THE ESSENTIALS
Date/Time: Dec. 29, 2022 / 1 p.m. CT
Site: The Bronx, N.Y.
Stadium: Yankee Stadium
Surface: Natural Grass
Capacity: 46,537
Series Overall: Minnesota Trails 3-2
Streak: Minnesota Lost 1
Series at Neutral Sites: Minnesota Trails 0-1
Streak: Minnesota Lost 1
Last Meeting: Minnesota lost 21-17 in the 2013 Texas Bowl (12/27/13)
Television: ESPN // Wes Durham (PXP), Roddy Jones (Analyst), Taylor Davis (Reporter)
National Radio: ESPN | SiriusXM/App: 80/80 // Chris Carlin (PXP), Mark Herzlich (Analyst), Dawn Davenport (Reporter)
Local Radio: KFAN | SiriusXM: 136 or 195 | SXM App: 957 // Mike Grimm (PXP), Darrell Thompson (Analyst), Justin Gaard (Reporter), Tanner Hoops (Host), Kyle Hammer (Engineer)
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. RV/RV Minnesota (8-4, 5-4 B1G) makes its 23rd all-time bowl appearance on Thursday, Dec. 29, when it faces Syracuse (7-5, 4-4 ACC) in the 2022 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. The game will be held at Yankee Stadium at 1 p.m. with ESPN televising and radio coverage provided by ESPN Radio and KFAN.
2. Minnesota has a pair of All-Americans in center John Michael Schmitz and running back Mohamed Ibrahim. Schmitz was named a first-teamer by the AP and FWAA and a second-teamer by the AFCA and Walter Camp. He’s the first Gopher to be a First-Team All-American since Antoine Winfield Jr. in 2019 and the first such offensive lineman since Greg Eslinger in 2005. A finalist for the Rimington Trophy, Schmitz anchored an offensive line that featured four new starters and helped pave the way for the nation’s No. 11 rushing offense, as the Gophers ran for 218.2 yards per game. Minnesota also ranks 17th in sacks allowed at 1.08 per game and tied for 23rd in the nation in tackles for loss per game allowed at 4.33. Ibrahim, meanwhile, has been tabbed to the second-team for the AFCA, AP, FWAA and Walter Camp teams. This is the second time in his career that Ibrahim has been named an All-American by the AP, as he was a Third Team selection in 2020. Eslinger (2004-05) was the last Gopher to be an All-American in multiple seasons for Minnesota. Ibrahim, who played in 11 games, finished fourth in the nation in rushing yards at 1,594 and second in the country in rushing yards per game at 144.9. He tied for second in the nation with 19 rushing touchdowns and tied for third in scoring with 10.4 points per game.
3. Minnesota boasts one of the best and most well-rounded defenses in the nation under defensive coordinator Joe Rossi. The Golden Gophers rank fifth in the country by allowing 279.5 total yards per contest. They also have the No. 4 defense in terms of scoring (13.3 ppg), No. 8 in passing yards allowed (173.7) and the No. 15 rush defense (105.8). Minnesota, Air Force, Illinois, and Iowa are the only teams in the FBS that rank in the top 20 in each of those categories.
4. The Golden Gophers are 10-12 in their history in bowl games, but they have won five straight bowl contests, including all three appearances under head coach P.J. Fleck (2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl, 2020 Outback, 2018 Quick Lane). The five-game bowl winning streak is the second longest active streak in the country. Only Alabama (excluding national championship game appearances) has a longer streak with seven straight wins.
5. The 2022 campaign is the sixth for head coach P.J. Fleck at Minnesota, where he holds a record of 43-27. He is already fifth in program history for wins and sixth in Big Ten wins (26) and games coached (70). Fleck’s .614 win percentage is third best among the 11 Minnesota coaches with at least 45 games under their helm behind only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, ’45-50). In his 10th season overall as a college head coach, Fleck is 73-49 (.598).
You can read Minnesota’s complete game notes here.
COURTESY MINNESOTA ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
