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B10 West Power Ranking: It’s a Mess After Wisconsin

By Jeremy Karll

Oct 22, 2016; Iowa City, IA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Corey Clement (6) is the first to the Heartland Trophy after their game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. The Badgers beat the Hawkeyes 17 to 9. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2016; Iowa City, IA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Corey Clement (6) is the first to the Heartland Trophy after their game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. The Badgers beat the Hawkeyes 17 to 9. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 5 – Minnesota Golden Gophers 5-2 (2-2)

Last Week: 5

Minnesota is quietly hanging around in the Big Ten West. With a 2-2 conference record, they still have an outside chance of winning the division and could be looking at a seven or eight win season. Their supposedly easy three game stretch almost got off to a rough start against Rutgers, though, as they barely escaped with a 34-32 win.

The Gophers aren’t a great team, although they handily beat Maryland the prior week and Rutgers is one of the worst teams in the nation, therefore a two-point win is a letdown. The Scarlet Knights haven’t been able to find any source of offense since losing Janarion Grant for the season but had 372 total yards against Minnesota and led 32-31 with 4:02 remaining in the game.

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The Gophers were a 28-yard field goal away from complete disaster.

Mitch Leidner did return for Minnesota, but it was clear that he needed to get back into form. He completed 11-of-18 passes and also threw an interception. The Gophers did average 4.6 yards per carry, with Rodney Smith gaining 111 yards on the ground, but their offense went stagnant after the first quarter. The Gophers scored 13 points in the last three quarters after scoring 21 in the first quarter.

The Gophers did sack Giovanni Rescigno four times but the inability to get off the field killed them. Rutgers converted 10-of-19 third downs, and it showed.

The Gophers have Illinois and Purdue before heading to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on the Cornhuskers. Leidner needs to be better in the coming weeks, and Minnesota’s defense has to have a bounce back game. The Gophers aren’t bad, but they’re also not very good.

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