Minnesota faces E. Michigan for 1st time; MAC foe was Gophers’ only non-Big 10 loss under Fleck
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $205*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/09/2023 (1113 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Eastern Michigan (1-0) at Minnesota (1-0), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (Big Ten Network).
Line: Minnesota by 20 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: First meeting.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
The Eagles are on a program-record five-game road winning streak that started a year ago with a victory at Arizona State. The streak doesn’t include the win over San Jose State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl that gave them a 9-4 record, their best since 1987. Eastern Michigan has won three of its last four games against Big Ten teams, losing to Wisconsin in 2021 after beating Rutgers in 2017, Purdue in 2018 and Illinois in 2019.
The Gophers are 18-1 against nonconference opponents, including bowl games, in seven seasons under coach P.J. Fleck. That’s the third-best record in the FBS behind Alabama and Georgia. Their only such loss was to a Mid-American Conference team, on Sept. 25, 2021, to Bowling Green. Minnesota, facing a daunting game at 17th-ranked North Carolina next week, needs to maintain the momentum from a 10-point rally over the final 2 1/2 minutes to beat Nebraska 13-10 in the opener.
KEY MATCHUP
Eastern Michigan kickoff returner Jaylon Jackson and punt returner Hamze El-Zayat vs. Minnesota’s special teams. Jackson and El-Zayat both returned kicks for touchdowns in the opener against Howard last week. The Gophers gave up a 63-yard kickoff return by Nebraska to open the second half.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Eastern Michigan: Running back Samson Evans, who’s one short of the program record for career touchdowns (31), had a career-high 258 rushing yards in the win at Arizona State last season.
Minnesota: Tyler Nubin had two interceptions against Nebraska. The second one gave the Gophers the ball at midfield to set up the tying touchdown. The fifth-year safety was named Big Ten defensive player of the week. He’s tied for sixth in program history with 10 career interceptions, two short of the record.
FACTS & FIGURES
Athan Kaliakmanis attempted 44 passes last week, the most by a Minnesota QB since 2015. … Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton is seventh among active FBS coaches with 186 career wins, 47 with the Eagles. Creighton and Thomas Hammock (Northern Illinois) are the only active MAC coaches with multiple victories over Power Five opponents. … Fleck went 3-1 against Eastern Michigan when he coached Western Michigan from 2013-16. … Austin Smith became the eighth different starting QB for the Eagles in the last eight season openers when he debuted against Howard.
___
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll