER HEAD COACH TIM BREWSTER In two short years as the head football coach at the University of Minnesota, Tim Brewster has taken some big steps toward getting Golden Gopher program back to its rightful place in the world of college football. Brewster has used his positive outlook and boundless energy to bring in two highly-regarded recruiting classes. On the field, the Gophers returned to postseason play in 2008 and were ranked as high as No. 17 in the nation for part of the season. In 2008, Brewster’s squad raced out to a 7-1 record to open the season. The Gophers were ranked No. 17 in the BCS at the end of October. Minnesota took part in the 2008 Insight Bowl, as Brewster led the Gophers to one of the biggest single-season turnarounds of the year. A renewed emphasis on recruiting may be the most visible phase of Brewster’s plan to help Minnesota football make history again. That was proven out in February of each of the past two seasons. Brewster and his staff signed a consensus top-25 recruiting class that some experts even rated among the nation’s top 15 in 2008. The significance of this accomplishment would be difficult to overstate at one the nation’s traditional recruiting powers let alone Minnesota, where the average Rivals ranking for the Gophers’ previous six recruiting classes was 54th. Brewster and his staff followed that up with a 2009 class that ranked in the top third of the nation. But recruiting is just one building block of a blueprint Brewster developed while helping Mack Brown turn North Carolina from ACC doormat into a national power and rebuild Texas into one of the country’s elite programs. Brewster came to Minnesota after spending the previous five years as an assistant coach in the National Football League, including the 2005 and 2006 seasons as the tight ends coach of the Denver Broncos. In addition to his productivity as a college recruiter, Brewster has also built a strong reputation for developing players during his 23-year coaching career. Last season, wide receiver Eric Decker and defensive end Willie VanDeSteeg both earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. Decker set a Minnesota record for receptions in a season for the second consecutive year and became just the third Gopher wideout to record a 1,000-yard receiving season. VanDeSteeg finished his career as the school’s alltime leader in tackles for loss and finished No. 4 all-time in sacks. It marked the first time the Gophers had multiple first-team All-Big Ten selections since 2005. VanDeSteeg’s honor was also the first time a Minnesota defender had been voted to the first team since 2004. In his first season at Minnesota, Brewster mentored then-freshman quarterback Adam Weber, who broke nearly all of the Gophers’ singleseason passing and total offense records during the 2007 season. Weber continued to improve in his sophomore campaign and was a 2008 second-team All-Big Ten selection. In all, Minnesota had six athletes earn all-conference accolades in 2008, the most since the Gophers had a half-dozen on the 2005 All-Big Ten squad. In 2007, Brewster helped coach safety Dominique Barber to secondteam All-Big Ten accolades and personally worked with punter Justin Kucek, expanding his repertoire with the effective and efficient flop punt and helping him evolve into one of the conferences top punters. Brewster was named Minnesota’s 26th head football coach on Jan. 17, 2007 after spending the previous five seasons as an assistant coach in the National Football League.
PG. 3
MINNESOTA FOOTBALL NOTES • GAME 1
EASTERN EXPOSURE
USA TODAY TOP 25 - PRESEASON Team (1st-Place Votes) 1. Florida (53) 2. Texas (4) 3. Oklahoma (1) 4. USC (1) 5. Alabama 6. Ohio State 7. Virginia Tech 8. Penn State 9. LSU 10. Mississippi 11. Oklahoma State 12. California 13. Georgia 14. Oregon 15. Georgia Tech 16. Boise State 17. TCU 18. Utah 19. Florida State 20. North Carolina 21. Iowa 22. Nebraska 23. Notre Dame 24. BYU 25. Oregon State
Record 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Points 1466 1386 1358 1321 1134 1126 1020 988 917 889 861 711 707 694 559 542 461 404 371 293 257 236 194 178 165
Others Receiving Votes: Kansas 138, Michigan State 136, Texas Tech 114, Cincinnati 90, Pittsburgh 64, West Virginia 55, Rutgers 51, Miami (FL) 46, Missouri 44, Illinois 38, Clemson 30, South Carolina 18, UCLA 14, Auburn 12, South Florida 11, Nevada 11, Kentucky 9, North Carolina State 7, Wisconsin 6, Arkansas 6, Northwestern 5, Southern Miss 4, Wake Forest 4, Arizona 3, Boston College 3, Central Michigan 3, East Carolina 3, Colorado 2, Maryland 2, Navy 2, Tennessee 2, Troy 1, Minnesota 1, Michigan 1, Houston 1.
ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25 - PRESEASON Team (1st-Place Votes) 1. Florida (58) 2. Texas (2) 3. Oklahoma 4. USC 5. Alabama 6. Ohio State 7. Virginia Tech 8. Mississippi 9. Oklahoma State 9. Penn State 11. LSU 12. California 13. Georgia 14. Boise State 15. Georgia Tech 16. Oregon 17. TCU 18. Florida State 19. Utah 20. BYU 21. North Carolina 22. Iowa 23. Notre Dame 24. Nebraska 25. Kansas
Record 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Points 1498 1424 1370 1313 1156 1113 1054 1047 989 989 914 746 714 659 593 587 521 307 289 267 261 229 225 207 134
Others Receiving Votes: Oregon State 122, Illinois 105, Pittsburgh 103, Michigan State 100, Rutgers 83, Texas Tech 76, West Virginia 57, Cincinnati 44, Clemson 42, Miami (FL) 40, East Carolina 30, Tennessee 15, Arizona 13, North Carolina State 10, Boston College 9, Central Michigan 7, Auburn 7, UCLA 7, Northwestern 5, South Florida 3, Southern Miss 3, Vanderbilt 3, Missouri 3, South Carolina 2, Nevada 1, Arkansas 1, Houston 1, Troy 1, Tulsa 1.
PG. 4
MINNESOTA at SYRACUSE
Saturday’s matchup with Syracuse marks the first time since 1942 that the Golden Gophers opened a season with an opponent that is a current member of the Big East Conference. Of course, the Big East was founded in 1979. Minnesota opened that 1942 campaign against Pittsburgh, which is the only other current Big East member (along with Syracuse) the Gophers have ever faced. Minnesota won that contest 50-7 at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis.
GOPHERS vs. BIG EAST vs. Cincinnati vs. Connecticut vs. Louisville vs. Pittsburgh vs. Rutgers vs. Syracuse vs. South Florida vs. West Virginia
0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 12-9-3 0-0-0 1-1-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
Minnesota is 13-10-3 all-time against current members of the Big East, including the 24 previous meetings with Pittsburgh and a pair with Syracuse. The Gophers are scheduled to play the Orange once again in 2012, with that game slated for Sept. 22 at TCF Bank Stadium. Minnesota is 11-16 overall in the Eastern Time Zone over the past 10 years. In non-conference play (including bowl games), the Gophers have ventured to the Eastern Time Zone just six times in the past 10 years, compiling a 3-3 record. The Gophers regularly play Big Ten opponents Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue, which reside in the Eastern Time Zone.
’CUSE CONNECTIONS Minnesota associate head coach/defensive line coach Tim Cross coached at Syracuse in 2005 and 2006. Cross was the defensive line coach with the Orange for those two seasons. Cross helped the Orange lead the Big East and finished seventh in the nation in turnover margin in 2006. His front line helped Syracuse average 2.8 sacks per game, which ranked among the top 20 in the nation. Cross mentored 2006 Big East sack leader Jameel McClain, who is on the roster of the Baltimore Ravens, along with another Cross product -- Minnesota’s Willie VanDeSteeg. In addition to McClain, Cross also coached James Wyche and Ryan LaCasse during his time at Syracuse. Both Wyche and LaCasse were selected in the NFL Draft. Syracuse University is located in Syracuse, N.Y. The Gophers have one member of their squad who hails from the State of New York. Junior offensive lineman Jeff Wills lists his hometown as Laurelton, N.Y. Despite the fact that Wills is the only Gopher from the State of New York, one other Minnesota studentathlete actually lives closer to Syracuse. Simoni Lawrence hails from Upper Darby, Pa. For Wills to drive from Laurelton to Syracuse, he would have to travel 270 miles. Lawrence’s hometown is just 253 miles from Syracuse.
126 YEARS AND COUNTING ... There’s little doubt that the University of Minnesota is one of the most historically significant programs in all of college football. The Golden Gophers are in their 126th season of collegiate football in 2009. The Golden Gophers enter the 2009 campaign with an all-time record of 634-456-44 (.578 winning percentage). Minnesota has played the fourth-most seasons in the history of college football. Only Rutgers (139), Michigan (129) and Navy (128) have played more. In fact, by the end of 2009, only 21 schools in the nation will have completed at least 120 seasons of college football. Only four schools -- including Minnesota -- will have played 125 years of intercollegiate football by the end of this season.
www.GOPHERSPORTS.com
MINNESOTA FOOTBALL NOTES • GAME 1
MINNESOTA at SYRACUSE
AYE, CAPTAIN!
2009 BIG TEN FOOTBALL
The Golden Gophers elected six captains prior to the 2009 season. Seniors Garrett Brown, Lee Campbell, Eric Decker, Simoni Lawrence and Eric Small join junior Adam Weber with that distinction this season.
2009 BIG TEN STANDINGS Team Illinois Indiana Iowa Michigan Michigan State Minnesota Northwestern Ohio State Penn State Purdue Wisconsin
Weber was the first sophomore ever to serve as a team captain at the University of Minnesota last season and is now a two-time captain. Decker is also a two-time team captain. The Gophers have only had 13 players ever earn the distinction of captain twice in their career. Weber would be the first-ever three-year Gopher captain should he be voted as such next season.
PASSING FANCY The Minnesota football team had two of its most productive seasons passing the football in school history over the last two seasons. The 2007 Gophers set team single-season records for pass completions and passing touchdowns. The 2007 team also had the No. 2 single-season passing yardage mark, throwing for 2,949 yards. Minnesota passed for 2,848 yards last season, which ranks No. 5 on the single-season list. The Gophers completed a school-record 262 passes in 2007 and 258 in 2008, the No. and No. 3 marks in school history, respectively.
BAKING TURNOVERS One of the biggest factors in Minnesota’s impressive turnaround last season was the Gophers’ ability to cause turnovers. The Gophers created 31 turnovers last season (16 fumble recoveries, 15 interceptions) to rank No. 11 in the nation. Only Iowa created more turnovers in the Big Ten, ranking No. 10 in the nation with 32. The Gophers also ranked No. 16 in the nation in turnover margin (+0.92 avg.). The Minnesota offense had a big hand in that, taking care of the ball with nearly the same amount of success has the Gopher ‘D’ had taking it away. The Gophers turned it over just 19 times in 2008 (11 fumbles lost, eight interceptions).
BEHIND ENEMY LINES The Minnesota defense struggled mightily in 2007, ranking 119th of 119 teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision in total defense. The Gophers allowed nearly 519 yards per game that season. The Gophers rebounded in 2008. Last season, Minnesota ranked No. 80 in total defense and improved their average allowed per game nearly 150 yards. The Gophers allowed just 383.6 yards per game last season. While turnovers played a big factor in that turnaround, another factor was Minnesota’s ability to penetrate the line of scrimmage. The Gophers ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 25 in the nation in tackles for loss, averaging 6.69 per game in 2008.
THE EARLY RETURNS The return game was a definite strength for the Gophers in 2008. Minnesota was the No. 2 team in the Big Ten and ranked No. 15 in the nation in average kickoff return yards. The Gophers averaged 24.04 yards per kickoff return last season. The longest kickoff return last season was turned in by Troy Stoudermire, who went 60 yards at the Insight Bowl vs. Kansas. The Gophers improved drastically returning punts in 2008. In 2007, Minnesota ranked 10th in the Big Ten and 112th nationally with an average of 5.1 yards per return. The Gophers nearly doubled their average in 2008, averaging 9.94 yards per return. Minnesota improved its national ranking in punt returns to No. 5 in the Big Ten and No. 46 in the nation.
Big Ten 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Overall 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
UPCOMING BIG TEN SCHEDULE Thursday, September 3 Eastern Kentucky at Indiana, 7 p.m. (BTN) Saturday, September 5 Northern Iowa at Iowa, 11 a.m. (BTN) Montana State at Michigan State, 11 a.m. (BTN) Minnesota at Syracuse, 11 a.m. (ESPN2) Towson at Northwestern, 11 a.m. (BTN) Navy at Ohio State, 11 a.m. (ESPN) Akron at Penn State, 11 a.m. (BTN) Western Michigan at Michigan, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN2) Northern Illinois at Wisconsin, 6 p.m. (BTN) Saturday, September 12 Western Michigan at Indiana, 11 a.m. (BTN) Iowa at Iowa State, 11 a.m. (FSN) Central Michigan at Michigan State, 11 a.m. (ESPN/ESPN2) Eastern Michigan at Northwestern, 11 a.m. (BTN) Syracuse at Penn State, 11 a.m. (BTN) Fresno State at Wisconsin, 11 a.m. (ESPN/ESPN2) Notre Dame at Michigan, 2:30 p.m. (ABC) Illinois State at Illinois, 6 p.m. (BTN) Air Force at Minnesota, 6 p.m. (BTN) Southern Cal at Ohio State, 7 p.m. (ESPN) Purdue at Oregon, 9:15 p.m. (FSN) BIG TEN COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT INFORMATION Scott Chipman - primary contact Assistant Commissioner for Communications schipman@bigten.org Office: 847.696.1010 ext. 141 Cell: 630.936.6005 LaTonya Sadler - secondary contact Associate Director of Communications lsadler@bigten.org Office: 847.696.1010 ext. 143 Cell: 434.770.2004 Website: www.bigten.org WEEKLY BIG TEN TELECONFERENCE The weekly Big Ten coaches teleconference call will take place every Tuesday throughout the season beginning at 11 a.m. CST. Each coach will be available for 10 minutes to preview their upcoming game. Coach Brewster is scheduled from 12:40 to 12:50 p.m. Media should contact the Big Ten at (847) 696-1010 for call-in information. All times are Central.
www.GOPHERSPORTS.com
PG. 5
MINNESOTA FOOTBALL NOTES • GAME 1
GOPHERS’ RECORD... Overall 0-0 Big Ten 0-0 Non-conference 0-0 Home 0-0 Away 0-0 Neutral 0-0 Current overall streak Lost 5 Current home streak Lost 3 Current road streak Lost 1 Current neutral site streak Lost 2 Current bowl streak Lost 2 Last win 17-6, at Purdue (10/25/08) Last loss 42-21, vs. Kansas (12/31/08 - Insight Bowl) Day game 0-0 Night game 0-0 TV game 0-0 ABC 0-0 ESPN 0-0 ESPN2 0-0 Big Ten Network 0-0 August 0-0 September 0-0 October 0-0 November 0-0 December 0-0 January 0-0 vs. Top-25 teams 0-0 vs. non-ranked teams 0-0 vs. 1-AA 0-0 On artificial turf 0-0 On natural grass 0-0 Indoors 0-0 Outdoors 0-0 Scoring first 0-0 Opponent scores first 0-0 Leading after 1st quarter 0-0 Behind after 1st quarter 0-0 Tied after 1st quarter 0-0 Leading at halftime 0-0 Behind at halftime 0-0 Tied at halftime 0-0 Leading after 3rd quarter 0-0 Behind after 3rd quarter 0-0 Tied after 3rd quarter 0-0 Overtime 0-0 Scoring 0-14 points 0-0 Scoring 15-28 points 0-0 Scoring 28+ points 0-0 Allowing 0-14 points 0-0 Allowing 15-28 points 0-0 Allowing 28+ points 0-0 With 100-yd rusher 0-0 Allow 100-yard rusher 0-0 With 300-yd passer 0-0 Allow 300-yard passer 0-0 Outgain opponent 0-0 Total offense 300+ yards 0-0 Allow 300+ yards total offense 0-0 Total offense 400+ yards 0-0 Allow 400+ yards total offense 0-0 No turnovers 0-0 Less than three turnovers 0-0 Three or more turnovers 0-0 No takeaways 0-0 Three or more takeaways 0-0 Commit fewer turnovers 0-0 Equal turnovers 0-0 Commit more turnovers 0-0 Control time of possession 0-0 Opponent controls time of possession 0-0 Games decided between 1-10 points 0-0 Games decided between 11-20 points 0-0 Games decided by more than 20 points 0-0
PG. 6
MINNESOTA at SYRACUSE
WEBER GRILLS UP RECORDS u In his first two seasons, junior quarterback Adam Weber has re-written or is about to re-write virtually all of Minnesota’s passing and total offense records. Weber set single-season and freshman records for passing yards (2,985), completions (258), attempts (449), touchdown passes (24) and total offensive yardage (3,512) in 2007. He also tied the Minnesota record for fastest to 2,000 yards passing, doing so in eight games. Weber needs less than 1,800 yards to break the career mark for passing yardage, less than 90 passes thrown to set a new career record for attempts, just 27 completions for the career record in that category and just 17 touchdowns to break the career touchdown pass record.
QUARTERBACK NOTEBOOK u Adam Weber is the only quarterback on the Minnesota roster who has ever taken a collegiate snap. u Weber threw 19 interceptions in his first season as a starter in 2007. He significantly improved that total in 2008, throwing just eight picks. Weber only had one game with multiple interceptions in 2008 (2 vs. Iowa), compared with six such contests in 2007. u Freshman MarQueis Gray will be Minnesota’s No. 2 quarterback. Gray was with the Gophers for a portion of preseason camp in 2008, but was unable to enroll in 2008. u Gray is a true freshman. He was rated as the No. 3 dual-threat QB in the nation coming out of Indianapolis Ben Davis High School. u Two other signal-callers are listed on Minnesota’s roster -- freshmen Moses Alipate and Adam Lueck. u Alipate is a true freshman and was the No. 16 pro-style quarterback in the 2008 recruiting class. u Lueck is a red-shirt freshman walk-on.
BENNETT BACK IN THE BACKFIELD u Sophomore running back Duane Bennett (pronounced Doo-ON) started seven games for Minnesota as a freshman. He started the first two games of 2008, before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Bennett enters the 2009 campaign expecting to share carries with DeLeon Eskridge. Bennett averaged 4.4 yards per carry and 70.0 yards per game in less than two full games last season. He scored two rushing touchdowns and had a receiving score before suffering a torn ACL.
RUNNING BACK NOTEBOOK u Sophomore DeLeon Eskridge was the workhorse of the Gopher backfield in 2008, after Bennett’s knee injury. Eskridge led the team with 678 yards rushing and seven TDs. He averaged 3.7 yards per carry and 52.2 yards per game. u Eskridge rushed for more than 100 yards twice in 2008, including a season-high 124 yards in Minnesota’s 27-20 win at Illinois. He also had three multiple-touchdown contests. u Sophomore Shady Salamon saw a good deal of action in 2008 as well. He played in 12 of 13 games last season, rushing for 181 yards (3.7 yards per carry). u Senior Jay Thomas has overcome two ACL reconstructions in his career. He had just seven carries last season, but was an important special teams contributor, returning nine kickoffs. u Red-shirt freshman Kevin Whaley is also expected to contribute in 2009. He rushed for 63 yards (averaging 5.3 yards per carry) and one TD in the 2009 Minnesota Spring Game.
STACKING THE DECK u Senior wide receiver Eric Decker was a semi-finalist for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver in 2008. For the second consecutive season, Decker set a new Minnesota single-season record for receptions. He hauled in 67 passes in 2007 and smashed that record with 84 receptions last season. Decker became just the fourth Gopher receiver ever to compile a 1,000-yard season in 2008, finishing with 1,074 yards to rank No. 2 on the school single-season chart. Decker missed spring football in 2008 and 2009, while playing baseball for the Gophers. He batted .319 with 13 doubles, three triples and four home runs in just his second season of collegiate baseball. Decker was an all-tournament selection at the 2009 Big Ten Baseball Tournament and was drafted in the 27th round of the MLB Entry Draft.
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MINNESOTA FOOTBALL NOTES • GAME 1
RECEIVER NOTEBOOK
MINNESOTA at SYRACUSE
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
u Eric Decker was a consensus All-Big Ten selection and an honorable mention All-America selection by SI.com in 2008. He was chosen as a 2009 Preseason All-American by ESPN’s Ivan Maisel. u Decker caught nearly one-third (32.6 percent) of Minnesota’s completed passes in 2008. His 1,074 yards receiving accounted for 37.7 percent of the team’s receiving yardage. u Sophomore wide receiver Brandon Green caught 21 passes and scored one touchdown in 11 games of action in 2008. His 71-yard catch at Purdue was the longest of the regular season for the Gophers. u Senior tight end Nick Tow-Arnett will be the squad’s top tight end. Tow-Arnett caught 10 passes for 211 yards and one touchdown in 2008, backing up Jack Simmons, who is now with the New York Jets. u Senior wide receiver Ben Kuznia is the second-leading returning receiver from 2008. He grabbed 31 receptions for 310 yards in 2008. Sixteen of Kuznia’s 31 receptions last season went for first downs. u Sophomore wide receiver Da’Jon McKnight caught three passes, including one for a TD, in 2008. u Junior wide receiver Hayo Carpenter is expected to add to Minnesota’s receiver corps this season. Carpenter was rated as the top junior-college player in the country last season by Scout.com. He was rated as the No. 13 juco player in the country by Rivals.com. u Carpenter had 93 receptions for 1,675 yards and 16 TDs last season at College of the Canyons.
SIZE MATTERS u Of the 10 offensive linemen expected to be listed on the Gophers’ two-deep and expected to see action in 2009, seven are 6-foot 3-inches or taller and five top the 300-pound mark. The average height and weight of the top 10 Minnesota offensive linemen is 6-4, 308 pounds. Senior tackle Matt Stommes and junior tackle Jeff Wills are both 6-7. Wills is the heaviest Gopher, tipping the scales at 365 pounds.
OFFENSIVE LINE NOTEBOOK u Minnesota returns a combined 44 starts among all its offensive linemen from 2008. That number would jump to 57 if Ryan Wynn was included. Wynn’s status for 2009 has yet to be determined after back surgery he underwent on August 24. The Gophers lost only Jason Meinke’s eight starts from last year. u Guard D.J. Burris’ nine starts in 2008 was most among UM linemen. u Senior center Jeff Tow-Arnett returns after seeing action in nine games and starting eight last season. Tow-Arnett compted on a torn ACL in six of his starts and seven of his games played last year. u Two projected offensive line starters for Minnesota have never played a game for the Gophers. Juco transfer Jeff Wills, a 6-7, 365-pounder starred at Lackawanna College in 2008. Notre Dame transfer Matt Carufel practiced with Minnesota, but sat out due to NCAA transfer rules, in 2008. u Senior left tackle Matt Stommes made the first start of his career at the Insight Bowl last year. Stommes came to Minnesota as a defensive lineman, but transitioned to the offensive side in 2008.
BROWN BAGS ’EM u Senior defensive tackle Garrett Brown could be the anchor of the Gophers’ defensive line. Brown started all 13 games last season and ranked No. 2 in tackles among Minnesota defensive linemen last season. Brown racked up 34 stops in 2008, including 7.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks. He also showed a nose for the ball, recovering a team-high three fumbles and forcing one.
DEFENSIVE LINE NOTEBOOK u Senior DT Eric Small is anything but. Small was listed at 280 pounds in 2007. He’s up to 306 this season. Small forced one and recovered two fumbles to go along with his 25 total tackles in 2008. u With defensive end Willie VanDeSteeg and his 10.5 sacks and 19.0 tackles for loss gone to the NFL, the Gophers need someone to step up on the edge. Senior Cedric McKinley showed flashes of being the guy late in 2008. He recorded one sack Oct. 25 at Purdue and a pair vs. Kansas at the Insight Bowl. u Senior defensive end Barrett Moen came to Minnesota as a walk-on offensive lineman. But he worked his way into the rotation on the defensive line in 2008 and is slated to start in 2009. u Others in the mix for time in the defensive line rotation include senior sophomore DTs Brandon Kirksey and Jewhan Edwards. DE Anthony Jacobs will most likely see action as well.
www.GOPHERSPORTS.com
The following is a look at selected statistical categories where current Gophers have the opportunity to climb the career leader chart over the course of the season: CAREER PASSING YARDAGE 1. Bryan Cupito, 2003-06 2. Cory Sauter, 1994-97 3. Asad Abdul-Khaliq, 2000-03 4. Adam Weber, 2007- 5. Marquel Fleetwood, 1989-92 6. Rickey Foggie, 1984-87 7. Mike Hohensee, 1981-82 8. Tim Schade, 1993-94 9. Tony Dungy, 1973-76 10. Billy Cockerham, 1996-99
7,446 6,834 6,660 5,656 5,279 5,162 4,792 3,986 3,515 3,483
CAREER PASS COMPLETIONS 1. Cory Sauter, 1994-97 2. Adam Weber, 2007- Bryan Cupito, 2003-06 4. Asad Abdul-Khaliq, 2000-03 5. Marquel Fleetwood, 1989-92 6. Mike Hohensee, 1981-82 7. Tim Schade, 1993-94 8. Rickey Foggie, 1984-87 9. Scott Schaffner, 1987-91 10. Tony Dungy, 1973-76
539 513 513 481 465 392 322 311 278 274
CAREER PASSING TOUCHDOWNS 1. Bryan Cupito (2003-06) Asad Abdul-Khaliq (2000-03) 3. Cory Sauter (1994-97) 4. Adam Weber (2007-present) 5. Rickey Foggie (1984-87) 6. Mike Hohensee (1981-82) 7. Billy Cockerham (1996-99) 8. Tony Dungy (1973-76) 9. Tim Schade, 1993-94 Scott Schaffner, 1987-91
55 55 40 39 34 33 29 25 22 22
CAREER RECEIVING YARDAGE 1. Ron Johnson, 1998-2001 2. Tutu Atwell, 1994-97 3. Ernie Wheelwright, 2004-07 4. Eric Decker, 2006- 5. Ryan Thelwell, 1994-96 6. Jared Ellerson, 2002-2005 7. Luke Leverson, 1996-99 8. Omar Douglas, 1990-93 9. Dwayne McMullen, 1981-84 10. Aaron Osterman, 1990-94 CAREER TOUCDOWN RECEPTIONS 1. Ron Johnson, 1998-2001 2. Ernie Wheelwright, 2004-07 3. Eric Decker, 2006- Tutu Atwell, 1994-97 5. Jared Ellerson, 2002-2005 Ben Utecht, 2000-03 Dwayne McMullen, 1981-84 8. Ryan Thelwell, 1994-96 Omar Douglas, 1990-93 10. Elmer Bailey, 1977-79 Matt Spaeth, 2003-2006
2,989 2,640 2,434 2,361 2,232 2,054 1,843 1,681 1,627 1,598
31 26 19 17 15 15 15 14 14 12 12
PG. 7
MINNESOTA FOOTBALL NOTES • GAME 1
MINNESOTA at SYRACUSE
GOPHER RADIO NETWORK
LEE-DING THE WAY
The Gopher Sports Network distributes its digital quality audio stream via satellite to 44 affiliates across the state of Minnesota. WCCO (830 AM) in the Twin Cities will serve as the flagship station for its 86th season in 2009.
u Senior linebacker Lee Campbell led the team in tackling in 2008, recording 80 tackles. He tallied 5.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks last year. He also tied for the team lead in fumble recoveries with three. Campbell was a high school linebacker, moved to defensive end early in his Gopher career. He moved back to middle linebacker during 2008 preseason camp.
Dave Lee will return behind the mic for his ninth season calling the Gophers’ play-by-play. Dave Mona is back as the network’s color commentator, with Darrell Thompson, the all-time leading rusher in school history, returning to the booth this season as the broadcast’s analyst. Mike Grimm will handle the studio duties including the pre- and postgame shows. Golden Gopher Radio Network Affiliates: Market Station Alexandria KULO-FM Aitkin KKIN-FM Albert Lea KATE-AM Austin KAUS-AM Austin KAUS-FM Bemidji KBUN-AM Benson KSCR-FM Brainerd KBLB-FM Crookston KROX-AM Detroit Lakes KDLM-AM Duluth WGEE-AM Ely WELY-FM Fairmont KSUM-AM Fargo/Moorhead, ND KQWB-AM Glenwood KMGK-FM Grand Rapids KOZY-AM Hutchinson KARP-FM Little Falls KLTF-AM Marshall KMHL-AM Minneapolis/St. Paul KBEM-FM Minneapolis/St. Paul WCCO-AM Minneapolis/St. Paul WLTE-FM-HD2 Montevideo KDMA-AM New Prague KRDS-FM Owatonna/Mankato KOWZ-FM Owatonna/Waseca KOWZ-AM Park Rapids KPRM-AM Pipestone KLOH-AM Red Wing KCUE-AM Redwood Falls KLGR-AM Rochester KROC-AM Roseau KCAJ-FM Roseau KRWB-AM St. Cloud KXSS-AM Thief River Falls KTRF-AM Wadena KVKK-AM Walker KAKK-AM Windom KDOM-AM Windom KDOM-FM Winona KWNO-AM Worthington KWOA-AM Yankton, SD KYNT-AM
Freq. 94.3 94.3 1450 1480 99.9 1450 93.5 93.3 1260 1340 970 94.5 1370 1660 107.1 1320 106.9 960 1400 88.5 830 (HD) 102.9-2 (HD) 1460 95.5 100.9 1170 870 1050 1250 1490 1340 102.1 1410 1390 1230 1070 1570 1580 94.3 1230 730 1450
LINEBACKER NOTEBOOK u Senior strongside linebacker Simoni Lawrence got his hands on the ball twice last season and took it to the house both times. He tallied a 50-yard interception return for a score against Florida Atlantic and brought a fumble back nine yards to paydirt at Illinois. u Lawrence was No. 2 on the team in tackles for loss in 2008. He made 10.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage last season. He also broke up two passes and forced a fumble. u Senior linebacker Nate Triplett is projected to start on the weak side. He played in 13 games last season, including one start, recording 31 total stops. u Triplett is also one of Minnesota’s special teams aces. He has won the Bobby Bell Award as the team’s top special teams player each of the last two seasons. u Red-shirt freshman Keanon Cooper and freshman Spencer Reeves are slated to see action in 2008. u After missing last season following open-heart surgery, freshman Sam Maresh is 100 percent healthy and working his way back into football shape.
MARCUS MAKES HIS MARK u Senior cornerback Marcus Sherels was one of the most pleasant surprises of preseason camp in 2008. A former wide receiver and former walk-on, he moved to the secondary and was awarded a scholarship prior to last season. Sherels showed he belonged in the secondary and had earned that scholarship, ranking fourth in the Big Ten and 25th in the nation with 13 passes defended (2 INT, 11 PBU).
SECONDARY NOTEBOOK u Opposing offenses will have to pick their poison with the Gopher cornerbacks. In addition to Sherels, opposing QBs will see senior Traye Simmons on the other side. Simmons was a 2nd-team All-Big Ten selection in 2008, ranking No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 5 in the nation in passes defended (4 INT, 14 PBU). u Junior safety Kyle Theret has started 18 consecutive games, dating back to the middle of his true freshman season. Theret ranked No. 2 on the team in total tackles in 2008, racking up 78 stops. u Theret also ranked No. 2 on the team with three INTs and No. 3 on the squad with eight pass PBUs. u Junior safety Kim Royston will finally be able to contribute to the Gophers’ secondary in 2009. Royston transferred from Wisconsin in 2008, had to walk-on was unable to compete due to Big Ten transfer rules. u Junior CBs Ryan Collado and freshman Michael Carter are both in the mix for playing time. Sophomores Tim Dandridge and Mike Rallis both saw action last season at safety and on special teams.
CONSISTENT COLEMAN u Junior long snapper Ryan Coleman is the only specialist returning to the Gophers with experience in a collegiate contest. Coleman took over the long-snapping duties in 2008. He made 128 snaps, with just one bad snap, which came on a field-goal attempt. Coleman delivered 76 punt snaps, 16 field goal snaps and 36 PAT snaps.
SPECIALIST NOTEBOOK
Dave Mona, Dave Lee, Darrell Thompson, Mike Grimm
PG. 8
u Junior Eric Ellestad is in line to take over the placekicking duties for Minnesota in 2009. Ellestad has never participated in a collegiate contest. He earned All-America honors as a senior in high school. Ellestad averaged 62.7 yards per kickoff and had a 47-yard field goal to his credit in his senior season. u Freshman Dan Orseske and senior Blake Haudan battled for the punting duties through preseason camp. Orseske, who has routinely hit punts of 60 and 70 yards in practice, has been named the starter.
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MINNESOTA FOOTBALL NOTES • GAME 1
MINNESOTA at SYRACUSE
TAKE IT TO THE BANK
TCF BANK STADIUM FACTS
Next week, when the Gophers host the Air Force Academy, it will mark the first time since Nov. 21, 1981 that college football has been played on campus at Minnesota.
• TCF Bank Stadium was designed as an open-air, horseshoe-shaped bowl with a collegiate look and feel. The stadium is oriented to take advantage of the views of downtown Minneapolis.
TCF Bank Stadium will be the first Big Ten Stadium built in nearly 50 years. Beaver Stadium (Penn State) and Memorial Stadium (Indiana) were both built in 1960. TCF Bank Stadium will be just the second new stadium built in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) and the first in a BCS conference since 1998. Akron is also on schedule to open a new stadium this season.
• The University exceeded its initial fund-raising goal of $86 million.
• The brick façade and arches resemble that of Minnesota’s previous on-campus football venue, Memorial Stadium, which hosted its final game on Nov. 21, 1981.
• Construction began on TCF Bank Stadium on July 11, 2007. It took over 1.3 million work hours to complete the project by July , 2009. • The main high definition video measures approximately 48 feet high by 108 feet wide and boasts Daktronics HD-16 technology. • The main high definition video board is the third largest in all of college athletics in terms of square footage. Only Texas and Mississippi State have larger boards. • The main video board screen is made up of more than four million LED lights that if placed end to end would extend for 47.5 miles.
In May 2006, the Minnesota legislature made the stadium a reality, approving the $288.5 million facility. The stadium holds 50,805 fans and is an open-air facility. Construction began during the summer of 2007.
• At the project’s peak, 750 construction workers were working on TCF Bank Stadium. • The site of TCF Bank Stadium covers 1,194,645 SF or approximately 27.4 acres.
TCF Bank Stadium Timeline
• The playing surface is FieldTurf and covers 92,132 SF or approximately 2.1 acres.
June, 2007 - Ground broken on TCF Bank Stadium.
• The home locker room at TCF Bank Stadium is 60 yards long by 25 yards wide. It contains 120 cherry wood lockers and is the largest in both professional and college football.
May, 2006 - Legislature approves new stadium.
January, 2008 - First steel rises from ground at stadium site.
• The design of TCF Bank Stadium allows for expansion to 80,000.
April 7, 2008 - First brick laid at the stadium site. Spring/Summer, 2009 - Scoreboards and lights in, exterior work finished. Spring/Summer, 2009 - Scoreboards and lights in, exterior work finished. May/June, 2009 - FieldTurf playing surface installed.
• There are approximately 25,000 seats with permanent chairbacks. All seats between the goal lines have permanent chairbacks. • TCF Bank Stadium includes 1,000 handicap accessible and companion seats. • There are 37 premium suites, 57 loge boxes, 259 seats in the indoor club and 1,250 seats in the outdoor club at TCF Bank Stadium. • There are 113 restrooms in TCF Bank Stadium, which include 625 toilets and 268 urinals.
July, 2009 - University takes occupancy of TCF Bank Stadium.
• TCF Bank Stadium has 10 network TV camera positions and seating for 165 members of the media.
Sept. 12, 2009 - First game at TCF Bank Stadium vs. Air Force.
GOPHER VICTORY WALK
• Populous (formerly HOK Sport) served as the primary architect for the building, while Mortensen Construction was the general contractor.
The Golden Gopher football program saw a new tradition take shape in 2007, with the advent of the “Gopher Victory Walk.” Prior to each game, the entire Minnesota football team, led by the Minnesota Marching Band, will walk through the fans at the McNamara Alumni Center, cross Oak Street and head into TCF Bank Stadium.
• In excess of 8,800 tons of structural steel was used in the project, with 97 percent recycled steel.
Each Gopher Victory Walk will begin approximately two hours prior to kickoff. The Minnesota Football program is encouraging fans to participate in the Gopher Victory Walk throughout the season, by lining the entire path from the McNamara Alumni Center to the stadium and greeting the players as they arrive on game day.
• TCF Bank Stadium contains 24,000 yards of cast-in-place concrete, which is enough concrete to pour a four-inch thick, five-foot wide sidewalk from Minneapolis to Rochester, Minn. (74 miles). • The masonry includes 525,000 units of concrete block and 760,000 units of full and thin brick. • There is 72,753 SF or approximately 1.7 acres of glass in TCF Bank Stadium, enough to cover more than 1.25 football fields. • There are 9,185 Minnesota Block “M”s in TCF Bank Stadium. • The foundation of TCF Bank Stadium is supported by 2,133 drilled piles, which is equivalent to 15.5 miles of piles.
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PG. 9
MINNESOTA at SYRACUSE
MINNESOTA FOOTBALL NOTES • GAME 1
2009 NUMERICAL ROSTER
ALPHABETICAL ROSTER Pos
Yr
#
Name
Pos
Ht
Wt
Ltr
Yr.
Hometown (Previous School)
12 Moses Alipate
QB
Fr.
1
Michael Carter
DB
5-11
163
0
Fr.
Pompano Beach, Fla. (Ely HS)
76 Dominic Alford
OL
Jr.
1
Brandon Green
WR
6-0
183
1
So.
Chicago, Ill. (Robeson HS)
2
WR
Fr.
2
Bryant Allen
WR
6-0
167
0
Fr.
Maplewood, Mo. (Maplewood-Richmond Heights HS)
59 Joey Balthazor
LB
Fr.
2
Ryan Collado
CB
5-9
175
2
Jr.
Cincinnati, Ohio (Hills Christian HS)
81 A.J. Barker
WR
Fr.
3
Kim Royston
DB
5-11
193
0
Jr.
Minneapolis, Minn. (Wisconsin)
22 Duane Bennett
RB
So.
4
Hayo Carpenter
WR
5-11
174
0
Jr.
Lawndale, Calif. (College of the Canyons)
#
Name
Bryant Allen
80 Xzavian Brandon
WR
So.
4
Keanon Cooper
LB
6-0
210
0
Fr.
Dallas, Texas (Skyline HS)
63 Andy Brinkhaus
OL
Jr.
5
MarQueis Gray
QB
6-4
222
0
Fr.
Indianapolis, Ind. (Ben Davis HS)
99 Garrett Brown
DT
Sr.
5
Johnny Johnson
DB
5-9
189
1
So.
Chicago, Ill. (Robeson HS)
18 R.J. Buckner
RB
Jr.
6
Kerry Lewis
DB
5-9
179
0
Fr.
Dallas, Texas (Lancaster HS)
53 D.J. Burris
OL
Jr.
6
Kevin Whaley
RB
5-9
179
0
Fr.
Virginia Beach, Va. (Salem HS)
68 Chris Bunders
OL
So.
7
Eric Decker
WR
6-3
220
3
Sr.
Cold Spring, Minn. (Rocori HS)
30 Lee Campbell
LB
Sr.
8
Spencer Reeves
LB
6-2
221
0
Fr.
Dallas, Texas (Skyline HS)
4
Hayo Carpenter
WR
Jr.
8
Adam Weber
QB
6-3
221
2
Jr.
Shoreview, Minn. (Mounds View HS)
1
Michael Carter
DB
Fr.
9
David Pittman
WR
5-11
190
1
Sr.
Pasadena, Calif. (Pasadena City College)
73 Matt Carufel
OL
Jr.
11
Adam Lueck
QB
6-0
187
0
Fr.
Eden Prairie, Minn. (Eden Prairie HS)
47 Ryan Coleman
LS
Jr.
11
Troy Stoudermire
WR
5-10
183
1
So.
Dallas, Texas (Skyline HS)
2
Ryan Collado
CB
Jr.
12
Moses Alipate
QB
6-5
230
0
Fr.
Bloomington, Minn. (Jefferson HS)
4
Keanon Cooper
Royal Palm Beach, Fla. (Royal Palm Beach HS)
LB
Fr.
13
Michael McKelton
DB
5-10
183
1
Sr.
44 Ed Cotton
FB
Fr.
14
Damola Ogundipe
DB
5-7
187
0
Jr.
New Brighton, Minn. (Irondale HS)
25 Tim Dandridge
DB
So.
15
Traye Simmons
DB
5-11
180
1
Sr.
Marietta, Ga. (College of the Sequoias)
61 Trey Davis
OL
So.
16
Ben Kuznia
WR
6-0
186
1
Sr.
Olivia, Minn. (Bold HS)
7
WR
Sr.
17
Sam Maresh
LB
6-3
247
0
Fr.
Champlin, Minn. (Champlin Park HS) Keller, Texas (Harvest Christian Academy)
Eric Decker
92 Kyle Dykstra
DL
Fr.
18
R.J. Buckner
RB
5-11
202
1
Jr.
68 Jewhan Edwards
DT
So.
20
Jay Thomas
RB
6-0
209
3
Sr.
Oakdale, Minn. (Tartan HS)
37 Eric Ellestad
K
Jr.
21
Simoni Lawrence
LB
6-1
221
1
Sr.
Upper Darby, Pa. (Valley Forge Military Acad.)
23 DeLeon Eskridge
RB
So.
22
Duane Bennett
RB
5-9
203
1
So.
Fairview Heights, Ill. (O’Fallon Township HS)
49 Matt Garin
DE
Fr.
23
DeLeon Eskridge
RB
5-11
198
1
So.
San Francisco, Calif. (Junipero Serra HS)
69 Jacob Glickstein
DL
Fr.
24
Marcus Sherels
CB
5-11
172
3
Sr.
Rochester, Minn. (John Marshall HS)
43 Ryan Grant
LB
Fr.
25
Tim Dandridge
DB
6-1
185
1
So.
Detroit, Mich. (Highland Park HS)
5
MarQueis Gray
QB
Fr.
26
Mike Rallis
DB
6-2
210
1
So.
1
Brandon Green
WR
So.
27
Kyle Theret
DB
5-10
193
2
Jr.
91 Kendall Gregory-McGhee
DE
Fr.
28
Kenny Watkins
DB
6-0
187
0
Fr.
Detroit, Mich. (Brother Rice HS)
86 Ra’Shede Hageman
TE
Fr.
29
Shady Salamon
RB
5-11
203
1
So.
S. St. Paul, Minn. (Cretin-Derham Hall)
64 Austin Hahn
OL
Fr.
30
Lee Campbell
LB
6-3
246
3
Sr.
Naples, Fla. (Gulf Coast HS)
38 Blake Haudan
P
Sr.
32
Nathan Triplett
LB
6-3
247
2
Sr.
Maple Plain, Minn. (Delano HS)
36 Ben Haviland
DB
Fr.
33
Rex Sharpe
LB
6-1
231
1
Sr.
Fairfield, Ala. (Arizona Western College)
90 Raymond Henderson
DE
Sr.
34
Kyle Henderson
DB
5-11
167
0
So.
Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota State-Mankato)
Edina, Minn. (Edina HS) Murrieta, Calif. (J.K. Mullen HS)
34 Kyle Henderson
DB
So.
35
Jon Hoese
FB
6-2
233
2
Jr.
Glencoe, Minn. (Glencoe-Silver Lake HS)
57 Aaron Hill
LB
Fr.
36
Chase Haviland
DB
5-9
177
0
Fr.
Thief River Falls, Minn. (Lincoln HS)
35 Jon Hoese
FB
Jr.
36
Nick Rengel
FB
6-3
225
0
Fr.
Sartell, Minn. (Sartell HS)
96 Curtis Hughes
TE
Jr.
37
Eric Ellestad
K
6-3
204
0
Jr.
Brooklyn Park, Minn. (Armstrong HS)
97 Anthony Jacobs
DE
So.
37
Willie Schneider
FB
5-11
216
0
Fr.
St. Paul, Minn. (Cretin-Derham Hall HS)
94 Eric Jacques
DL
Fr.
38
Blake Haudan
P
6-1
210
0
Sr.
Toledo, Ohio (St. John’s Jesuit HS)
5
DB
So.
38
Marcus Singletary
DB
6-0
188
0
Sr.
Hinesville, Ga. (Rainy River CC)
84 Victor Keise
WR
Fr.
39
Nicholas Stommes
DB
6-0
205
0
Sr.
Owen, Wis. (Owen-Withee HS)
96 Brandon Kirksey
DT
So.
40
Nathan Tow-Arnett
DB
6-1
199
0
So.
Redwood Falls, Minn. (Redwood Falls HS)
48 Bryan Klitzke
DB
So.
41
Dan Orseske
P
6-3
199
0
Fr.
Chicago, Ill. (Brother Rice HS)
16 Ben Kuznia
WR
Sr.
42
Logan U’u
FB
5-10
230
0
Sr.
Oakland, Calif. (Laney College [Calif.])
Johnny Johnson
85 Eric Lair
TE
So.
43
Ryan Grant
LB
6-2
219
0
Fr.
Eden Prairie, Minn. (Eden Prairie HS)
21 Simoni Lawrence
LB
Sr.
43
David Schwerman
K
6-0
202
0
So.
Kettle Moraine, Wis. (Kettle Moraine HS)
6
DB
Fr.
44
Ed Cotton
FB
6-0
219
0
Fr.
Champlin, Minn. (Champlin Park HS)
11 Adam Lueck
QB
Fr.
44
Brent Singleton
LB
6-1
213
0
Fr.
Plantation, Fla. (American Heritage HS)
17 Sam Maresh
LB
Fr.
46
Chris Severson
DL
6-5
225
0
Fr.
Wanaukee, Wis. (Wanaukee HS)
88 Collin McGarry
TE
Jr.
47
Ryan Coleman
LS
6-1
225
1
Jr.
Brookfield, Wis. (Brookfield East HS)
13 Michael McKelton
DB
Sr.
48
Bryan Klitzke
DB
6-1
210
0
So.
Chippewa Falls, Wis. (Chippewa Falls HS)
55 Cedric McKinley
DE
Sr.
48
Nick Tow-Arnett
TE
6-3
248
2
Sr.
Redwood Falls, Minn. (Redwood Valley HS)
Kerry Lewis
PG. 10
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MINNESOTA at SYRACUSE
MINNESOTA FOOTBALL NOTES • GAME 1
2009 NUMERICAL ROSTER
ALPHABETICAL ROSTER
#
Name
Pos
Ht
Wt
Ltr
Yr.
Hometown (Previous School)
49
Matt Garin
DE
6-4
220
0
Fr.
Apple Valley, Minn. (Eastview HS)
50
Patrick Sveum
LB
6-1
214
0
Sr.
Rochester, Minn. (Century HS)
51
Gary Tinsley
LB
6-1
220
1
So.
Jacksonville, Fla. (First Coast HS)
52
Jeff Tow-Arnett
OL
6-2
288
2
Sr.
53
D.J. Burris
OL
6-2
290
2
Jr.
55
Cedric McKinley
DE
6-6
282
1
Sr.
Demopolis, Ala. (Mississippi Gulf Coast CC)
57
Aaron Hill
LB
6-2
210
0
Fr.
St. Charles, Mo. (Lutheran HS)
58
Ed Olson
OL
6-7
288
0
Fr.
Mathomedi, Minn. (Mahtomedi HS)
59
Joey Balthazor
LB
6-3
207
0
Fr.
Hartland, Wis. (Arrowhead HS)
60
Ryan Wynn
OL
6-5
296
1
So.
Plymouth, Minn. (Maple Grove HS)
61
Trey Davis
OL
6-2
281
1
So.
Farmington, Minn. (Farmington HS)
62
Zach Mottla
OL
6-2
274
0
Fr.
Edina, Minn. (Cretin-Derham Hall HS)
63
Andy Brinkhaus
OL
6-3
276
0
Jr.
Bloomington, Minn. (Bloomington Jefferson HS)
64
Austin Hahn
OL
6-4
275
0
Fr.
Hartford, Wis. (Hartford HS)
66
Nedward Tavale
OL
6-2
334
3
Sr.
St. Paul, Minn. (Cretin-Derham Hall HS)
67
David Stommes
DL
6-6
210
0
Fr.
Eden Valley, Minn. (Eden Valley-Watkins HS)
68
Chris Bunders
OL
6-3
322
1
So.
Maple Grove, Minn. (Osseo HS)
68
Jewhan Edwards
DT
6-2
333
1
So.
Philadelphia, Pa. (Roman Catholic HS)
69
Jacob Glickstein
DL
6-3
268
0
Fr.
New Berlin, Wis. (Brookfield Central HS)
71
Jeff Wills
OL
6-7
365
O
Jr.
Laurelton, N.Y. (Lackawanna College)
73
Matt Carufel
OL
6-5
302
0
Jr.
Forest Lake, Minn. (Notre Dame)
74
Ryan Ruckdashel
OL
6-5
290
3
Sr.
75
Brooks Michel
OL
6-7
295
0
Fr.
76
Dominic Alford
#
Pos
Yr
83 Da’Jon McKnight
Name
WR
So.
75 Brooks Michel
OL
Fr.
89 Barrett Moen
DL
Sr.
Redwood Falls, Minn. (Redwood Valley HS)
62 Zach Mottla
OL
Fr.
Kenton, Ohio (Kenton HS)
87 Sahr Ngekia
WR
Fr.
14 Damola Ogundipe
DB
Jr.
58 Ed Olson
OL
Fr.
93 Derrick Onwuachi
DE
Sr.
41 Dan Orseske
P
Fr.
78 Ryan Orton
OL
So.
9
WR
Sr.
26 Mike Rallis
David Pittman
DB
So.
8
LB
Fr.
36 Nick Rengel
Spencer Reeves
FB
Fr.
3
Kim Royston
DB
Jr.
74 Ryan Ruckdashel
OL
Sr.
29 Shady Salamon
RB
So.
37 Willie Schneider
FB
Fr.
43 David Schwerman
K
So.
46 Chris Severson
DL
Fr.
33 Rex Sharpe
LB
Sr.
Apple Valley, Minn. (Eastview HS)
24 Marcus Sherels
CB
Jr.
Carmel, Ind. (Carmel HS)
15 Traye Simmons
CB
Sr.
OL
6-3
336
2
Jr.
Cleveland, Ohio (Shaker Heights HS)
38 Marcus Singletary
DB
Sr.
78 Ryan Orton
OL
6-4
296
1
So.
Eden Prairie, Minn. (Eden Prairie HS)
44 Brent Singleton
LB
Fr.
79
Matt Stommes
OL
6-7
312
2
Sr.
Richmond, Minn. (Eden Valley-Watkins HS)
67 David Stommes
DL
Fr.
80
Xzavian Brandon
WR
6-3
188
0
So.
Duluth, Ga. (Northfield HS)
79 Matt Stommes
OL
Sr.
81
A.J. Barker
WR
6-1
178
0
Fr.
St. Paul, Minn. (DeLaSalle HS)
39 Nicholas Stommes
DB
Sr.
83
Da’Jon McKnight
WR
6-3
200
1
So.
Dallas, Texas (Skyline HS)
11 Troy Stoudermire
WR
So.
84
Victor Keise
WR
6-0
176
0
Fr.
Coral Springs, Fla. (North Broward Prep HS)
85
Eric Lair
TE
6-3
230
1
So.
Houston, Texas (Lamar HS)
86
Ra’Shede Hageman
TE
6-6
272
0
Fr.
Minneapolis, Minn. (Washburn HS)
87
Sahr Ngekia
WR
6-4
213
0
Fr.
88
Collin McGarry
TE
6-4
235
0
89
Barrett Moen
DL
6-3
282
DE
6-5
263
90 Raymond Henderson
98 Eric Small
DT
Sr.
50 Patrick Sveum
LB
Sr.
66 Nedward Tavale
OL
Sr.
Richfield, Minn. (Academy of Holy Angels)
27 Kyle Theret
DB
Jr.
Jr.
Stillwater, Minn. (Stillwater HS)
20 Jay Thomas
RB
Sr.
2
Sr.
Bloomington, Minn. (Bloomington Jefferson HS)
So.
1
Sr.
Oak Creek, Wis (Tennessee) Aurora, Colo. (Cherokee Trail HS)
51 Gary Tinsley
LB
52 Jeff Tow-Arnett
OL
Sr.
40 Nathan Tow-Arnett
DB
So.
91
Kendall Gregory-McGhee DE
6-5
241
0
Fr.
92
Kyle Dykstra
DL
6-4
241
0
Fr.
Princeton, Minn. (Princeton HS)
48 Nick Tow-Arnett
TE
Sr.
93
Derrick Onwuachi
DE
6-5
262
2
Sr.
Newhall, Calif. (College of the Canyons)
32 Nathan Triplett
LB
Sr.
94
Eric Jacques
DL
6-2
283
0
Fr.
Pompano Beach, Fla. (Ely HS)
42 Logan U’u
FB
Sr.
95
D.L. Wilhite
DE
6-4
233
0
Fr.
Lexington, Ky. (Bryan Station HS)
28 Kenny Watkins
DB
Fr.
96
Curtis Hughes
TE
6-4
249
1
Jr.
Chicago, Ill. (Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep)
8
QB
Jr.
96
Brandon Kirksey
DT
6-2
295
1
So.
St. Louis, Mo. (Hazelwood East HS)
95 D.L. Wilhite
DE
Fr.
97
Anthony Jacobs
DE
6-2
289
1
So.
Northfield, Minn. (Northfield HS)
6
RB
Fr.
98
Eric Small
DT
6-2
306
2
Sr.
Naperville, Ill. (Joliet JC [Ill.])
99
Garrett Brown
DT
6-2
310
3
Sr.
New Haven, Conn. (Fairfield College Prep)
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Adam Weber Kevin Whaley
71 Jeff Wills
OL
Jr.
60 Ryan Wynn
OL
So.
PG. 11
MINNESOTA at SYRACUSE
MINNESOTA FOOTBALL NOTES • GAME 1
2008 STATISTICS
RECORD: 7-6 (HOME 4-3, ROAD 3-2, NEUTRAL 0-1); BIG TEN: 3-5 (HOME 1-3; ROAD 2-2)
2008 RESULTS/ATTENDANCE
Date Opponent Aug 30, 2008 NORTHERN ILLINOIS Sep 06, 2008 at Bowling Green Sep 13, 2008 MONTANA STATE Sep 20, 2008 FLORIDA ATLANTIC Sep 27, 2008 at #14 Ohio State* Oct 04, 2008 INDIANA* Oct 11, 2008 at Illinois* Oct 25, 2008 at Purdue* Nov 01, 2008 NORTHWESTERN* Nov 08, 2008 MICHIGAN* Nov 15, 2008 at Wisconsin* Nov 22, 2008 IOWA* Dec 31, 2008 vs Kansas * indicates conference game
W/L W W W W L W W W L L L L L
Score 31-27 42-17 35-23 37-3 21-34 16-7 27-20 17-6 17-24 6-29 32-35 0-55 21-42
Site Attend. Metrodome 44029 Bowling Green, Ohio 23184 Metrodome 43929 Metrodome 41003 Columbus, Ohio 105175 Metrodome 40511 Champaign, Ill. 62870 W. Lafayette, Ind. 54215 Metrodome 54122 Metrodome 55040 Madison, Wis. 81228 Metrodome 64071 Tempe, Ariz. 49103
TEAM STATISTICS
MINNESOTA 302 23.2 214 82 122 10 1350 1733 383 436 3.1 103.8 20 2848 258-415-8 6.9 11.0 219.1 15 4198 851 4.9 322.9 53-1274 18-179 15-247 24.0 9.9 16.5 23-11 83-695 53.5 76-3114 41.0 30:00 63/182 35% 12/20 60% 34-226 6 38 12-16 0-1 36-41 88% 27-41 66% 34-36 94% 342705/48958
SCORING Points Per Game FIRST DOWNS Rushing Passing Penalty RUSHING YARDAGE Yards gained rushing Yards lost rushing Rushing Attempts Average Per Rush Average Per Game TDs Rushing PASSING YARDAGE Comp-Att-Int Average Per Pass Average Per Catch Average Per Game TDs Passing TOTAL OFFENSE Total Plays Average Per Play Average Per Game KICK RETURNS: #-Yards PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards INT RETURNS: #-Yards KICK RETURN AVERAGE PUNT RETURN AVERAGE INT RETURN AVERAGE FUMBLES-LOST PENALTIES-Yards Average Per Game PUNTS-Yards Average Per Punt TIME OF POSSESSION/Game 3RD-DOWN Conversions 3rd-Down Pct 4TH-DOWN Conversions 4th-Down Pct SACKS BY-Yards MISC YARDS TOUCHDOWNS SCORED FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS ON-SIDE KICKS RED-ZONE SCORES RED-ZONE TOUCHDOWNS PAT-ATTEMPTS ATTENDANCE/AVG. Score By Quarters Minnesota Opponents
PG. 12
1st 55 59
2nd 85 108
3rd 64 67
Opponents 322 24.8 253 99 137 17 1863 2217 354 458 4.1 143.3 13 3124 245-415-15 7.5 12.8 240.3 21 4987 873 5.7 383.6 55-1018 26-211 8-207 18.5 8.1 25.9 23-16 55-435 33.5 58-2446 42.2 30:00 69/177 39% 6/13 46% 30-200 0 37 20-27 0-0 35-42 83% 21-42 50% 36-37 97% 326672/65334 4th 98 88
OT - -
Total 302 322
RUSHING
Player Eskridge, DeLeon Weber, Adam Salamon, Shady Bennett, Duane Decker, Eric Thomas, Jay Stoudermire, Troy Maciejowski, Mike Spry, Ralph Hoese, Jon Mortensen, Tony TEAM Total.......... Opponents......
PASSING
Player Weber, Adam Kucek, Justin Pittman, David Maciejowski, Mike Mortensen, Tony Total.......... Opponents......
GP 13 13 12 2 12 13 13 3 8 11 3 11 13 13
Att. 184 127 49 32 11 7 5 2 3 4 1 11 436 458
G 13 13 10 3 3 13 13
Effic. 126.93 150.40 730.00 0.00 0.00 127.89 131.74
RECEIVING
Player Decker, Eric Simmons, Jack Kuznia, Ben Eskridge, DeLeon Green, Brandon Bennett, Duane Tow-Arnett, Nick Salamon, Shady Spry, Ralph Smith, Brodrick Pittman, David McKnight, Da’Jon Stoudermire, Troy Mannion, Kevin Total.......... Opponents......
G 12 13 13 13 11 2 13 12 8 12 10 9 13 13 13 13
No. 84 36 31 29 21 12 10 9 7 5 4 3 3 1 258 245
TOTAL OFFENSE Player Weber, Adam Eskridge, DeLeon Salamon, Shady Bennett, Duane Decker, Eric Pittman, David Thomas, Jay Stoudermire, Troy Maciejowski, Mike Kucek, Justin Spry, Ralph Hoese, Jon Total.......... Opponents......
G 13 13 12 2 12 10 13 13 3 13 8 11 13 13
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Plays 537 184 49 32 11 1 7 5 3 2 3 4 851 873
Gain 714 518 193 147 87 29 19 13 6 5 2 0 1733 2217
Loss 36 285 12 7 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 38 383 354
Net 678 233 181 140 87 24 19 13 6 5 2 -38 1350 1863
Avg. 3.7 1.8 3.7 4.4 7.9 3.4 3.8 6.5 2.0 1.2 2.0 -3.5 3.1 4.1
TD 7 4 3 2 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 20 13
Long 46 39 19 61 19 9 7 9 3 2 2 0 61 53
YPG 52.2 17.9 15.1 70.0 7.2 1.8 1.5 4.3 0.8 0.5 0.7 -3.5 103.8 143.3
Att-Cmp-Int 255-410-8 2-2-0 1-1-0 0-1-0 0-1-0 258-415-8 245-415-15
Pct. 62.2 100.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 62.2 59.0
Yards 2761 12 75 0 0 2848 3124
TD 15 0 0 0 0 15 21
Long 71 12 75 0 0 75 91
Avg/G 212.4 0.9 7.5 0.0 0.0 219.1 240.3
Yds 1074 331 310 181 306 125 211 91 63 50 32 38 13 12 2848 3124
Avg 12.8 9.2 10.0 6.2 14.6 10.4 21.1 10.1 9.0 10.0 8.0 12.7 4.3 12.0 11.0 12.8
TD 7 2 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 15 21
Long 75 53 22 23 71 34 40 15 21 43 13 22 11 12 75 91
Avg/G 89.5 25.5 23.8 13.9 27.8 62.5 16.2 7.6 7.9 4.2 3.2 4.2 1.0 0.9 219.1 240.3
Rush 233 678 181 140 87 0 24 19 13 0 6 5 1350 1863
Pass 2761 0 0 0 0 75 0 0 0 12 0 0 2848 3124
Total 2994 678 181 140 87 75 24 19 13 12 6 5 4198 4987
Avg/G 230.3 52.2 15.1 70.0 7.2 7.5 1.8 1.5 4.3 0.9 0.8 0.5 322.9 383.6
MINNESOTA at SYRACUSE
MINNESOTA FOOTBALL NOTES • GAME 1
SCORING
Player TD FGs Monroe, Joel 0 12-16 Decker, Eric 8 0-0 Eskridge, DeLeon 7 0-0 Salamon, Shady 4 0-0 Weber, Adam 4 0-0 Bennett, Duane 3 0-0 Lawrence, Simoni 2 0-0 Simmons, Jack 2 0-0 Hoese, Jon 2 0-0 Smith, Brodrick 1 0-0 Green, Brandon 1 0-0 McKnight, Da’Jon 1 0-0 Tow-Arnett, Nick 1 0-0 Simmons, Traye 1 0-0 Spry, Ralph 1 0-0 Maciejowski, Mike 0 0-0 Total.......... 38 12-16 Opponents...... 37 20-27
PUNT RETURNS Player Sherels, Marcus Total.......... Opponents......
No. 15 18 26
Yds 179 179 211
|----------------------PATs-----------------------| Kick Rush Rcv Pass DXP 34-36 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 1 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 1-1 0 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 0 1-1 0 34-36 1-1 1 1-1 0 36-37 0-0 0 0-0 0
Avg 11.9 9.9 8.1
KICKOFF RETURNS Player Stoudermire, Troy Thomas, Jay Hughes, Curtis Tow-Arnett, Nick Total.......... Opponents......
No. 42 9 1 1 53 55
Yds 1083 172 12 7 1274 1018
Avg 25.8 19.1 12.0 7.0 24.0 18.5
TD 0 0 0
Long 34 34 44
TD 0 0 0 0 0 1
Long 60 35 12 7 60 100
INTERCEPTION RETURNS Player Simmons, Traye Theret, Kyle Campbell, Lee Sherels, Marcus Lawrence, Simoni Davis, Steve Brock, Tramaine Collado, Ryan
No. 4 3 2 2 1 1 1 1
Yds 81 65 11 36 50 0 1 3
Avg 20.2 21.7 5.5 18.0 50.0 0.0 1.0 3.0
FUMBLE RETURNS Player Barber, Dom Total Opponents
No. 2 2 3
Yds 53 53 3
Avg 26.5 26.5 1.0
TD 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
TD 1 1 0
Long 35 41 10 23 50 0 1 3
Long 46 46 3
ALL-PURPOSE YARDAGE Saf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Pts. 70 50 42 26 24 18 12 12 12 6 6 6 6 6 6 0 302 322
Player Decker, Eric Stoudermire, Troy Eskridge, DeLeon Simmons, Jack Kuznia, Ben Green, Brandon Salamon, Shady Bennett, Duane Weber, Adam Tow-Arnett, Nick Sherels, Marcus Thomas, Jay Simmons, Traye Spry, Ralph Theret, Kyle Smith, Brodrick Lawrence, Simoni McKnight, Da’Jon Pittman, David Maciejowski, Mike Mannion, Kevin Hughes, Curtis Campbell, Lee Hoese, Jon TEAM Total.......... Opponents......
PUNTING Player Kucek, Justin TEAM
G 12 13 13 13 13 11 12 2 13 13 12 13 13 8 13 12 13 9 10 3 13 10 13 11 11 13 13
Rush 87 19 678 0 0 0 181 140 233 0 0 24 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 13 0 0 0 5 -38 1350 1863
Rec 1074 13 181 331 310 306 91 125 7 211 0 4 0 63 0 50 0 38 32 0 12 0 0 0 0 2848 3124
PR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 179 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 179 211
KOR 0 1083 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 172 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 0 0 0 1274 1018
IR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 36 0 81 0 65 0 50 0 0 0 0 0 11 0 0 247 207
Tot 1161 1115 859 331 310 306 272 265 240 218 215 200 81 69 65 50 50 38 32 13 12 12 11 5 -38 5898 6423
Avg/G 96.8 85.8 66.1 25.5 23.8 27.8 22.7 132.5 18.5 16.8 17.9 15.4 6.2 8.6 5.0 4.2 3.8 4.2 3.2 4.3 0.9 1.2 0.8 0.5 -3.5 453.7 494.1
No. 74 2
Yds 3103 11
Avg 41.9 5.5
Long 60 11
TB 7 0
FC 24 0
I20 22 0
Blkd 2 0
Yds 3994 89 4083 4405
Avg 64.4 44.5 63.8 62.9
TB 7 0 7 9
OB 2 0 2 4
Retn
Net
YdLn
1018 1274
45.7 42.2
24 27
KICKOFFS Player Monroe, Joel Kucek, Justin Total.......... Opponents......
No. 62 2 64 70
FIELD GOALS Player Monroe, Joel
FGM-FGA 12-16
Pct 75.0
01-19 0-0
20-29 4-6
FIELD GOAL SEQUENCE
Minnesota Northern Illinois (40) Bowling Green - Montana State - Florida Atlantic (34),48 Ohio State (33),(28) Indiana 28,(29),(42),(38) Illinois - Purdue 44,(41) Northwestern (21),20 Michigan (28),(32) Wisconsin (30) Iowa - Kansas - Numbers in (parentheses) indicate field goal was made.
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30-39 5-5
40-49 3-5
50+ 0-0
Lg 42
Blk 0
Opponents (39),(49) 34,(26) 41,(49) (35) (22),(44),43 45,(33),(28) (31),(40),41 (34),47 (44),(34),(26),(48),(23) 33,(47) (35),(29) -
PG. 13
MINNESOTA at SYRACUSE
MINNESOTA FOOTBALL NOTES • GAME 1
DEFENSIVE STATISTICS Player Campbell, Lee Theret, Kyle Brock, Tramaine Hightower, Deon Lawrence, Simoni Simmons, Traye VanDeSteeg, Willie Sherels, Marcus Davis, Steve Brown, Garrett Triplett, Nate Small, Eric Collado, Ryan Rallis, Mike Mannion, Kevin Onwuachi, Derrick Thomas, Jay Kirksey, Brandon McKinley, Cedric Edwards, Jewhan Moen, Barrett Jacobs, Anthony Hoese, Jon Eskridge, DeLeon Johnson, Johnny Brody, William Tow-Arnett, Nick TEAM Sharpe, Rex U’u, Logan Hennessey, Thomas Simmons, Jack Kuznia, Ben Stoudermire, Troy McKelton, Michael Monroe, Joel Dandridge, Tim Coleman, Ryan McKnight, Da’Jon Klitzke, Bryan Henderson, Ray Decker, Eric Total.......... Opponents......
PG. 14
GP 13-12 13-13 13-13 13-13 13-5 13-12 13-13 12-12 13-6 13-13 13-1 13-12 13-1 13-1 13-8 11-8 13-0 11-0 12-0 12-0 13-0 10-0 11-1 13-8 9-0 12-0 13-0 11-0 11-0 4-0 6-0 13-12 13-12 13-1 3-0 13-0 12-0 12-0 9-0 1-0 4-0 12-12 13-0 13-0
Solo 50 59 53 39 45 45 39 33 32 21 18 14 16 14 13 12 6 6 7 5 4 3 3 5 3 4 4 4 2 2 2 3 2 2 1 1 . 1 1 1 1 . 576 538
Ast 30 19 20 28 21 17 14 13 13 13 13 11 6 6 6 4 3 2 1 3 3 4 2 . 1 . . . 1 1 1 . . . 1 1 2 . . . . . 260 297
Total 80 78 73 67 66 62 53 46 45 34 31 25 22 20 19 16 9 8 8 8 7 7 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 . 836 835
TFL/Yds 5.5-28 2.5-4 2.5-6 8.5-31 10.5-40 1.5-2 19.0-94 0.5-1 6.5-19 7.0-30 1.0-2 4.5-21 . 1.0-1 3.0-11 4.0-8 . 2.0-7 3.0-21 1.0-2 1.5-14 1.0-3 . . . 1.0-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87-346 73.0-312
Sacks 4.0-21 . . 2.5-16 4.0-25 . 10.5-74 . 2.0-10 3.0-19 . 2.0-16 . . . . . . 3.0-21 . 1.5-14 0.5-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-226 30-200
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Int-Yds 2-11 3-65 1-1 . 1-50 4-81 . 2-36 1-0 . . . 1-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-247 8-207
PBU 1 8 5 . 3 14 1 11 2 3 2 1 . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 54 30
FR 3-0 2-0 1-0 1-0 1-9 . 1-0 . . 3-0 1-0 2-0 1-0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-9 11-0
FF 1 . 3 . 2 1 2 . 2 1 . 1 1 . . 1 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 11
Blk . . . . . . 1 . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2
Saf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
MINNESOTA at SYRACUSE
MINNESOTA FOOTBALL NOTES • GAME 1
THE LAST TIME ... MINNESOTA INDIVIDUAL GAME
250+ yards rushing: 258, Laurence Maroney vs. Wisconsin, 10/15/05 200+ yards rushing: 206, Amir Pinnix vs. Michigan State, 11/12/05 150+ yards rushing: 178, Amir Pinnix vs. Bowling Green, 9/1/07 100+ yards rushing: 124, DeLeon Eskridge at Illinois, 10/11/08 2 players with 100+ yards rushing: 155, Alex Daniels and 114, Amir Pinnix at Kent State, 8/31/06 200+ yards receiving: 228, Ryan Thelwell vs. Ball State, 9/14/96 100+ yards receiving: 190, Eric Decker vs. Indiana, 10/4/08 2 receivers with 100+ yards rcvg: 137, Logan Payne and 116, Ernie Wheelwright vs. Indiana, 11/4/06 50+ yard rush play: 61, Duane Bennett vs. Northern Illinois, 8/30/08 50+ yard pass play: 71, Adam Weber to Brandon Green at Purdue, 10/25/08 10 or more receptions: 13, Eric Decker vs. Indiana, 10/4/08 300+ all-purpose yards: 333, Laurence Maroney vs. Purdue, 9/24/05 200+ all-purpose yards: 290, Troy Stoudermire vs. Iowa, 11/22/08 450+ yards passing: 478, Tim Schade vs. Penn State, 9/4/93 400+ yards passing: 404, Cory Sauter vs. Michigan St., 10/21/95 350+ yards passing: 378, Bryan Cupito vs. Indiana, 11/4/06 300+ yards passing: 327, Adam Weber vs. Northwestern, 11/1/08 Consecutive 300-yard passing gms: 2, Cory Sauter vs. Northwestern (303, 10/14/95) and Michigan St. (404, 10/21/95) Four or more TDs rushing: 4, Marion Barber III at Ohio, 9/13/03 Three or more TDs rushing: 3, DeLeon Eskridge vs. Montana State, 9/13/08 Two or more TDs rushing: 2, DeLeon Eskridge at Illinois, 10/11/08 Five or more TDs receiving: 5, Omar Douglas vs. Purdue, 10/9/93 Four or more TDs receiving: 4, Logan Payne vs. Temple, 9/16/06 Three or more TDs receiving: 3, Ernie Wheelwright at Northwestern, 10/13/07 Two or more TDs receiving: 3, Ernie Wheelwright at Northwestern, 10/13/07 Six or more TDs passing: 6, Scott Eckers vs. Purdue, 10/9/93 Five or more TDs passing: 5, Adam Weber at Northwestern, 10/13/07 Four or more TDs passing: 5, Adam Weber at Northwestern, 10/13/07 Three or more TDs passing: 3, Adam Weber at Wisconsin, 11/15/08 Two or more TDs passing: 3, Adam Weber at Wisconsin, 11/15/08 500+ yds. total offense: 536, Tim Schade vs. Penn State, 9/4/93 (school record) 400+ yds. total offense: 439, Adam Weber vs. Wisconsin, 11/17/07 Five or more field goals: 5, Dan Nystrom vs Arkansas, 12/30/02 Four or more field goals: 5, Dan Nystrom vs Arkansas, 12/30/02 Three or more field goals: 3, Joel Monroe vs. Indiana, 10/4/08 Two or more field goals: 2, Joel Monroe vs. Michigan, 11/8/08 Three or more interceptions: 3, Jeff Wright vs. Michigan St., 11/14/70 Two or more interceptions: 2, Traye Simmons vs. Northwestern, 11/1/08 Blocked punt: Dom Barber vs. Colorado State, 9/10/05 Blocked punt return for TD: Alex Daniels vs. Colorado State, 9/10/05 Blocked field goal: Willie VanDeSteeg vs. Montana State, 9/13/08 Blocked FG return for TD: Fred Foggie vs. Indiana (98 yds.), 10/21/89 Blocked PAT: Nathan Triplett vs. Montana State, 9/13/08 PAT Return: Mario Reese at Wisconsin, 10/14/06 Int. return for TD: Traye Simmons vs. Northwestern (23 yds.), 11/1/08 Punt return for TD: Tellis Redmon vs. Northwestern (83 yds.), 10/28/00 Kickoff return for TD: Jay Thomas (91 yds.) at Florida Atlantic, 9/15/07 Fumble return for TD: Simoni Lawrence (9 yds.) at Illinois, 10/11/08 Safety: UL-Monroe’s punt snap went out of end zone, 9/2/00 Made 2-pt. conversion: Shady Salamon run, at Wisconsin, 11/15/08 Missed 2-pt. conversion: Adam Weber pass attempt failed at Iowa, 11/10/07 Missed PAT: Joel Monroe at Illinois, 10/11/08
MINNESOTA TEAM 100 points: 80 points: 60+ points: 50+ points: 40+ points: 40+ points:
146 vs. Grinnell (W, 146-0), 10/22/1904 81 vs. Butler (W, 81-0), 11/13/26 63 vs. Indiana (W, 63-26), 11/4/06 63 vs. Indiana (W, 63-26), 11/4/06 48 vs. Northwestern (L, 48-49), 10/13/07 42 at Bowling Green (W, 42-17), 9/6/08
30+ points: 0 points: 0 points in first half: No TDs in first half: No offensive TDs in first half: 400+ rushing yards: 300+ rushing yards: 200+ rushing yards: 700+ total net yards: 600+ total net yards: 500+ total net yards: 400+ total net yards:
32 at Wisconsin (L 35-32), 11/15/08 vs. Iowa (L, 0-55), 11/22/08 vs. Iowa (L, 0-55), 11/22/08 vs. Iowa (L, 0-55), 11/22/08 vs. Iowa (L, 0-55), 11/22/08 411 vs. Wisconsin, 10/15/05 306 vs. Miami (Ohio), 9/8/07 239 at Northwestern, 10/13/07 704 vs. Toledo, 9/4/04 704 vs. Toledo, 9/4/04 501 vs. Wisconsin, 11/17/07 441 vs. Florida Atlantic, 9/20/08
OPPONENT INDIVIDUAL GAME
400+ yards passing: 462, Juice Williams, Illinois, 10/11/08 300+ yards passing: 462, Juice Williams, Illinois, 10/11/08 200+ yards passing: 255, Ricky Stanzi, Iowa, 11/22/08 300+ yards rushing: 301, Anthony Davis, Wisconsin, 11/23/02 250+ yards rushing: 250, Zach Brown, Wisconsin, 11/17/07 200+ yards rushing: 217, Mike Kafka, Northwestern, 11/1/08 150+ yards rushing: 217, Mike Kafka, Northwestern, 11/1/08 100+ yards rushing: 144, Shonn Greene, Iowa, 11/22/08 2 players with 100+ yards rushing: 203, R. Mendenhall, Illinois and 133, I. Williams, Illinois, 11/3/07 150+ yards receiving: 181, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Iowa, 11/22/08 100+ yards receiving: 181, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Iowa, 11/22/08 50+ yard rush play: 53, Mike Kafka, Northwestern, 11/1/08 50+ yard pass play: 50, Ricky Stanzi to D. Johnson-Koulianos, Iowa, 11/22/08 Four+ field goals: 5, K.C. Lopata, Michigan, 11/8/08 Blocked a punt: Chad Spann, Northern Illinois, 8/30/08 Blocked a field goal: Alex Magee, Purdue, 9/23/06 Missed PAT: Trevor Cook, Miami (Ohio), 9/8/07 Blocked PAT: Usama Young, Kent State, 8/31/06 Made 2-pt. conversion: Tyler Sheehan to Marques Parks, Bowling Green, 9/1/07 Missed 2-pt. conversion: Mike Kokal pass failed, Miami (Ohio), 9/8/07 Punt return for TD: Nick Dugas (68 yds.), UL-Lafayette, 9/7/02 Blocked punt ret. for TD: Kiel Beltinck (rec. in end zone), Michigan State, 11/11/06 Kickoff return for TD: Demetrius Crawford, 100 yards, Montana St., 9/13/08 Int. return for TD: Amari Spievey, 57 yards, Iowa, 11/22/08 Fumble return for TD: Jack Ikeguonu (50 yds.), Wisconsin, 10/14/06 Fumble recovered for TD: Richard Willock (rec. in end zone), Iowa, 11/23/96 Safety: Mike Newkirk, Wisconsin, 11/15/08
OPPONENT TEAM 400+ yards rushing: 300+ yards rushing: 200+ yards rushing: < 100 yards rushing: 400+ yards passing: 300+ yards passing: <100 yards passing: 600+ total net yards: 500+ total net yards: 400+ total net yards: 300+ total net yards: < 200 total net yards: 60+ points: 50+ points: 40+ points: 30+ points: 0 points: Safety:
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448, Illinois, 11/3/07 325, Wisconsin, 11/17/07 222, Iowa, 11/22/08 88, Illinois, 10/11/08 462, Illinois, 10/11/08 462, Illinois, 10/11/08 96, Temple, 9/16/06 655, Illinois, 11/3/07 550, Illinois, 10/11/08 483, Iowa, 11/22/08 483, Iowa, 11/22/08 157, Temple, 9/16/06 63, Oklahoma, (W, 63-0), 9/20/86 55, Iowa (W, 55-0), 11/22/08 55, Iowa (W, 55-0), 11/22/08 55, Iowa (W, 55-0), 11/22/08 Temple, (L, 0-62), 9/16/06 Wisconsin (two), (W 35-32), 11/15/08
PG. 15