Time: 3 PM CT at Kinnick Stadium
TV: Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Dan Orlovsky (analyst), Allison Williams (reporter)
Radio: KFAN, Sirus/XM 83

Vegas line: Minnesota by 13.5
SP+: Minnesota No. 16, Northwestern No. 84
Massey Composite: Minnesota No. 14, Northwestern No. 105
TeamRankings prediction: Minnesota by 14 with an 82.1% chance of Minnesota victory
S&P+ prediction: Minnesota by 20.7 with an 88% chance of Minnesota victory
Massey Composite prediction: Minnesota by 17 with an 87% chance of Minnesota victory

L 17-7 at Stanford
W 30-14 vs. UNLV
L 31-10 vs. Michigan State
L 24-15 at Wisconsin
L 13-10 at Nebraska
L 52-3 vs. Ohio State
L 20-0 vs. Iowa
L 34-3 at Indiana
L 24-22 vs. Purdue
W 45-6 vs. Massachusetts

Passing

Aidan Smith: 86/171 (50.3%), 760 yards, 3 TD, 9 INT

Rushing

Drake Anderson: 120 carries, 513 yards (4.3 ypc), 3 TD
Evan Hull: 32 carries, 235 yards (7.3 ypc), 4 TD
Aidan Smith: 72 carries, 211 yards (2.9 ypc), 1 TD
Isaiah Bowser (injured): 59 carries, 204 yards (3.5 ypc)

Receiving

Riley Lee: 43 receptions, 330 yards, 1 TD
Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman: 15 receptions, 174 yards
JJ Jefferson: 12 carries, 155 yards, 2 TD
Bennett Skowronek: 12 carries, 141 yards
Berkeley Holman: 9 receptions, 124 yards
Kyric McGowan: 13 receptions, 102 yards

-- This is the third straight game on network TV for the Gophers, having played Iowa on FOX and Penn State on ABC the past two weeks. The only other time Minnesota has played three games on network TV was in 2005.

-- Northwestern has been decimated by injuries this season, particularly at the skill positions. QB1 and QB2, TJ Green and Hunter Johnson, are both injured and have been injured most of the season. Aidan Smith, who’s started much of the season at quarterback, is questionable against Minnesota. Starting running back Isaiah Bowswer has missed the past three games to injury. Wide receivers Kyric McGowan, JJ Jefferson, and Bennett Skowronek, who were all first or second team receivers, have also been hurt in recent games. Their statuses are unclear for Saturday. Starting defensive end Earnest Brown IV, the Wildcats’ highest-graded player on PFF, has also missed the last three games with an injury and won’t play against Minnesota.

-- Northwestern had ten All-Big Ten players last season. Five of them return: MLB Paddy Fisher (1st Team Coaches/2nd Team Media in 2018), DE Joe Gaziano (2nd Team/3rd Team), WLB Blake Gallagher (Honorable Mention/3rd Team), S JR Pace (Honorable Mention), and LT Rashawn Slater (Honorable Mention).

-- PJ Fleck’s 60% win percentage is fourth in school history (min. 30 games) and is the best since Bernie Bierman.

-- Minnesota is just 0.1 points below their highest-ever scoring average in 2005. The Gophers are averaging 35.7 points and averaged 35.8 in 2005.

-- Tanner Morgan’s 81.2% winning percentage is the highest for any Minnesota quarterback (min. 10 games) since 1975.

-- Evan Hull’s 220-yard, four touchdown performance against Massachusetts won him Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. Hull is the only player in the country to have a 220-yard game with at least four touchdowns this season. He was the first in the Big Ten to do so since Ezekiel Elliott. Hull has now played in three games and Fitzgerald has said he plans on redshirting Hull, so he may not play against Minnesota to be saved for rival Illinois next week.

Wide receiver Raymond Niro III was the Wildcats’ backup running back last week, as the position group has been decimated by injuries.

-- Tanner Morgan is 428 yards away and three touchdowns away from becoming Minnesota’s single-season leader in those passing categories.

Carter Coughlin is 1.5 sacks away from passing Lamanzer Williams to be second all-time at Minnesota in sacks. Coughlin is five sacks away from being Minnesota’s career leader in TFLs.

Antoine Winfield Jr. is tied with Jeff Wright (1970) for most interceptions in a season at Minnesota.

Rodney Smith is five rushing touchdowns away from becoming top five in Minnesota history in rushing touchdowns. Shannon Brooks is two touchdowns away from becoming top ten.

Tyler Johnson is 103 yards away from passing Ron Johnson to be second all-time in career receiving yards at Minnesota and 233 yards from passing Eric Decker from becoming the career leader. Johnson is three touchdowns away from passing Ron Johnson to become the all-time leader in receiving touchdowns at Minnesota and 13 receptions from passing Johnson to become second all-time in receptions at Minnesota.

-- Northwestern defensive end Joe Gaziano will become the Wildcats’ all-time leader in sacks with his next sack.

-- Northwestern has five players with a PFF grade of 75 or higher this season (min. 150 snaps): defensive end Joe Gaziano (84.9), LT Rashawn Slater (83.0), DT Alex Miller (80.9), DE Samdup Miller (78.6), and MLB Paddy Fisher (76.0)

Minnesota has nine: Antoine Winfield Jr. (89.9), Tanner Morgan (88.2), John Michael Schmitz (87.2), Carter Coughlin (87.1), Tyler Johnson (86.1), Rashod Bateman (84.5), Rodney Smith (83.7), Sam Renner (81.8), and Boye Mafe (79.4).

-- The Gophers have nine players from Northwestern on their roster: Chris Autman-Bell (Kankakee), Micah Dew-Treadway (Bolingbrook), Tyler Nubin (St. Charles), JJ Guedet (Washington), Jamaal Teague (South Holland), Mariano Sori-Marin (Mokena), John Michael Schmitz (Flossmoor), Noah Hickcox (Rockford), Tom Foley (Peoria).

Northwestern has two players from Minnesota: running back Evan Hull (Maple Grove) and wide receiver Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman (Minneapolis/Breck).