Good afternoon from Bloomington, Ind., where the Gophers face Indiana (2:30 p.m., BTN) in their final road game of the regular season. After back-to-back losses to Illinois and Iowa to open November, the Gophers (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) will try to rediscover the October form that saw them win four consecutive games. Indiana (2-8, 0-7) is on a six-game losing streak and is coming off a 38-3 home defeat against Rutgers.
With two weeks to go in the regular season, the Gophers are in a third-place tie with Purdue in the Big Ten West Division, one game behind co-leaders Wisconsin and Iowa.
In their 27-22 loss at Iowa last week, the Gophers outgained the Hawkeyes 409-277, outrushed them 189-71 and held the ball for 40 minutes, 2 seconds. However, Minnesota's offense couldn't reach the end zone on three trips inside the Iowa 15-yard line, and the Gophers settled for three field goals. Iowa used touchdown plays of 72 and 27 yards in the second half to secure the victory. Limiting big plays on defense and being more efficient on offense have been points of emphasis this week for the Gophers.
Odds and ends
* The Gophers are making a rare trip to Indiana, a place they last visited in 2013. Minnesota leads the series 39-26-3 and has won five of the past six meetings. The teams last met in 2018, when the Gophers won 38-31 at home.
* The Gophers rank eighth in the Big Ten in scoring offense (25.5 points per game), ninth in total offense (365.7 yards per game), third in rushing offense (205.5), 13th in passing offense (160.2) and first in time of possession (35:31 average).
* Minnesota ranks fifth in the Big Ten in scoring defense (19.2 points allowed per game), second in total defense (296.7), second in rushing defense (99.9), fourth in passing defense (196.8) and eighth in turnover margin (plus-2).
* Gophers sixth-year senior guard Conner Olson is set to set the Big Ten career record with his 56 start today, breaking a tie with former Ohio State offensive lineman Billy Pierce (2014-17).
