New Mexico State @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 7, 2013 ) Minnesota 44, New Mexico State 21

Minnesota failed to reach a bowl game in 2017 for the first time in six years and seek a bounce back campaign under second-year head coach P.J. Fleck, a quest that begins at home Thursday against New Mexico State. The Golden Gophers won three non-conference games to begin last season before faltering in Big Ten play, and he will be leaning on several young players as the program looks to rebuild.

Included in that lot is true freshman Zack Annexstad, who beat out redshirt freshman Tanner Morgan for the starting quarterback job. "Unbelievable competition," Fleck told reporters. "It was the hardest decision I've had to make as a head football coach. Both tremendous individuals." The Aggies will be battle-tested after playing one of the first games of the college football season Saturday against Wyoming, but they'll have a quick turnaround following the 29-7 loss. They were outgained 449-135 and didn't score until Matt Romero threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Drew Dan with just 76 seconds remaining.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network. LINE: Minnesota -20

ABOUT NEW MEXICO STATE (0-1): Romero, a junior college transfer who won the quarterback job in a competition with four others this spring, completed 16-of-27 passes for 140 yards and the one score. "It is going to be a process with the quarterback position and I like the way he rebounded tonight," head coach Doug Martin told reporters of Romero, who was replaced briefly in the second half. "He had a tough night and he came back and made some throws at the end and as an offense, we did not have any turnovers tonight, which is always good." The Aggies had eight yards of offense at halftime and 93 of their 135 total yards came on the garbage-time TD drive.

ABOUT MINNESOTA (2017: 5-7): Annexstad is one of four freshman quarterbacks on the roster, which makes Minnesota one of three schools in the country - along with Kentucky and Nebraska - to have a quarterback crew with zero passing attempts at the collegiate level. Their key target will be junior wideout Tyler Johnson, who led the team with 677 receiving yards and seven touchdowns last year. Senior running back Rodney Smith is two years removed from a 16-TD campaign and enters the year needing 195 rushing yards to become the seventh player in program history to reach 3,000.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Gophers went the final 123-plus minutes of last season without scoring.

2. Dan had two catches for a game-high 60 yards in the opener.

3. The Aggies won the first matchup between the teams at Minnesota in 2011. The Gophers were victorious in a rematch at New Mexico State in 2013.

PREDICTION: Minnesota 28, New Mexico State 10