Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Minnesota, Northwestern stand undefeated

Eric Olson Associated Press

For all the Big Ten bashing that’s been going on the first month of the season, there are a couple of feel-good stories playing out at Minnesota and Northwestern.

The Gophers and Wildcats – who typically fade from the conference spotlight in October – are celebrating 4-0 starts and aiming to remain relevant.

Ohio State also has won four straight, but that’s no surprise. Minnesota already has won one more game than it did all last season and Northwestern owns three of the Big Ten’s six wins over BCS-conference foes.

Minnesota is perfect through four games for the first time since 2008 and will be 5-0 for the first time since 2004 if it can beat Iowa on the road Saturday. The Gophers are 6-3 since beating Iowa last October.

“We’re building a program,” second-year Minnesota coach Jerry Kill said. “We’re a long ways from where we want to be, but we are making some progress.”

Minnesota got off to a quiet 3-0 start with wins over UNLV (triple overtime on the road), New Hampshire and Western Michigan. Last Saturday’s 17-10 win over Syracuse – watched by the Gophers’ first sellout crowd since the final game in 2010 – raised eyebrows.

Syracuse, which had been averaging 33 points a game, committed four turnovers and didn’t score a touchdown until the last minute against an improved Gophers defense.

Max Shortell, who started in place of injured quarterback MarQueis Gray, completed five of his first six passes and threw for 231 yards. Kill said Shortell would start again Saturday as Gray continues to recover from a high sprain of his left ankle.

“We felt our team could be better because we’re a little stronger and faster than we were a year ago and we have some continuity with our coaching staff,” Kill said. “But we step into the Big Ten and we’ll definitely have to find out how good we are this week.”

Defending Legends Division champion Michigan State struggled to beat Minnesota 31-24 at home last season, and Spartans coach Mark Dantonio sensed then that the Gophers were a team on the rise.

“I felt coming into the season they may be the surprise of the conference,” Dantonio said.

Northwestern, fifth in Legends in the first year of divisional play and no higher than fourth overall in the Big Ten since 2000, is 4-0 for the third time in five years.

The Wildcats go into their Big Ten opener against Indiana at home with a better-than-expected rushing game that’s averaging 221 yards.

Venric Mark, a converted receiver, and Mike Trumpy have combined to give Northwestern a 100-yard rusher in three straight games for the first time since 2006-07.