Gophers look to avoid repeat of ’06 Insight Bowl against Red Raiders

Copyright 2012 US Presswire

Nearly six years to the day, and a thousand miles west of where the Gophers will play their first bowl game since 2009, Minnesota lost the Insight Bowl to Texas Tech in overtime, 44-41, after surrendering a 31-point third quarter lead.

The Meineke Car Care Bowl at Reliant Stadium will give the Gophers another shot to redeem themselves after falling on the losing end of the biggest comeback in NCAA Division I football bowl history.

While the Insight Bowl was Glen Mason’s third-to-last day as the head coach of the Golden Gophers, the Minnesota head coach this time around will surely be protected even with a Gopher loss.

By now, everyone knows the storyline surrounding head coach Jerry Kill’s turnaround of a Gopher team that only won three games in 2011. With six wins this year, Minnesota is seemingly on the upswing. A win would be an exclamation on a successful season — a loss would be a pat on the back by freshman athletic director Norwood Teague,

Texas Tech is a 13-point favorite heading into Reliant Stadium, but as history showed in 2006, even a 31-point lead is sometimes not enough.