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Nebraska Football: Huskers vs Golden Gophers, An Early Look at Minnesota

By Brent Craig

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The Nebraska football team will take on their next Big Ten West conference opponent on October 17th when the Huskers travel to Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

ALSO READ: Nebraska Football Recruiting Mid-Year Review

If there was ever a opponent the Nebraska football team would want to seek revenge on, it would be the Golden Gophers of Minnesota. Now I’m not suggesting that we gather up our brass knuckles and sections of pipe and head for the park after hours for a Nebraska vs Minnesota rumble, so keep calm.

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For two years in a row, the Golden Gophers have beaten the Huskers, once in their house and once in Lincoln. The kind of revenge I am talking about is a good old butt whipping on the football field resembling the 1983 game. The question we need to ask for this to happen is, can the current Husker football team beat a good opponent by such a large margin?

The Nebraska vs Minnesota series dates back to November 29th, 1900 when the former Bugeaters of Nebraska, now newly referred to as the Cornhuskers, hosted the Gophers of Minnesota and suffered a 12-20 loss. Not a great beginning to the longest Husker Big Ten series.

Since that time, Minnesota leads the series against Nebraska 31-22-2. In the 55 game series, Minnesota dominated early on, but the Huskers own the largest win streak in the series from 1963 to 2012 with 16 straight victories. Can the Huskers get back to their winning ways again over the Gophers or will the Gophers win streak continue?

Oct 25, 2014; Champaign, IL, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Jerry Kill watches from the sideline in the game against the Illinios Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Illinois beat Minnesota 28 to 24. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota has been led by head coach Jerry Kill since the 2011 season and is 2-2 against the Huskers. Kill and Mike Riley have never coached against one another so this will be a series first.

The good news for the Huskers is Minnesota running back David Cobb is gone. Cobb rushed for 80 yards against the Huskers last season and had 29 yards receiving so it will be nice not to game plan against him. Last season Cobb rushed for 1,626 yards.

The bad news, experienced redshirt junior QB Mitch Leidner is back. In last years victory over the Huskers, Leidner rushed for 111 yards and threw for 135 yards with no interceptions.

The Minnesota defense is suspect to the pass which will play in the Huskers favor as last season Armstrong threw for 223 yards against Minnesota while Minnesota’s defense allowed and average of 201 yards passed against them last season. The Minnesota Defense is also suspect to the run, but will the Huskers have a running back to fill the shoes of Ameer Abdullah?

This could be an entertaining match up between the Huskers and Golden Gophers.  As of right now I don’t know what to expect for the final outcome.  Minnesota will have the home field advantage, but I think the Huskers will have the will for revenge.  Until then, Go Big Red!

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