LINCOLN, Neb. – Minnesota second-year coach P.J. Fleck and Nebraska first-year coach Scott Frost made their names by quickly turning around struggling programs in their most recent stops, but both are finding success much harder to come by at their current gigs, especially during Big Ten play. The last two remaining winless teams during conference play in the Big Ten West division hope to end their losing streaks at the other's expense Saturday when the Golden Gophers visit the Cornhuskers.
TV: 3:30p.m. ET, Big Ten Network. LINE: Nebraska -3.5.
Recommended Videos
(function(d, s, id) {var js,ijs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(d.getElementById(id))return;js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//embed.scribblelive.com/widgets/embed.js";ijs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, ijs);}(document, 'script', 'scrbbl-js'));
Fleck has led Minnesota to a 6-0 record outside the Big Ten, but his charges fell to 2-10 in conference action under his watch following a 30-14 setback at No. 3 Ohio State last weekend. The Gophers suffered their third straight loss after remaining within one score into the fourth quarter despite committing three turnovers and missing two field goals. Nebraska blew a 10-point lead late in the fourth quarter at Northwestern last weekend en route to a 34-31 overtime defeat, falling to 0-6 for the first time in the program's 119-year history and extending its school-record slide to 10 games. "There's no doubt watching the last three weeks how much better we've gotten. … It breaks my heart for these guys that it hasn't led to a slash in the win column yet," Frost said during his Monday press conference.
ABOUT MINNESOTA (3-3, 0-3 Big Ten)
Three Gopher running backs have rushed for more than 100 yards in a game this season, including Mohamed Ibrahim, whose 157 yards last weekend were the most by a freshman running against the Buckeyes since Penn State's Saquon Barkley ran for 194 in 2015. Junior Tyler Johnson, who is vying to become the first Minnesota player with three straight 100-yard receiving games since 2000 after posting 119 at Ohio State, ranks sixth in the league with 36 catches and is tied for third with six receiving scores. Junior defensive end Carter Coughlin is tied for the Big Ten lead with seven sacks and has 11 over his last 12 games after recording a pair versus the Buckeyes.
ABOUT NEBRASKA (0-6, 0-4)
Senior Devine Ozigbo piled up over 190 total yards and two touchdowns for the second time in three games after rushing for 159 yards on 22 carries and adding 33 yards on four catches against the Wildcats. Sophomore JD Spielman has amassed 420 receiving yards and four touchdowns over his last three games and ranks inside the top five in the Big Ten in receptions (40), receiving yards (537) and receiving TDs (six). True freshman Adrian Martinez is second in the league in total offense (291.4 yards) and only the second quarterback in school history to throw for more than 1,000 yards (951 over the last three contests) as a freshman.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Minnesota ran for 409 yards and scored its most points in a conference game since 2006 with last year's 54-21 rout of Nebraska.
2. Despite having played only 17 games, Spielman already ranks 13th in school history with 1,367 receiving yards; he needs 396 more to move into the top six.
3. The Cornhuskers' nine penalties against Northwestern were their fewest of the season. They are averaging an FBS-high 96 penalty yards in 2018.
PREDICTION: Nebraska 31, Minnesota 27