Syracuse defeated Minnesota, 21–17. Syracuse quarterback Terrel Hunt, who completed 19 of his 29 passes for 188 yards and rushed for 2 touchdowns, was named the game's most valuable player.

The Golden Gophers finished the regular season with a record of 8–4 (4–4 Big Ten). The Orange were 6–6 (4–4 ACC). Syracuse accepted their bid as an at large team after the Big 12 Conference was unable to fulfill their obligation. This will be the second consecutive (and overall) Texas Bowl for Minnesota, and first for Syracuse. It will be the fifth meeting between the two schools; Minnesota leads the series 3–1.

Projected "universally" to finish last in their division of the Big Ten Conference, the Golden Gophers exceeded those expectations by winning eight games, and losing only four. After sweeping their non-conference schedule, they lost their first two conference matchups, including homecoming against Iowa. Subsequently, they won four consecutive games, including the Governor's Victory Bell against Penn State. They ended their season, however, on a two-game losing streak, losing to two top-20 ranked opponents – Wisconsin and Michigan State. On October 10, the university announced that coach Jerry Kill was taking a leave of absence to focus on treatment for epileptic seizures; defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys served as interim head coach.

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Wikipedia