Kaden Johnson, the former Minnehaha Academy star and four-year player for Wisconsin, is not expected to play due to an elbow injury. But if he is able to go, it would be an interesting matchup to see him go up against Aireontae Ersery, who is a potential early NFL draft pick.

5 – Average margin of victory for the Gophers in their last four games against Mountain West Conference teams. They defeated Fresno State 21-14 in 2018 and 38-35 in OT the following year, and Colorado State 23-20 in OT in 2015 and 31-24 the following year.

With Big Ten play beginning next week, the Gophers will look to diversify their offense by focusing on Brosmer and the passing game while trying to get the running game up to its former high level. On defense, controlling Lewis and his ability to read options will be important. The Gophers also had a bounce-back game from kicker Dragan Kesich last week.

Nevada needs to fuel its upset chances by forcing turnovers and keeping Minnesota’s defense off balance with the option game. If the Wolf Pack can get an early lead, play patiently, and find some success on special teams, they’ll put the Gophers under pressure.

Playing a team from the Mountain West has been no day at the beach for the Gophers, and Nevada has a few ingredients to pull off an upset, like a dynamic quarterback and a tenacious coach. The Gophers can counter that by not being one-dimensional on offense and making sure Brosmer has the protection and successful running game to keep Nevada off balance.