Oct. 03--TV/radio: 11 a.m. Saturday; BTN, WGN-AM 720.
Line: Northwestern by 4.
Records: Minnesota 3-1, 0-0 Big Ten; Northwestern 4-0, 0-0.
Last meeting: Minnesota won 24-17 on Oct. 11, 2014, in Minneapolis.
On the offensive: The Wildcats are coming off a season-high 546-yard output against Ball State, led by Justin Jackson's 184 rushing yards and Clayton Thorson's 256 passing. Dan Vitale had five catches for 108 yards and two TDs.
Getting defensive: The Wildcats rank first in the nation on third down, allowing opponents to convert only 11 of 59 (18.6 percent). Safety Traveon Henry had seven tackles and a fumble recovery last week.
The number: 8.8. Points per game allowed by NU, which leads the Big Ten and ranks third in the country.
The talk: The 16th-ranked Wildcats are 4-12 in October dating to 2011.
Fred Mitchell's pick: In what figures to be a defensive battle, special teams could provide the difference. Northwestern 20, Minnesota 13.
