Meet the Opponent: 3 things to know about the Minnesota Golden Gophers

Purdue kicks off its Big Ten season with a home game Saturday against unbeaten Minnesota.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Since Jeff Brohm’s tenure as Purdue's head coach began, the Boilermakers have split against Minnesota. In his first season at the helm, they defeated the Golden Gophers 31-17, but last year they were routed 41-10 in Minneapolis.

Here’s a quick primer for you on the game:

The Details:

• Who: Minnesota (3-0) vs. Purdue (1-2)
• What: Big Ten conference opener for both teams
• When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
• Where: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Ind.
• TV: ESPN2

Here are three things you need to know about the Gophers: 

Dynamic duo at wide receiver

The Golden Gophers trot out two of the Big Ten’s best wide receivers in Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson. Both currently find themselves in the top 10 in receiving yards in the conference. 

Bateman ranks fourth with 289 yards and two touchdowns on the season. Johnson has fewer yards, just 239, but has more touchdowns with three. Purdue has plenty of experience this season facing high-level wideouts, so it will be interesting to see how they handle both of these threats.

Barely escaping

Although Minnesota is 3-0 on the season, the Gophers have played its fair share of nail-biting games. They have trailed in the fourth quarter of every game this season, but have come back to win each time.

In Week 1, it took a touchdown with 5:39 remaining to give them the lead and a win over South Dakota State. In Week 2, a touchdown with 46 seconds remaining sent the game at Fresno State into overtime. In OT, the Gophers allowed a touchdown on the opening drive, but responded with one of their own. They eventually best Fresno State by a field goal in the second overtime. Last week, they avoided upset once again with a touchdown with just 13 seconds remaining to give them a 35-32 win over Georgia Southern.

Running back return

Senior running back Shannon Brooks is set to make his season debut for the Golden Gophers. Brooks has had a tough last few years, tearing an ACL in spring of 2018 and then the ACL in his other knee during the 2018 season. 

Brooks is someone that Purdue fans should watch out for, with two of his best games coming against the Boilermakers. In 2017, Brooks rushed for 116 yards and in 2015 he ran for 176 yards and one touchdown. Brooks will be a big boost for a Minnesota rushing attack that sits at 100th in the country.