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6 n o r t h w e s t e r n f o o t b a l l • D I G I T A L P R O G R A M • N O R T H W E S T E R N v s . M I N N E S O T A THE MATCHUP: NORTHWESTERN VS. MINNESOTA Game 11 // Northwestern vs. Minnesota // Saturday, November 23, 2019 KICKOFF NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS Record 2-8, 0-7 Big Ten Rankings n/a Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald Record at NU (Yrs.) 98-78 (14th) Home Record 53-41 (.564) Big Ten Record 56-58 (.491) vs. Minnesota 7-4 (.637) Offensive Coordinator Mick McCall Defensive Coordinator Mike Hankwitz MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS Record 9-1, 6-1 Big Ten Rankings 10 (CFP) / 11 (Coaches / (11 (AP) Head Coach PJ Fleck Record at Minnesita (Yrs.) 21-14 (3rd) Away Record 5-9 (.357) Big Ten Record 11-14 (.440) vs. Northwestern 1-3 (.250) Offensive Coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca Defensive Coordinator Joseph Rossi Evanston, Ill. 11 a.m. Ryan Field ABC WGN 720 AM statbroadcast.com HULL OF A DAY First year running back Evan Hull made the most of his first career start versus UMass, rushing for 220 yards and a program record four touchdowns to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. Hull's 220 rushing yards were the 13th most in program history and the second most by a first year. See page two for more notes on Hull's big day. GROUND AND POUND The Wildcats rushed 52 times for 334 yards and five touchdowns on the ground versus the Minutemen. NU's top four rushers all averaged better than six yards per carry, including Hull (9.2), junior quarterback Aidan Smith (6.7), redshirt first year Raymond Niro III (6.4) and sophomore quarterback Andrew Marty (6.7). The 334 yards rushing were a season high and the most by the 'Cats since they had 344 versus Eastern Illinois on Sept. 12, 2015. A QUICK HISTORY LESSON Northwestern will host the West Division leading Minnesota Gophers at Ryan Field Saturday in front of a nationally-televised audience on ABC. The Wildcats have won each of the last two meetings versus Minnesota and have blanked the Golden Gophers in each of their last two visits to Ryan Field. It has been 2,226 days (6 years, 1 month, 4 days) since Minnesota has scored a point in Evanston. JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED The Wildcats' 45 points in their win over UMass were the most since they defeated Bowling Green, 49-7, on Sept. 16, 2017 and UMass' six points were the fewest allowed since the 'Cats blanked Minnesota, 39-0, on Nov. 18, 2017. A SPECIAL [TEAMS] DAY FOR BERGIN Junior linebacker Chris Bergin was named the Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week Monday after scoring an 85-yard touchdown on a blocked field goal return and recovering a fumble on a kickoff. Bergin had eight tackles in the contest versus UMass, three of which came on special teams. THE LINE OPENED UP THE HULL True first-year running back Evan Hull had four carries of 30-plus yards in the win over UMass, three of which went for touchdowns. The Wildcats entered the day with just three rushes of 30-plus yards in their first nine games combined. MORE NOTES ON HULL'S PERFORMANCE • 220 rushing yards are the most by a Wildcat in their first career start in program history. • Only player in the country with 220 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a game this season. • First Big Ten player with 220-plus yards and four scores since Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott versus Oregon on Jan. 12, 2015. • One of just three first year players nationally to rush for four touchdowns in a game this season (George Holani, Boise State and John Rhys Plumee, Ole Miss) • Only the second NU player since at least 2000 to average more than nine yards per carry on a minimum 20 attempts (Jason Wright vs. BGSU; 12/26/03) RAY RAY NI[T]RO Redshirt first year wide receiver Raymond Niro III stepped into an injury-depleted backfield to rush seven times for 45 yards and his first career touchdown versus UMass. Niro gained positive yardage on all seven carries and averaged 6.4 yards per touch. RESIDENT OF THE BACKFIELD Senior defensive end Joe Gaziano now has 44 career tackles for loss after a pair of stops in the backfield versus the Minutemen. Gaziano's 44 tackles for loss rank fourth among active FBS players and leave him just one shy of tying Dwayne Missouri (1997-2000) for the second most in program history. 24 14 LAST MEETING Nov. 17, 2018 • Minneapolis, Minn. Penalty Yards/GM Scoring Defense Total Defense Rushing Defense Scoring Offense Total Offense Passing Yards/GM Rushing Yards/GM Penalty Yards/GM Scoring Defense Total Defense Rushing Defense Scoring Offense Total Offense Passing Yards/GM Rushing Yards/GM 182.0 250.7 432.7 35.7 123.4 307.8 20.9 40.10 147.1 125.4 344.5 14.5 141.7 344.5 23.5 52.30