Football

College football's bowl selection Sunday was neither shocking nor suspenseful for Minnesota's football team. It knew it would go to the Music City Bowl when Ohio State received an automatic bid from the Bowl Championship Series committee.

It's no secret that Minnesota's football team's key to offensive success this season has been the running game. The Gophers (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) have outrushed their opponents in eight of 10 games this season, failing to do so only in losses to Penn State and Ohio State.

Linebacker Kyle McKenzie can look forward to Thanksgiving. After its 23-20 win Oct. 8 at Michigan and Saturday's 41-18 win over Michigan State, the only Michigan native on Minnesota's football team can eat his turkey with the satisfaction of having beaten both in-state schools.

Minnesota's football team has had its ups and downs this season in every aspect of the game. Running against Penn State didn't go so well, passing against Wisconsin wasn't the best, the defense has given up more than 30 points four times this season and the kicking game " pointless to point fingers at just one game.

The "definition of a dual-threat quarterback" will meet the team with the dual-threat running game Saturday. Michigan State quarterback Drew Stanton threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another 102 in last year's 51-17 drubbing of Minnesota's football team.

With a 42-21 win over Indiana on Saturday, Minnesota's football team clinched bowl eligibility for the sixth time in seven years. The Gophers have won their last three bowl games, two of which were played at the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Minnesota wide receiver Jared Ellerson came off the field Oct. 29 against Ohio State having played a career game - five catches for 113 yards and a touchdown. Just a few days later in practice, Ellerson came off the field with an injured toe, unable to run, after another Gophers player stepped on his foot while Ellerson was running a route.