Blue White Illustrated

Golden Gophers head coach Jerry Kill has been on medical leave since the first week of October, and defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys has taken over on an interim basis. Kill, however, hasn't disappeared. In fact, he's been in the coaches' booth for each of the past three games, playing what he calls a "CEO" role. Maybe it's working, because the Gophers have won three in a row. Most recently, they defeated Indiana, a team that topped Penn State in early October. But Penn State has a victory over Michigan, which defeated the Gophers on the same day that the Nittany Lions lost at Indiana. Without adding any more confusion, that was also the same Saturday that Kill suffered a seizure that prompted his leave of absence. But Minnesota has been playing its best football since that loss in Ann Arbor, and its offense has showed zero signs of slowing down. Starting quarterback Philip Nelson enjoyed a career day vs. the Hoosiers last week, as he threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns. In Minnesota's past three games, Nelson has completed 31 of 49 passes for 562 yards and six touchdowns and added two more TDs on the ground. The rushing attack is Minnesota's lifeblood. Capitalizing on Nelson's elusiveness, leading rusher David Cobb's speed and backup quarterback Mitch Leidner's pace-changing abilities, the Gophers keep defenses guessing with a variety of running combinations. Even tight end Maxx Williams, Minnesota's second-leading receiver, is enjoying the run-first mentality. "I think it's fun when we run the ball like that," Williams said. "How can you not like putting up that many yards on teams like Nebraska and Northwestern? It's a good feeling when you're done with the game and you know that you physically beat the other team up. It's a fun feeling." He's hoping they continue the rushing dominance when they play host to Penn State on Saturday. The Nittany Lions allow an average of only 150 yards per game, but they were gouged for 408 yards by Ohio State. Minnesota will likely rely upon a similar game plan. Although Penn State has won its past four meetings against the Gophers, there's an interesting trend that works against the Nittany Lions in this one. In this series, which dates back to 1993, victories have come in batches of four. PSU won the first four meetings before Minnesota went on to win four games from 1999 to 2004. O'Brien is focused on getting Penn State that elusive fifth consecutive win. But if past trends predict anything, then Minnesota will begin its four-game jaunt Saturday. The Gophers, however, have a rule of four working against them, too. They have not won four consecutive conference games in one season since 1973. And it's definitely a goal they are hoping to reach this weekend. "It's just another step," Williams said. "Coach [Kill] said it's been 40 years since we've won four Big Ten games in a row. It's just another step of making history. Being a part of that is a great feeling. " Minnesota's quarterback and offensive leader said the recent success should not come as a surprise. "I think we all believed that this could happen, Nelson said. "When you look at " the film from some of the games we lost, we know there were some plays that we missed. It was just a matter of fixing those couple of plays and moving on from there. " If Minnesota is to continue moving on with wins, it will need more consistent production from its defense. Last week, the Gophers surrendered 26 second-half points, allowing Indiana to regain the lead before rallying with three minutes remaining to win the game. This week, they're focused on Christian Hackenberg and keeping the conference's leading passer under control. Said Theiren Cockran, Minnesota's sack leader, "Whenever you have a freshman coming out and they're producing at a high level, you always want to be aware of that and take that into consideration. " INJURY REPORT Safety Ryan Keiser (hand) and LB Ben Kline (shoulder) will play. RB Akeel Lynch (knee) is questionable. Minnesota QB Philip Nelson (hip) is probable. N O V E M B E R 6 , 2 0 1 3 2 BWI'S FORECAST NATE BAUER 2013 RECORD 5-3 This game is more in Penn State's favor than many might realize. The Gophers aren't a particularly fast offensive team, which strongly helps the Nittany Lion defense. If Christian Hackenberg and company can produce 24 to 27 points, this should be a PSU win. PENN STATE 26, MINNESOTA 23 PHIL GROSZ 2013 RECORD 5-3 If Penn State can make Minnesota onedimensional on offense by controlling its running game on first and second down and force it into passing the ball, Penn State's defense can manage Minnesota's offense. I expect the Lions to score some points. PENN STATE 31, MINNESOTA 24 MATT HERB 2013 RECORD 7-1 Penn State has a lot of sanction-related problems, but it's also suffered some self-inflicted wounds this season. It needs to cut down on the penalties and turnovers this week. If it can do that, it can win. PENN STATE 31, MINNESOTA 27 TIM OWEN 2013 RECORD 6-2 Minnesota is the most underrated team in the conference, but if the Nittany Lions can get Bill Belton running on all cylinders, the Gophers won't be able to stop them. The rule of four will work against one of these teams, and I think it'll be Minnesota. PENN STATE 30, MINNESOTA 28 RYAN SNYDER 2013 RECORD 7-1 The Gophers deserve a lot of credit for what they've accomplished in recent weeks, but I think they come back to earth a bit on Saturday. Penn State needs this win. PENN STATE 31, MINNESOTA 24 BL UE W HI T EON LI N E. COM

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