CORVALLIS -- By late Saturday, Oregon State coach Gary Andersen will have faced Minnesota more times in the past five years than any Pac-12 opponent.
Andersen went 2-0 at Wisconsin in the Badgers' rivalry games against the Golden Gophers in 2013 and 2014. And this weekend, Minnesota visits Reser Stadium for the back end of a home-and-home nonconference series after topping OSU 30-23 in Minneapolis in last season's opener.
There's a major change atop the Golden Gophers program, with P.J. Fleck taking over as head coach. But Minnesota, which beat Buffalo 17-7 in its opener last Thursday, is still paced by a solid defense and the rushing duo of Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks.