Buckeyes, Golden Gophers Set for Noon Showdown on Saturday
10/8/2018 10:43:15 AM | Football
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State and Minnesota meet on the gridiron for the ?rst time in three years, or since 2015, Saturday in a noon contest that will be televised on FS1.
The Buckeyes are 6-0 on the year following last week’s 49-26 victory over Indiana. Minnesota is 3-2 following a 48-31 setback at home to Iowa to fall to 0-2 in the Big Ten.
Ohio State ranks third nationally in passing offense, averaging 364.7 yards per game. Dwayne Haskins has 1,919 yards and 25 TD through six games after throwing for a career high 455 yards and six touchdowns last week.
The Buckeye defense is ninth nationally in tackles for loss with 50.0 and added six more to that total in last week’s win. Dre’Mont Jones leads the way in that category with 7.5 TFLs and also had 20 tackles, 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. SAF Jordan Fuller and LB Malik Harrison lead the defense in tackles with 27 and 25, respectively.
Ohio State vs. Minnesota Links
Buy Tickets | Ohio State Game Notes | Urban Meyer Weekly Press Conference | Minnesota Game Notes | Big Ten Weekly Release
Broadcast Information
TV: FS1 | Online: FOXSportsGo | Radio: 97.1 FM / 1460 AM | Tunein
Parris Campbell leads a veteran wide receiver unit that has six players with at least 500 career receiving yards. In last week’s win, all three ? fth-year seniors – Campbell, Johnnie Dixon and Terry McLaurin – caught TD passes.
On the ground, the tandem of J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber have combined for 882 yards and seven touchdowns.
NOTES TO KNOW
A BIG TEN FIRST: THREE 5-TD GAMES
According to the Big Ten Network’s stats guys, Haskins is the ?rst quarterback in conference history to have three games with at least ?ve touchdown passes in one season. He was just three yards shy of the school record for passing yards Saturday vs. Indiana with 455, falling just short of Art Schlichter’s 1978 school record of 458 yards. His six TD passes tied a school mark.
SECOND-LONGEST CURRENT WINNING STREAK
Ohio State has the second-longest winning streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Buckeyes have won 11-consecutive games dating to November of 2017. It is the third double-digit winning streak since the beginning of the 2012 season.
Current FBS Winning Streaks
| Rank | School | Win Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Central Florida | 19 |
| 2. | Ohio State | 12 |
| 3. | Alabama | 9 |
| 4. | Cincinnati North Carolina State Notre Dame | 8 |
LAST TWO GAMES: 31 TFLs
Chase Young and D. Jones, in the absence of All-American end Nick Bosa, have led a Buckeye defense the past three games that has totaled 31 TFLs – with 16 players contributing – for losses totaling 92 yards.
BUCKEYES FROM MINNESOTA
Fourth-year junior DE Jashon Cornell is the only Buckeye who hails from the state of Minnesota. He’s from St. Paul and attended Cretin-Derham Hall High School.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
The Golden Gophers, under second-year head coach P.J. Fleck, got off to a 3-0 start with home ?eld wins over New Mexico State, Fresno State and Miami (Ohio), but have since dropped back-to-back contests at Maryland (42-13) and vs. Iowa (48-31).
On offense, Zack Annexstad is one of hree true freshmen quarterbacks in the Big Ten who have started games this season. Annexstad, who became just the second true freshman walk-on QB to start his ?rst game (the other was Baker May?eld at Texas Tech in 2013), is completing just over 52 percent of his passes this season for 924 yards and eight touchdowns.
The Golden Gophers are 21st nationally in total defense, allowing an average of 324.2 yards per game. LB Blake Cashman leads the way with 34 total tackles, 6.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack. Terell Smith, a freshman cornerback, ranks 28th nationally with seven passes defended – one INT and six PBU.
