[Tuck4Bama]

In the highly anticipated first game coaching against his alma mater, Minnesota's Tim Brewster fell to Illinois at home 44-17. The Gophers again struggled stopping the run as the Illini rumbled for 448 yards on the ground, while also amassing a mind-boggling 665 total yards of offense on the day. Senior wide receiver Ernie Wheelwright put together a career day with nine receptions for 123 yards, but his performance went relatively unnoticed as Minnesota continued its season-long defensive ineptitude.

On the road at Northwestern, Hawkeyes' sophomore quarterback Jake Christensen threw for 299 yards and senior running back Damian Sims ran for a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns, leading Iowa to 28-17 comeback win over the Wildcats. The Hawkeyes rallied from a 14-point deficit for the second-straight week to win their third game in four tries, bringing them back into bowl contention with five wins on the season and two games left to play.

Gophers Preview: Minnesota vs. Iowa