The magazine highlights the Gophers' 17 returning starters and the team's goal of reaching a Jan 1 bowl game. It also profiles the emergence of senior quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq as one of the Big Ten's most explosive quarterbacks and hails senior Ben Utecht as the best tight end in the conference.

The Gophers open the 2003 schedule on Aug. 30 at the Metrodome against Tulsa at 6 p.m.