FACTS & STATS: Site: Doyt L. Perry Stadium (30,599) -- Bowling Green, Ohio. Television: ESPNU. Home Record: Minnesota 1-0, Bowling Green 0-0. Away Record: Minnesota 0-0, Bowling Green 1-0. Neutral Record: Minnesota 0-0, Bowling Green 0-0. Conference Record: Minnesota 0-0, Bowling Green 0-0. Series Record: Series is tied, 1-1.

GAME NOTES: The Minnesota Golden Gophers will be the first Big Ten team to play at Perry Stadium when they take on non-league foe Bowling Green Saturday night.

Bowling Green enters the tilt with plenty of confidence, after last weekend's 27-17 upset win over 25th-ranked Pittsburgh. Now, the Falcons have their sights on the program's first 2-0 start since 2003. They haven't lost a home opener since 2000.

Minnesota also enters the game on a high note, after knocking off Northern Illinois, 31-27, thanks to a touchdown in the final seconds. This marks the Gophers' only non-conference road game of the season. Next on the docket for Minnesota are a pair of winnable home games (Montana State, Florida Atlantic), before a September 27 showdown with Ohio State.

The all-time series between these two schools is tied, 1-1. However, Bowling Green knocked off Minnesota in overtime last season, 32-31.

Duane Bennett's one-yard touchdown run with 22 seconds remaining lifted Minnesota to its season-opening victory. Bennett had a big day for the Gophers, carrying 18 times for 92 yards and two scores. He converted a huge fourth-and-one on NIU's three-yard line on the play before the game-winning touchdown, then propelled his team to victory with a strong second effort. Quarterback Adam Weber went 24-for-37 for 298 yards and two TDs, while Eric Decker caught 10 passes for 89 yards and a TD. He even lined up in the secondary in the final seconds, knocking down the Huskies' final two attempts in the end zone.

With victory all but secured last Saturday, the Minnesota defense allowed the Huskies to drive all the way down to the 30-yard line in a matter of 16 seconds. Thanks to Decker, NIU didn't get any further. But what should be a concern for Minnesota coach Tim Brewster is his team's lack of consistency on defense. The unit began to break down midway through the third quarter, beginning with the Huskies' 91-yard touchdown pass that narrowed the gap to 24-20. With eight minutes remaining in regulation, NIU took the lead on another long touchdown pass, this time covering 52 yards. For the Gophers to knock off Bowling Green on the road, their defense is going to have to bring their A-game for four quarters.

After falling behind 14-0 in the second quarter, the Falcons offense came alive and outscored Pitt, 27-3 the rest of the way. They took the lead for good with less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter, after Anthony Turner found the end zone on an eight-yard run. Quarterback Tyler Sheehan scored an insurance touchdown on an 11-yard run with 11:59 remaining in regulation. He finished 24-of-40 for 163 yards, one TD and one INT. One area that certainly will need some improvement is the running game, which netted only 64 yards on 28 carries (2.3 ypc).

The Bowling Green defense came away with four turnovers, all of which proved vital in the win. After getting lit up in the opening quarter, the Falcons held Pitt to just 46 yards rushing over the final three quarters. They thought they had the game-breaking play with 13:30 remaining, when Kenny Lewis forced a fumble, picked it up and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown. But an inadvertent whistle canceled out the touchdown. On Pitt's next possession, the Falcons picked up another fumble deep in Panthers territory, and the offense punched it in two plays later.

The Golden Gophers got the monkey off their backs last week, snapping a school-record 10-game losing streak dating back to last season. Meanwhile, Bowling Green became the first MAC school ever to win at Pitt. Both of these teams have flaws, but Bowling Green might just have the fortitude to take down another school from a BCS conference.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Bowling Green 31, Minnesota 28

Saturday, September 6th, 7:30 p.m. (et)