| Minnesota Golden Gophers Football News: |
| The University of Minnesota has reached an agreement for future non-conference football games with Florida Atlantic, Minnesota Director of Athletics Joel Maturi announced today. Minnesota will host Florida Atlantic this season on Sept. 17. The Gophers and Colorado State have moved their 2005 game at the H.H.H. Metrodome from Sept. 17 to Sept. 10 to accommodate scheduling Florida Atlantic.
Minnesota will travel to Florida to face the Owls in 2007 and will conclude the series with FAU in 2008 at the Metrodome. Dates for those two games have not been determined. The Gophers have also announced their Big Ten football schedule for 2007-2008. Minnesota will open the 2007 Big Ten schedule by hosting Purdue on Sept. 22 and will also have home dates with Ohio State (Sept. 29), Illinois (Nov. 3) and Wisconsin (Nov. 17) in the regular season finale. The Gophers Big Ten road slate in 2007 includes a stretch of three-straight games away from home as Minnesota travels to Indiana (Oct. 6), Northwestern (Oct. 13) and Michigan (Oct. 27) before traveling to Iowa on Nov. 10. Minnesota opens the 2008 Big Ten season on the road at Ohio State, marking the first time the Gophers have played the Buckeyes in a Big Ten opener since 1980. The Gophers home opener will take place the following week against Indiana (Oct. 4). Minnesota will close the season with three out of their final four games taking place at home against Northwestern (Nov. 1), Michigan (Nov. 8) and Iowa (Nov. 22) in the regular season in finale. The Gophers three other Big Ten road contests include Illinois (Oct. 11), Purdue (Oct. 25) and Wisconsin (Nov. 15). As part of the Big Tens rotating schedule, the Gophers return Northwestern and Illinois to their Big Ten schedule in 2007 and 2008 after not playing either school in 2005 or 2006. Minnesota will not play Michigan State or Penn State in 2007 or 2008. |
| Event | Date | Tickets | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
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Minnesota Gophers Football
vs. Northern Illinois Huskies Football
|
11:59 pm
|
Metrodome
|
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Bowling Green Falcons Football
vs. Minnesota Gophers Football
|
11:59 pm
|
Doyt Perry Stadium
|
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Minnesota Gophers Football
vs. Montana State Bobcats Football
|
11:59 pm
|
Metrodome
|
|
|
Minnesota Gophers Football
vs. Florida Atlantic Owls Football
|
11:59 pm
|
Metrodome
|
|
|
Ohio State Buckeyes Football
vs. Minnesota Gophers Football
|
11:59 pm
|
Ohio Stadium
|
|
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Minnesota Gophers Football
vs. Indiana Hoosiers Football
|
11:59 pm
|
Metrodome
|
|
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Illinois Fighting Illini Football
vs. Minnesota Gophers Football
|
11:59 pm
|
Memorial Stadium- IL
|
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Purdue Boilermakers Football
vs. Minnesota Gophers Football
|
11:59 pm
|
Ross-Ade Stadium
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Minnesota Gophers Football
vs. Northwestern Wildcats Football
|
11:59 pm
|
Metrodome
|
|
|
Minnesota Gophers Football
vs. Michigan Wolverines Football
|
11:59 pm
|
Metrodome
|
|
|
Wisconsin Badgers Football
vs. Minnesota Gophers Football
|
11:59 pm
|
Camp Randall
|
|
|
Minnesota Gophers Football
vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Football
|
11:59 pm
|
Metrodome
|
| More Minnesota Golden Gophers Football News: |
| Ive been really impressed with these two guys that weve hired. Theyre class people. Theyre a great fit because they have the well being of the student-athlete in mind, not just the football end of it, but the social and the academic end of it foremost in their thinking. One new member on the offensive staff is Luke Tressel. Hes been around here for awhile and weve been trying to keep him in our system because I like the way he conducts himself, and his passion for the game of college football is very evident. We hired Blake Cundiff to be a new guy in the weight room to assist Dwayne Chandler because Luke Tressel left that position to coach wide receivers. All others return, most importantly I return, thats the way I look at it, and Im happy to be here.
Some general objectives of spring practice we wish to accomplish. First and foremost is evaluation of personnel. I think spring practice you start over again. Even though we have a large number of starters returning I think if you take that premise as a stance, youre making a big mistake. Athletics is the greatest equal opportunity employer that has ever been invented. The best guys will play. I dont care if theyve had the starting position before or not, if they are a senior or a first-year guy, if they are white or black, or where they are from; it has no bearing. Evaluation of personnel has to be paramount. The second thing is experimentation, not only with your personnel, but also what youre doing offensively and defensively. Youve heard me say many times, if it isnt broke dont fix it, but sometimes I also say if it isnt broke, break it anyway, because if you are doing the same thing over and over again so well that it just may catch up to you. Three is fundamentals. Im a big believer that if we make our players fundamentally better, develop them in the basics of football, then we will be a better football team. We have more time to do that during spring practice because we dont have an opponent looming that we have to get ready for. I talk about conditioning and I dont mean cardio- vascular conditioning, but we want to continue with our strength conditioning on the off days so that we can not only maintain the strength that weve gained the last couple months but increase it during spring practice. And most importantly, we need to be a better team coming out of spring practice. I think were pretty good, but if you are not getting better, you are getting worse. You dont get better as a team by going your separate ways and that happens in the offseason sometimes. You get better when you come together and strive for a common cause. |