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P R E G A M E R E P O R T P E N N N O O N , STAT E N O V. 9 @ M I N N ESOTA E S P N 2 MINNESOTA FACTS COACH Jerry Kill (Southwestern, '83) COACH'S RECORD 143-91 in 20 seasons as a head coach, including a 16-18 mark in his third season at Minnesota. 2013 RECORD 7-2 (3-2 Big Ten) RECORD VS. PENN STATE Penn State leads the series, 8-4. The Lions have won the past four, but before that, the Gophers won four in a row. PREVIOUS MEETING Freshman QB Rob Bolden completed 11 of his first 13 passes for 130 yards and one TD in PSU's 33-21 win on the road Oct. 23, 2010, but he suffered a concussion in the second quarter and didn't return. It was the most efficient outing of Bolden's short PSU career. THE GOOD ROAD TRIP During 16 of its 41 scoring drives (39 percent), Minnesota has used nine plays or more. The Golden Gophers rank 14th in the country in time of possesion, averaging more than 33 minutes a game. Minnesota Athletic Communications AIRING IT OUT Minnesota is known for its rushing attack, but Nelson's improved passing ability bolsters its offense. Gopher the goal THE BAD NEXT MAN UP Defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys has filled in as interim head coach while Kill is on medical leave to manage his epilepsy. The Gophers have won the past three contests under Claeys. Minnesota has its sights set on a fourth consecutive conference victory THE UGLY TAKE A PASS Minnesota's passing attack is the least active in the conference. The Gophers have thrown the ball nearly 50 fewer times than any other Big Ten team. They also average only 122.9 passing yards per game, which is nearly 60 yards fewer than 11th-ranked Illinois. DID YOU KNOW? When Minnesota began constructing TCF Bank Stadium, a $288.5 million facility, in 2007, it was the first Big Ten stadium to be built in nearly 50 years. TIM  OWEN | OW E N. T I M . B W I @ G M A I L . C O M Bill O'Brien wants to be clear on one thing: Minnesota is an extremely underrated football team. He has watched film from each of its nine games and claims it is one of the top teams the Nittany Lions will face this season. Although Penn State historically holds the edge over the Gophers, who have consistently finished in the bottom half of the Big Ten, O'Brien is urging his playN O V E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 3 1 ers not to take the 2013 version of Minnesota lightly. "This is a very, very good team, he said. "It's " one of the better teams we've played this year. … When I watch them, there aren't any easy plays on either side of the ball. I think they just do a really good job of making sure that their scheme is coached well. " That might be the most impressive facet of Minnesota's surge to a 7-2 record. B L UE WHI T E ON LI N E . COM

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