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Minnesota takes on Kansas in matchup of improved programs

Dec 31, 2008 - 12:16 PM Kansas (7-5) vs. Minnesota (7-5), 5:30 pm EST

TEMPE, Arizona (Ticker) -- The progress Minnesota showed under second-year coach Tim Brewster was halted after the Golden Gophers dropped their final four regular-season games.

However, Minnesota still enjoyed a six-game improvement - the best in the Football Bowl Subdivision this year - and will face Kansas on Wednesday in the Insight Bowl.

"Minnesota has made huge strides in their second season under Tim Brewster," Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. "They are making outstanding progress and will be a formidable bowl opponent."

After going 1-11 in 2007, the Gophers posted a 7-5 mark this season, although four of the wins were against the likes of Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Montana State and Florida Atlantic.

Minnesota, which ended the regular season with a 55-0 loss to Iowa, lacked a signature victory, but a win over Kansas will allow the Gophers to take some momentum into next year.

The Golden Gophers' offense is led by the tandem of sophomore quarterback Adam Weber and junior receiver Eric Decker, who caught 76 passes for 925 yards.

Brewster installed the spread offense this season and got mixed results as Weber passed for 2,585 yards and 14 touchdowns - mediocre numbers compared to Big 12 Conference standards.

Kansas (7-5) took a step back this season after winning a school-record 12 games last year, including a 24-21 victory over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl - the Jayhawks' first New Year's Day bowl game since 1969.

Plagued by a porous defense, Kansas surrendered at least 35 points in all five of its losses, although the Jayhawks did upset Missouri, 40-37, in the regular-season finale.

That victory assured Kansas of back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1994-95.

The Jayhawks' 11 conference wins in the last two years matches their total from the previous five seasons combined (11-29).

Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing has thrown for a school-record 3,575 yards this season, breaking the previous mark he set last year. The junior passed for 375 yards and four TDs against Missouri.

Reesing's favorite target is Kerry Meier, a former quarterback who has 87 receptions for 932 yards and seven TDs. Meier combines with Dezmon Briscoe, who caught 78 passes for 1,206 yards and 12 TDs, to give the Jayhawks one of the top receiving tandems in the FBS.