Judging by nearly every major sports outlet, this is the Gopher football team’s toughest test yet.
USA Today ranks San Jose State above Minnesota in their weekly FBS rankings, the Gophers are only three and a half point favorites over the Mountain West foe, and Spartan QB David Fales is ranked a top ten signal-caller in college football according to Rotoworld.
Unfortunately for both sides, injuries will leave both sides short-handed come tomorrow at 11 A.M. on ESPN2.
For the Gophers, starting quarterback Philip Nelson is questionable and listed as a backup along with freshman Chris Streveler. Nelson is recovering from a hamstring injury, and Mitch Leidner will be the starter.
Gopher running back Donnell Kirkwood is no longer listed on the Gophers injury report, and for the first time this season is listed on the active two-deep roster. Minnesota is expected to work Kirkwood back into the offense slowly as he continues his recovery from an ankle sprain, and is listed as the backup to David Cobb and Rodrick Williams.
It also looks as if Berkley Edwards may get a redshirt from the Gophers with the emergence of Cobb and Williams, and Edwards continued struggle with a sprained ankle.
On the other side, Fales won’t have his top target Noel Grigsby for tomorrow’s matchup.
Grigsby, the leading receiver in school history, did not make the trip to Minnesota and is out indefinitely with a knee injury.
100 percent or not, the Gophers could be on upset alert on Saturday.
