Louisiana vs Minnesota Preview: Is Minnesota Cooked?

The Minnesota Gophers were just stunned last weekend. Minnesota lost to the Northwestern Wildcats, giving the Wildcats their first and likely only win in the Big Ten this season.

Minnesota’s 2-2 after that 37-34 stunner to Northwestern in overtime.

The Gophers used to be one of the conference’s best Big Ten East teams. But that’ll no longer be the case.

This weekend, they’ll take a break from Big Ten play and face the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns. Louisiana is 3-1 this season and has earned back-to-back wins against UAB and Buffalo.

Although the oddsmakers feel differently, Louisiana has a legitimate chance to pull off an upset. Will the Ragin’ Cajuns pull it off?

Here’s the Louisiana vs Minnesota preview for Saturday’s non-conference game on the Big Ten Network.

Zeon Chriss Is Louisiana’s Future

The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns started Zeon Chriss for the first time in his career Saturday. He played most of the previous week’s snaps against Buffalo, leading to their win.

Therefore, he was named the starter last weekend against Buffalo. As the starter, the freshman quarterback earned his team another victory.

With Chriss getting most of the snaps, Louisiana has looked brilliant offensively.

Chriss has thrown for 423 yards on 36 completions and 49 attempts this season. He’s completed 73.5% of passes but has thrown two touchdowns and two interceptions and has been sacked three times.

However, Chriss isn’t just a passer. He’s already earned 18 carries for 186 yards. The freshman from Baton Rouge, LA, has averaged 10.3 yards per carry and has four more rushing touchdowns in two games. Chriss even had an extended play of 80 yards this year.

If the freshman continues this pace, he’ll have some incredible stats throughout his college football career.

What Happened to Minnesota?

The Minnesota Gophers were much higher in the NCAAF rankings to begin the season. After multiple losses and an embarrassing one last weekend against Northwestern, the Gophers have a lot of questions that haven’t been answered.

Minnesota allowed nine plays of 15+ yards against a Northwestern team averaging 19.7 points per game before their matchup against the Gophers.

The Wildcats scored only 21 points in their first three games this season. However, the Wildcats added 21 points on Minnesota in the fourth quarter and six more in overtime to earn a huge upset win.

The Gophers were up 24-7 at halftime and found a way to lose to Northwestern despite leading by 21 heading into the final quarter.

They had bone-headed blunders on special teams and played it safe on offense. It all backfired for this team.

The Gophers landed one of Minnesota’s most highly regarded quarterbacks with Athan Kaliakmanis. But he only completed 14 passes on just 19 attempts in the loss. He should probably be used more.

It’s time for Minnesota to get back to the drawing board. Another loss to Louisiana will completely rip the program and its fanbase apart on Saturday.

Below, we’ll discuss the Louisiana vs Minnesota Preview and odds for Saturday’s potential thriller.

Louisiana vs Minnesota Preview

The Minnesota Gophers are 12.5-point favorites at home against the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns. Meanwhile, the total is currently 47.5.

Louisiana has only covered in one of their first four games despite winning three of those four. Most recently, the Ragin’ Cajuns defeated Buffalo, 45-38, but failed to cover a 10.5-point spread.

The only time Louisiana covered against the spread was when they were underdogs. Against UAB, Louisiana was a 1.5-point underdog and won outright by 20, 41-21.

In Louisiana games, the Over has hit in its last three games.

Conversely, Minnesota has failed to cover in all four games this season. Minnesota defeated Nebraska, 13-10, but was more than a touchdown favorite. They were also -20 favorites against Eastern Michigan but only won by 19. The Gophers failed to cover against North Carolina, losing 31-13 as seven-point underdogs. And, of course, they lost outright to Northwestern as 11-point favorites.

For Minnesota, the Under has hit in three of four of its games. These two teams have also never played each other.

Don’t Trust Minnesota!

The college football betting odds might trust Minnesota, but we don’t. Have you seen the NCAAF scores and odds for Minnesota? They’ve looked horrible without Tanner Morgan and Mo Ibrahim on offense.

The Gophers have only averaged 341 yards per game on offense. They’ve thrown for under 150 yards and have added 191.3 yards per game on the ground.

As we suggested, it’s time for Minnesota to allow Kaliakmanis to throw the football. The sophomore has thrown three touchdowns and three interceptions, with 599 yards passing and a QBR of 57.3. He’s only completed 55.1% of passes this season. However, more reps will make him better.

Last season, he threw 111 attempts and was sacked seven times. This year, he’s thrown 107 attempts and has been sacked five times. In his career, he’s got more interceptions than touchdowns on 218 attempts.

But it’s because Minnesota lacks rhythm offensively.

Meanwhile, the run game has been dominant with Darius Taylor. He’s added 6.1 yards per carry on 87 carries this season. It’s just that the Gophers need to be more balanced offensively. The receivers need a chance in the passing game.

The Gophers will also need to excel in the passing game against Louisiana. The Ragin’ Cajuns are one of the best secondaries in the nation, holding teams to 208 yards per game in the air.

It’s also not easy finding room on the ground. Louisiana has also held teams to 129 yards per game when facing the run.

It’s On The Louisiana’s Offense Shoulders!

This game will come down to Louisiana’s offense. Zeon Chriss will likely get another opportunity to shine for the Ragin’ Cajuns. Chriss played exceptionally well as a redshirt freshman for Louisiana. He’s a duel-threat, dynamic player who has inserted some life into the Ragin’ Cajuns. He’s also been an accurate thrower and can escape the pocket when things break down.

Meanwhile, Louisiana’s run game has earned 6.2 yards per carry behind Jacob Kibodi. He’s added 9.4 yards per carry on 33 carries to lead the way.

With the Gophers looking a bit Shaky against the run, the Ragin’ Cajuns should have success offensively. It’ll be harder to throw the ball, but the run game will at least move the sticks.

We’ll take Louisiana and the points.

For NCAAF betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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