Minnesota vs Northwestern College Football Odds

Written September 24, 2009 by Rock Henderson

minnesota-northwestern-picks-092409 The Minnesota Golden Gophers have to be glad that Cal RB Jahvid Best is no longer in town. Best blitzed the Gophers defense for five touchdowns including two in the fourth quarter to seal a 35 to 21 win in a game that was tied in the third quarter. Minnesota will look to bounce back at Northwestern against a pesky Wildcat team. Northwestern suffered their first loss of the season at Syracuse last weekend when a last second field goal attempt sailed through the uprights. Pat Fitzgerald’s Wildcat defense allowed 37 points against a mediocre Syracuse offense and will need to turn things around if it wants to be competitive in Big Ten play. Checking in on the latest college football odds for the game, Minnesota is a 1 point favorite and the total is set at 48 points.

QB Mike Kafka finally has the keys to the Northwestern offense after waiting his turn behind CJ Bacher last season. The senior quarterback torched Syracuse for five total touchdowns that included a touchdown reception as the Wildcats showed a diverse array of offensive plays last Saturday. Kafka’s favorite target, senior WR Andrew Brewer, has caught 12 balls for 236 yards and two touchdowns through three games. In last year’s meeting between these two teams, Kafka got the start and ran for 217 yards in a 24-17 win that was sealed by an interception returned for a touchdown with 12 seconds to go. Northwestern will have to return to a balanced offensive attack this weekend as they turned one dimensional against the Orangemen, running the ball only 13 times. Fitzgerald had high hopes for a defense that returned eight starters, but the beginning of the season has got off to a rock start. The Cats defense is allowing 471 yards per game and almost five yards per rushing attempt. If you plan to do any college football betting this season, you need to jump on this $500 match bonus running at BetUS.

Head coach Tim Brewster had to be pleased with his team’s effort against the sixth ranked Cal Bears. Even though it ended in a loss, the Gophers fought back from an early 14 point deficit and tied the game on WR Eric Decker’s reverse pass to backup QB MarQueis Gray. Decker has made an early statement for All-American status after catching 27 balls for 415 yards and two touchdowns in non-conference play. The dual sport athlete is keyed on by each opposing defense, but Minnesota does a nice job finding ways to get the ball in his hands. QB Adam Webber is also off to a nice start, throwing for 231 per game, but must cut down on the four interceptions thrown. Brewster and offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch must find a way to get the running game going against a defense that is susceptible to giving up big plays on the ground. The Gopher defense could be in for a long day against Northwestern as their pass defense ranks 82nd nationally.

Northwestern has won 7 of the last 11 against Minnesota including the last two. The Golden Gophers are just 1-8 opening conference play on the road. This has been one of the more competitive series in the Big Ten. Six of the last ten meetings have been decided by a touchdown or less. This game is virtually a toss up with both teams having strong offenses and questionable defenses.

Recommended Play: Northwestern +1

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