THE GOOD

15: Catches for Minnesota’s top receiver in Isaac Fruechte, for just 278 yards and two touchdowns. TE Maxx Williams caught a team-best 29 passes, seven for touchdowns. He’s a dangerous red zone target, but mostly plays as a blocker. The Golden Gophers will have major trouble moving the ball if they can’t run on Missouri.

11-2: Missouri’s record outside of Columbia the last two seasons, with both losses coming in Atlanta in the SEC championship game. The Tigers have been terrific on the road both SU and ATS, helping some professional gamblers put food on the table. Missouri beat Oklahoma State, 41-31, in last year’s Cotton Bowl and is going for three consecutive bowl wins.

.778: Missouri’s winning percentage against bowl teams in 2014. Minnesota’s record against bowl teams this year was 2-4, including a 30-7 loss to TCU and a 28-24 loss against unranked Illinois.

THE BAD

+11: Minnesota’s turnover margin during the 2014 season. The Golden Gophers have lost just eight fumbles and thrown nine interceptions. The Missouri defense saw a 47-game turnover streak end this season, but the Tigers have leveraged a great turnover margin to win double-digit games the last two seasons. Minnesota already nullifies another of Missouri’s big edges, the pass rush, because the Golden Gophers don’t throw all that often. If Missouri turns the ball over more times than Minnesota, the Tigers could be in trouble.

26.5: Percent of Missouri’s receiving yardage Jimmie Hunt has accounted for, excluding tight ends and running backs. Hunt will miss the Citrus Bowl due to shoulder surgery. That leaves Bud Sasser (70 catches) and Darius White (29 catches) as the only receivers with more than three grabs. When the Tigers offense labored mid-season, one or two of the starting receivers were out due to injury.

311.4: The average weight of the Minnesota offensive line. The Tigers played decently against the run most of the season — the defense has good team speed, and the linebackers made great progress — but power running games occasionally succeeded well against them. Arkansas, a similar type running team, averaged 5.2 yards per carry, but inexplicably threw 30 passes with an ineffective Brandon Allen, allowing a fourth-quarter Missouri comeback. Minnesota is unlikely to do that with David Cobb, one of the most underrated running backs in the country (1,545 rushing yards, 13 TDs).