VS. 
Separated by just over 200 miles, Minnesota and Iowa State will travel roughly the same distance to the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Arizona. The journey was significantly longer for the Cyclones. One year removed from a 10-loss season, Iowa State is set to play in its first postseason game in four years when it faces the Golden Gophers at Sun Devil Stadium on Dec. 31.
6:00 PM ET, December 31, 2009
Sun Devil Stadium , TEMPE, AZ
NFL Network NFL Net
Minnesota Golden Gophers with an overall record of 6-6 are making their third Insight Bowl appearance in four years. They lost to Kansas 42-21 last season and dropped a 44-41 overtime game to Texas Tech in 2006. Minnesota finished eighth in the Big Ten, wrapping up its regular season with a 12-0 loss at Iowa, which is set to play in the Orange Bowl. The Gophers have struggled at times offensively this season, and most of those problems have stemmed from WR Eric Decker’s season-ending foot injury. Despite missing four games, Decker, the school’s all-time leading receiver, still topped Minnesota in receptions (50), receiving yards (758) and touchdown catches (five). He was named first-team all-conference. The Gophers finished last in the Big Ten in scoring (21.6 points per game) and total offense (295.8 yards per game). Turnovers have also been a big problem for the team, with QB Adam Weber throwing 14 interceptions to 12 TD passes. Other players involved in offense will be QB MarQueis Gray, RB Duane Bennett, RB Kevin Whaley, WR Eric Decker and TE Nick Tow-Arnett. Minnesota’s only chance will be to throw and pray for the best, they will not be able to have that many options but they can make the best of it if the passing game is accurate.
Iowa State Cyclones finished their season with an overall record of 6-6 and they seemed to be one of the more unlikely recipients of a bowl invitation following last season’s debacle. Iowa State dropped its final 10 games and was outscored by an average of 19.8 points in eight Big 12 losses. Things appeared to get even worse when coach Gene Chizik left for Auburn just weeks after the season ended. Expectations were pretty low heading into this season with Iowa State picked to finish last in the North Division. Despite all the obstacles, coach Paul Rhoads managed to get the program turned around immediately. The Cyclones finished fourth in the division with a 3-5 conference record, including a 9-7 win over North champion Nebraska. Their upset of the heavily favored Cornhuskers was their first victory in Lincoln since 1977. he Cyclones were 11th in the Big 12 in scoring (21.1) and eighth in total offense (376.3). Iowa State’s win over Nebraska came without starting QB Austen Arnaud (injured throwing hand) and RB Alexander Robinson (sore groin). Those players have since returned from their injuries with differing results. Arnaud has had trouble with turnovers, throwing six interceptions in the three games since getting hurt after tossing one in his previous five. Robinson has managed to pick up where he left off prior to his injury, though, running for 245 yards in his last three games. His 1,058 yards were fourth-best in the Big 12. Iowa State’s offense is built around the run game, but it could be tough for Robinson to find openings against a Minnesota team that has given up 100 rushing yards on 63 attempts in the last two games. Other players involved in offense will be QB Jerome Tiller, WR Marquis Hamilton and WR Jake Williams and they will be doing as much as possible to win this game but as I said before this team’s offense is built around the running game through Robinson so they will go with that option and then mix it up as they go.
GAME ODDS
MINNESOTA U -2½ -115
IOWA STATE 48½
MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS ARE KINDA LIMITED IN THE ATTACK BUT THEY CAN ACTUALLY CONTROL THE RUNNING GAME THAT IOWA STATE WILL BRING TO THIS GAME. MY PICK WILL BE MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS -2½ -115.
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