AUDIO: Coach Kill's Big Ten teleconference (BTN.com)

Game Notes! (Gophers)

Have you tagged yourself in this amazing TCF Bank Stadium photo yet? (Gophers)

Gophers need to hold onto the ball (Star Tribune)

From Down Under to D1 (Minnesota Daily)

AD Teague explains schedule changes (Star Tribune and 1500 ESPN)

Kill not optimistic about Gray playing on Saturday (Madison.com and FSN.com and ESPN.com)

Gophers are banged up (Star Tribune)

Gophers stand behind coach Kill (Pioneer Press)

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It is a Gigapixel Panorama from last Saturday. It is very cool. Tag yourself! (Panorama.com)

Minnesota at Wisconsin: Five Things You Need To Know (GopherSports)

Kill previews Wisconsin game (GopherSports)

Gophers make changes to future schedules (GopherSports)

Teague talks schedule changes (GopherSports)

Gophers to open the next four seasons at home on Thursday (1500 ESPN)

Full speed ahead for coach Kill (FSN)

Coach Kill met with the media today to preview this weekend's game at Wisconsin. You can read a few of the highlights from his press conference below. You can also read a transcript of his entire press conference here.

On Saturday's game...
"Looking forward to this weekend's game, a huge game for us, big rivalry game.  It's what college football is all about.  And the biggest thing is it gives us an opportunity to get out and get better.  That's what you try to do each week."

On a weekend phone call...
"I won't tell you who I called; I haven't talked on the phone much since Saturday, but I picked up the phone to call somebody that I respect.  He's coached this game for a tremendous amount of years, and I was talking to him about our situation a little bit, and I'd like to say it was my words, but it's his.
   
"He says, "Coach," he said, "you're just about where you are when you turn a program around."  I said, "what's that?"  He said, "When you first get into a program, you're just not very darn good."  Then he said, "then you start progressing a little bit and you start winning some and then you start thinking maybe we're pretty good, and then all of a sudden, you know, you win a few games, but you just can't quite get over the corner, and then frustration comes in."  He said, "That's kind of where you're at.  And then the third thing is when you get that program built, then you just find ways to win.  You don't find ways to lose."
   
"So I think we're in that situation right now, that we're a little bit frustrated because we just can't make a play or two or we can't do the fundamental things that you'd like to do to take that next step.  I said all along we don't have any margin for error and we've made some errors that are fundamental that hurt you."

On the team...
"Our kids have had good attitudes.  They had good attitudes on Sunday, and we're so darn young I don't think they know any better.  So they're looking forward to practice and getting better."

On the health of his team...
"Ed Olson is very questionable and probably won't play.  Devin Tufts is questionable and probably won't play.  Derrick Wells has a laceration on his knee.  Hopefully we can get him healed up to where he's able to go.  MarQueis is a question mark.  Isaac Fruechte is a question mark, and Marcus Jones is a question mark. So that's where we're at."

On his healthy wide receivers...
"I think Andre did some good things in the game.  We replaced young with young.  And you know, next guy's gotta step up.  I mean that's their opportunity."

On Wisconsin's running game...
"I think that's just who they are.  I think Wisconsin didn't get where they've been over the last, you know, years without having identity, and their identity is running the football.  And you know, I don't know what happened early in the year.  They made some moves and adjustments and coaching changes and so forth.  And I think that they know what they want to do and how they want to do it.

"But as far as stopping the run game or playing great defense or playing good offense, it comes down to execution.  I mean it isn't complicated.  You gotta do your job and you gotta fit in the right gap and you gotta do your responsibility and not try to do somebody else's and it's a lot easier said than done because they're trying to do the same things and if they beat you to the punch, they beat you to the spot that you're trying to get at, then they're going to have success."

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By Michael Molde, GopherSports.com

On a gray and rainy Homecoming afternoon at TCF Bank Stadium, senior quarterback MarQueis Gray appropriately made his return to the Golden Gophers. It came in a tough 21-13 loss to Northwestern, but Gray made his impact felt when he was on the field.

Gray, who missed the past two games with a high ankle sprain surprisingly made his first appearance of the game at wide receiver. He hauled in a 16-yard pass from Max Shortell in the opening quarter, drawing one of the loudest cheers of the afternoon from the crowd of 49,651. It was Gray's first reception since catching 42 passes for 587 yards and five TDs when he last lined up at the position during the 2010 season.

	MarQueis Gray paced the Gopher offense before leaving with an ankle injury.

Later in the first quarter, Gray took his first snaps at quarterback since being injured against Western Michigan on Sept. 15. He later scored the Gophers' lone touchdown of the afternoon on a 25-yard burst up the middle early in the second quarter. Again, the Homecoming crowd roared its approval.

For the game, Gray finished with a team-high 86 yards rushing on just nine carries (9.6 per attempt), while completing 7-of-11 passes for 66 yards with an interception.

Unfortunately, late in the third quarter, Gray had to leave the game after sustaining an ankle injury.

"I think it's a low ankle sprain. That's what I'm told," Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill said. "You're in the heat of the battle, and you've got a trainer who just said he's out, so we're trying to hustle around. If something happens to Max (Shortell), you've got to know what the next protocol is and so forth. It was challenging times to say the least, but that's part of the game."

Several of Gray's runs were highlight-reel material, as he twice sprinted up the middle and collided with a Northwestern defender, who paid the price for attempting to tackle the 6-foot-4, 250-pound signal-caller.

"Gray's a great player. He's one of the best athletes in this league," Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald said after the game." You can see his toughness, the way he battled back to go out there and play. That kid's a war daddy. He's a big man, and they were able to get some things going a little bit (with him in the game)."

"Their offensive line did a great job getting the double teams on us," Northwestern defensive tackle Brian Arnfelt said. "He's (Gray) big, so you've got to bring the pads when you tackle him. I think we learned, if anything today, arm tackles aren't going to work in the Big Ten."

With the 86 yards on the ground, Gray moved up two spots on Minnesota's all-time rushing list. Saturday's performance moved him past Shorty Almquist (1925-27) and Terry Jackson II (2001-03), as he now ranks 25th with 323 attempts for 1,661 career yards.

The loss, which dropped Minnesota to 4-2 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten, wasn't what the Golden Gophers were hoping for. But Gray made his impact on the game.

His status for next week at Wisconsin is not yet known. Coach Kill said after the game he will know more about the severity of the injury in the next couple days. 

GigaPixels. Lots of them at TCF Bank Stadium (GopherSports)

D.L. Wilhite: A Global Gopher (GopherSports)

Five keys to beating Northwestern (Pioneer Press)

Today is a big day for the Gophers (Star Tribune, 1500 ESPN)

Minnesota turning the tables on NU (Chicago Sun-Times)

A shootout prediction (Star Tribune)

Two teams looking to get back on track (Daily Herald)

Story by Justine Buerkle

Before he came to the University of Minnesota, defensive end D.L. Wilhite had never flown on an airplane.

Now a redshirt senior, the Lexington, Ky., native has traveled the world.

Wilhite has made far-away Minneapolis his home for the past five years. He has settled into his role on the football field, but has never let himself get too comfortable in his surroundings. Wilhite constantly challenges himself on and off the field. He is a true student-athlete and a man of the world.

The first step in Wilhite's journey as a Golden Gopher proved to be a difficult but rewarding one. Being away from his family, he still experiences homesickness, but he knows that is all a part of independence.

"I'm really thankful that I made the decision to come to the University of Minnesota," Wilhite said. "Being so far away from home, it gave me the opportunity to grow a lot as a man."

Even though branching out to a different region of the United States was a big step, Wilhite was not done yet. He still wanted to see more. Since he knew he would be at the University of Minnesota for five years, he decided to tack on a global studies major in addition to his history major.

"Global studies just felt like it really fit and would give me the opportunity to do a lot of cool things," he said.

He was right about that. This past January, Wilhite studied abroad in Qatar. He stopped at airports in Amsterdam and Saudi Arabia on the way there.

"To say that I've been to all these countries and have been able to do all these things is surreal a little bit," he said. "Where I'm from, a lot of people don't get the opportunity to do that kind of thing."

In Qatar, Wilhite got to see the inner workings of Al Jazeera, a major Arabic news network. He enjoyed trying local foods and taking in the scenery of the desert and coastal areas. He also tested out the Arabic he had learned in class at Minnesota.

"I didn't know too much at that time," he said. "I knew my numbers. We got to go to a souk and barter and talk the prices down. It was definitely fun."

Wilhite has continued to travel within the United States, too. In addition to football road trips, one of the major trips he took happened over spring break in 2011. He went with Students Today Leaders Forever on a service-oriented bus tour to Washington, D.C., with stops along the way to volunteer.

"That's probably one of my best experiences since I've been in college," Wilhite said. "I think it's better even than my study abroad trip, because it gave me a chance to do a lot of good, help a lot of people, and at the same time, make a lot of new friends and understand myself a little bit more from doing something like that."

Early in his college career, Wilhite became involved in volunteering around the Twin Cities. Since then he has continued to find new opportunities on his own. Assistant director of student-athlete affairs Anissa Lightner, who directs the department's Maroon and Gold Impacting the Community (MAGIC) program, said that people often surprise her with stories about things she had not even known Wilhite was planning to do.

"I'm really proud of him for taking the resources and experiences he gained early on and using those to seek out his own opportunities on an even broader scale than the MAGIC program," Lightner said. "He has been able to do things on a national and international scale. He's a great ambassador for our program."

With all the work he does during the school year, it might seem natural to take a break during the summer to just get ready for the upcoming football season. But that is not Wilhite's style. This past summer, he had an internship with the Minnesota Historical Society. In summer 2011, Wilhite completed a research project through the Ronald E. McNair Scholars program. He studied the Egyptian revolution and the effects of transnational institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. He gained valuable research skills and knowledge about graduate school in the process.

"It took an entire summer to complete, so it's a pretty big deal," Wilhite said of the project. "It's a lot of work. It was basically like a full-time job."

When he presented his research that August at Coffman Memorial Union on campus, the academic and athletic sides of his life intersected. Head coach Jerry Kill and director of operations Dan O'Brien were among those who came to the program that day.

"The worlds seem so distant between student and athlete," Wilhite said. "For them to come and take a look at what it takes to be a student, and all the hard work I put in, I think it was good for them to get a better understanding of me and what it means to be a student for me. And it meant a lot to me to see them there."

Defensive line coach Jeff Phelps said that Wilhite can set an example for younger Gophers by showing them that it is both possible and important to be well-rounded. He also sees crossover between Wilhite's academic and athletic skill sets.

"If you've got a guy that doesn't do things right off the field or doesn't do things right in the classroom, you're going to find that they're not doing things right on the field as well," Phelps said. "He's consistent in that and does a great job academically. He doesn't have to take a million reps to understand what we're asking him to do. He can go out there and just perform at his best."

In his fifth year in the Minnesota football program, and his second season with the same coaching staff, Wilhite has had time to gain a comfort level in the Gophers' system. He said that staying healthy has also been critical in allowing him to practice and play freely. As his career has progressed, he has gained more playing time and continued to improve.

In fact, through five games in 2012, Wilhite found himself right near the top of the Big Ten sacks list with 4.5 sacks. In just four games, Wilhite surpassed last year's team-leading total of 4.0 sacks by the late Gary Tinsley. Entering the season, the Gopher defense declared its intention to improve that part of its game, and Wilhite and his teammates have delivered.

"Everything we do, we're thinking about sacks constantly," he said. "Everything. At meetings, on the field, in our drills, we think about sacks. Through that focus, when you get to the game, your mind is already focusing on sacks. No matter what, everything is sack-driven."

The defensive linemen challenge each other to be the one to get to the quarterback. This competition among teammates makes it fun and increases production. The entire defense contributes to causing a sack, but Wilhite in particular has stood out so far in that role this season.

"I think it's a goal that he's set for himself, as far as something that he wanted to leave as his legacy here at the U," Phelps said. "The way we play our defensive ends, we really need them to provide that type of pressure on the quarterback. We want to win first down. We want to stop the run. But it doesn't really do us any good if we can't get to the quarterback on third downs and get off the field. I'm excited that he's embraced that role."

At the same time as he is trying to close out his final football season with a bang, Wilhite is also finishing up his double major and trying to plan his future. Performing well in the roles of student, athlete, and involved community member is a difficult feat to accomplish, and Wilhite admits that balancing it all is hard sometimes.

"Sometimes I have to check myself and remind myself what my priorities are in life," he said. "Really, I'd say the key is time management at the end of the day."

While Wilhite is well organized in his current activities, he has not yet decided what he will do when his Gopher football career ends. He might study abroad again. He might go on another STLF tour. He might go into grad school. He might eventually become a professor, but not before gaining more hands-on experience first.

One thing is certain though. Whatever Wilhite's future holds, it will not be boring.

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$10 tickets for tomorrow's game! (KFAN)

Depth chart and injury report for Oct. 13 (GopherSports)

Know The Opponent: Northwestern (GopherSports)

Coach Kill radio show from Thursday (KFAN)

Coach Limegrover did the radio thing yesterday too (KFAN)

Receivers starting to catch on (Star Tribune)

NU offense can be tough to handle (Pioneer Press)

Gophers prepared for two NU QBs (Minnesota Daily)

QBs will be key on Saturday and more things to pay attention to (FSN)

Only one local reporter could write about Mike Shanahan and his time at the U (Sid)

NU AD on Coach Kill: "He's a quality, quality human being. A guy you'd turn your son over to." (Chicago Tribune)

A wonderful story written about Keanon Cooper and the late Gary Tinsley (Daily Northwestern)

Big game for both team on Saturday (Daily Northwestern)

Northwestern's do-it-all player (Star Tribune)

The Gophers face high-powered Northwestern this weekend. We spoke with Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune to learn more about the Wildcats. You can follow Greenstein on Twitter @TeddyGreenstein.

GopherSports: Teddy, thanks for taking the time to talk with us. Can you give us a brief scouting report on Northwestern?

Teddy Greenstein: This Northwestern team is way different than what we saw the past two years. It's an extreme example, but the old offense was what the Wildcats showed in the 2010 Outback Bowl, a 38-35 loss to Auburn. They attempted 78 throws, racked up 532 passing yards but gained just 114 on the ground.

These Wildcats rank 14th nationally in rushing offense, at 233.5 yards per game. They're at their best with a backfield of tailback Venric Mark and quarterback Kain Colter, running the option. Trevor Siemian is a pure passer who now gets most of the snaps at quarterback and is completing 65.8 percent of his throws. Colter was uncoverable (if that's a word) against Indiana as a slot receiver (131 yards), but Penn State bottled him up (17 yards).

Defensively, Northwestern is strong against the run (15th nationally, 102.7 yards per game) but vulnerable to good passing attacks. Penn State's Matt McGloin had little trouble torching NU's secondary last week, completing 35 of 51 passes for 282 yards and two scores.

NU's special teams have been excellent with Mark returning two punts for scores and Jeff Budzien perfect on 11 field-goal tries.

GS: You mentioned Kain Colter, who is a do-it-all athlete. Where can fans expect to see him on Saturday?

TG: Kain is a superb runner, and teammates say he has "the wiggles." He's terrific on read-option plays, and Indiana could not cover him as a slot receiver. But Penn State found a way. He's also an effective passer, especially on shorter routes, but did not attempt a pass at State College.

GS: Who is an under-the-radar player that Gopher fans should keep an eye on on Saturday?

TG: Linebacker Chi Chi Ariguzo (great name) is always around the football. He intercepted a deflected pass at Syracuse and returned a fumble for a touchdown. A week later he was the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Week for his three tackles-for-loss against Vanderbilt. He recovered a fumble against Boston College and had 12 tackles at Penn State.

GS: Finish this thought. Northwestern will win if...

TG: If the Wildcats can get back to what coach Pat Fitzgerald calls their "blueprint" - running lots of play, hogging the clock, wearing down the defense. NU's ideal touchdown drive is 15 plays, 80 yards - and at a super-fast, no-huddle tempo. Penn State swiped that blueprint Saturday, running 99 plays to NU's 61. The result was that NU's defenders were gassed in the fourth quarter, in which they got outscored 22-0.

GS: Teddy, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. We appreciate it.

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Minnesota Depth Chart For Oct. 13

OFFENSE
Left Tackle
58 - Ed Olson    6-7    312    R-Jr.    Mahtomedi, Minn. (Mahtomedi)
74 - Marek Lenkiewicz    6-5    281    R-So.    Tinley Park, Ill. (Victor J. Andrew)
Left Guard
63 - Jon Christenson    6-4    288    R-Fr.     Minnetonka, Minn. (Minnetonka)
53 - Tommy Olson    6-4    298    So.     Mahtomedi, Minn. (Mahtomedi)
Center
52 - Zac Epping    6-2    306    R-So.     Kenosha, Wis. (Tremper)
62 - Zach Mottla    6-2    287    R-Jr.     Edina, Minn. (Cretin-Derham Hall)
Right Guard
64 - Caleb Bak    6-3    294    R-So.     Columbia Heights, Minn. (Concordia Academy)
73 - Joe Bjorklund    6-5    293    R-Fr.     Rosemount, Minn. (Rosemount)
Right Tackle
65 - Josh Campion    6-5    309    R-Fr.     Fergus Falls, Minn. (Fork Union Military Academy)
75 - Ernie Heifort    6-5    273    R-Fr.     Bemidji, Minn. (Bemidji)
Quarterback
11 - Max Shortell     6-6    237    So.     Shawnee Mission, Kan. (Bishop Miege)
5 - MarQueis Gray    6-5    250    Sr.     Indianapolis, Ind. (Ben Davis)
OR
9 - Philip Nelson    6-2    222    Fr.     Mankato, Minn. (West)
Tailback
20 - Donnell Kirkwood    5-10    219    R-So.     Delray Beach, Fla. (Atlantic)
4 - KJ Maye    5-10    190    Fr.     Mobile, Ala. (Murphy)
OR
21 - James Gillum    5-11    204    Jr.     Pearl River, La. (Mississippi Gulf Coast CC)
H-Back/Fullback
81 - John Rabe    6-4    258    Sr.     Iowa Falls, Iowa (Ellsworth CC)
30 - Mike Henry    6-1    238    R-Jr.     Mahtomedi, Minn. (Mahtomedi)
Y
83 - Drew Goodger    6-5    255    So.     Shawnee Mission, Kan. (Northwest)
47 - Alex Bisch    6-6    249    R-So.     Northfield, Minn. (Northfield)
Z
14 - Isaac Fruechte     6-3    205    So.     Caledonia, Minn. (Rochester CTC)
OR
82 - A.J. Barker    6-1    191    R-Jr.     St. Paul, Minn. (De La Salle)
1 - Brandon Green    6-0    189    R-Sr.     Chicago, Ill. (Robeson)
X
80 - Devin Crawford-Tufts    6-2    194    So.     Edina, Minn. (Edina)
12 - Andre McDonald    6-2    200    Fr.     Minnetonka, Minn. (Hopkins)
H
15 - Marcus Jones    5-8    172    So.     Wake Forest, N.C. (Wake Forest-Rolesville)
18 - Derrick Engel    6-2    182    R-Jr.     Chaska, Minn. (Winona State)

DEFENSE
End
98 - Michael Amaefula    6-2    242    So.    Arlington, Texas (Bowie)
93 - Ben Perry    6-5    243    R-So.    Southlake, Texas (Carroll)
Tackle
46 - Cameron Botticelli    6-5    284    R-So.    Milwaukee, Wis. (Marquette University HS)
92 - Roland Johnson    6-1    295    Jr.    Camden, S.C. (Butler County CC)
Nose
99 - Ra'Shede Hageman    6-6    301    R-Jr.    Minneapolis, Minn. (Washburn)
97 - Scott Ekpe    6-4    286    Fr.    Lewisville, Texas (Lewisville)
End
95 - D.L. Wilhite    6-3    244    Sr.    Lexington, Ky. (Bryan Station)
55 - Theiren Cockran    6-6    237    R-Fr.    Homestead, Fla. (Homestead)
Strongside Linebacker
57 - Aaron Hill    6-2    228    R-Jr.    St. Charles, Mo. (Lutheran)
OR
32 - Lamonte Edwards    6-2    212    R-So.    Woodbury, Minn. (Woodbury)
8 - Spencer Reeves    6-2    234    Sr.    Dallas, Texas (Skyline)
Middle Linebacker
26 - Mike Rallis    6-2    245    R-Sr.    Edina, Minn. (Edina)
1 - Brendan Beal    6-3    249    R-Jr.    Bangor, Pa. (Florida)
Weakside Linebacker
4 - Keanon Cooper    6-0    220    R-Sr.    Dallas, Texas (Skyline)
9 - James Manuel     6-2    210    Jr.    Indianapolis, Ind. (Warren Central)
Cornerback
2 - Troy Stoudermire    5-10    195    Sr.    Dallas, Texas (Skyline)
22 - Jeremy Baltazar    6-0    196    Jr.    Corona, Calif. (Blinn College)
Safety
13 - Derrick Wells    6-0    198    So.    Lehigh Acres, Fla. (Lehigh)
7 - Damarius Travis    6-2    205    Fr.     Pensacola, Fla. (Pensacola)
Safety
27 - Cedric Thompson    5-10    199    So.    Calipatria, Calif. (Calipatria)
OR
21 - Brock Vereen    6-0    201    Jr.    Valencia, Calif. (Valencia)
6 - Grayson Levine    5-11    202    So.    Eden Prairie, Minn. (Eden Prairie)
Cornerback
23 - Michael Carter    5-11    189    Sr.    Pompano Beach, Fla. (Ely)
3 - Martez Shabazz     5-11    168    Jr.    DeSoto, Texas (Trinity Valley CC)

SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker
39 - Jordan Wettstein    5-11    180    Sr.    De Pere, Wis. (De Pere)
36 - Chris Hawthorne    6-6    198    Jr.    Raleigh, N.C. (North Carolina State)
Punter
38 - Christian Eldred    6-3    190    So.    Melbourne, Australia (Monash University)
Long Snapper
48 - Jake Filkins    6-2    236    Jr.    Prescott, Wis. (Prescott)
96 - Dave Ramlet    6-2    237    R-So.    Appleton, Wis. (Xavier)
Holder
38 - David Schwerman    6-0    195    Sr.    Kettle Moraine, Wis. (Kettle Moraine)
Kick Returner
2 - Troy Stoudermire    5-10    195    Sr.    Dallas, Texas (Skyline)
15 - Marcus Jones    5-8    172    So.    Wake Forest, N.C. (Wake Forest-Rolesville)
4 - KJ Maye    5-10    190    Fr.    Mobile, Ala. (Murphy)
Punt Returner
82 - A.J. Barker    6-1    191    R-Jr.    St. Paul, Minn. (De La Salle)

INJURY REPORT FOR OCT. 13
Roland Johnson - Questionable
Devon Wright - Questionable
Foster Bush - Out
Jamel Harbison - Out for the 2012 season

ALERT: Pay attention to parking this weekend (GopherSports)

Under the Helmet with Derrick Wells (GopherSports)

Shortell will be ready to play (FSN)

U game plan will fit either QB (Star Tribune)

Gray could be used in limited action (Pioneer Press)

Gophers worked on defense during the bye week (Minnesota Daily and Star Tribune)

Bye week over, Gophers ready to get back on the field (1500 ESPN)

On-campus stadium movement was started long ago (Minnesota Daily)

A look at the Wildcats (Chicago Tribune)

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