Minnesota @ Northwestern preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 2, 2010 ) Northwestern 29, Minnesota 28

THE STORY: Northwestern has overcome a five-game losing streak and will become bowl eligible for a school-record fifth straight season if it gets past visiting Minnesota. The Wildcats have turned things around with three straight victories, including Saturday's 28-6 non-conference win over Rice in which seniors Dan Persa and Jeremy Ebert set career highs for passing (372) and receiving (208) yards, respectively. The tandem could have another big day against a Gophers defense ranked 104th in points against (34.5) and allows 230.6 passing yards.

TV: Big Ten Network. LINE: Northwestern -15.5.

ABOUT MINNESOTA (2-8, 1-5 Big Ten): The most exciting moment for the Gophers last weekend might have taken place off the field, when junior quarterback MarQueis Gray's girlfriend gave birth to twin boys MarShawn and MarZell on Friday. Gray started the following day in the rivalry game against Wisconsin, but was limited to 51 passing yards and 68 rushing yards in a 42-13 defeat. Actually, the overmatched Gophers did produce some excitement as both their scores came on special teams – a 96-yard kickoff return by Duane Bennett and a 5-yard scoring run by kicker Jordan Wettstein on a fake field goal.

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (5-5, 2-4 Big Ten): It didn't come as a surprise that Persa shredded Rice – whose defense gave up nine touchdown passes to Houston's Case Keenum – but it had to be satisfying that the Wildcats easily secured the first of back-to-back must-have victories before facing Michigan State. The surprise came two weeks ago in winning at Nebraska to keep Northwestern alive for a bowl. While Persa tossed four touchdown passes, the Wildcats' defense nearly pitched its first shutout since the 2007 opener. Northwestern kept Rice scoreless for three quarters, a week after holding Nebraska to just a first-half field goal in the 28-25 triumph.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Persa's 90-yard touchdown hookup with Ebert in the first quarter against Rice was the school's second longest; it surpassed the 81-yarder Ebert caught from Kain Colter against Nebraska.

2. Minnesota leads the all-time series 50-31-5, but Northwestern rallied for a 29-28 win last year.

3. The Wildcats are 9-4 in November since 2008.

PREDICTION: Northwestern 31, Minnesota 13 – The Gophers might be thinking upset if this game were in Minneapolis, but look for the increasingly confident Wildcats to keep rolling at home.