We all know Gopher football coach PJ Fleck seems to get pumped up just by waking up in the morning.
Now, you can bet he's over the moon as his team arrived Monday in Arizona for Friday's Rate Bowl Game against New Mexico.
"About 80 degree difference, so we're that excited to be here at the Rate Bowl in the desert," Fleck said in a video posted to Instagram. "Thank you for everybody at the Rate Bowl, the Yellow Jackets, thanks for picking the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Row the boat, ski-u-mah, and go Gophers. And welcome to the sunshine!"
The game kicks off at 3:30 Friday afternoon at Chase Field in Phoenix.
The Gophers have won eight straight bowl games, the last six with Fleck as coach, the longest current streak in all of NCAA football.
New Mexico (9-3) vs. Minnesota (7-5), Dec. 26 at 3:30 p.m. CT
BetMGM College Football Odds Line: Minnesota by 2.5. Against the spread: Minnesota 4-7, New Mexico 7-5.
How to watch: ESPN
Key stats
Minnesota Offense
Overall: 296.6 yards per game (128th in FBS)
Passing: 193.5 yards per game (104th)
Rushing: 103.1 yards per game (129th)
Scoring: 23.3 points per game (98th)
Minnesota Defense
Overall: 342.3 yards per game (41st in FBS)
Passing: 220.8 yards per game (66th)
Rushing: 121.5 yards per game (31st)
Scoring: 23.4 points per game (57th)
New Mexico Offense
Overall: 369.6 yards per game (85th in FBS)
Passing: 214.5 yards per game (86th)
Rushing: 155.1 yards per game (74th)
Scoring: 27.9 points per game (68th)
New Mexico Defense
Overall: 350 yards per game (50th in FBS)
Passing: 236.6 yards per game (100th)
Rushing: 113.4 yards per game (25th)
Scoring: 22.5 points per game (48th)
New Mexico is 110th in the FBS with a -6 turnover margin, compared to Minnesota's 24th-ranked +7 margin.
Minnesota is 2nd in the FBS averaging 26.3 penalty yards per game.
New Mexico ranks 113th in FBS in red zone offense, scoring on 77.3% of trips.
Team leaders
Minnesota
Passing: Drake Lindsey, 2,235 yards, 16 TDs, 6 INTs, 63.2 completion percentage
Rushing: Darius Taylor, 554 yards on 119 carries, 3 TDs
Receiving: Lemeke Brockington, 484 yards on 46 catches, 4 TDs
New Mexico
Passing: Jack Layne, 2,398 yards, 13 TDs, 9 INTs, 65.9 completion percentage
Rushing: Damon Bankston, 578 yards on 104 carries, 5 TDs
Receiving: Keagan Johnson, 730 yards on 57 catches, 3 TDs
Last game
Minnesota beat Wisconsin 17-7 on Saturday, Nov. 29. Lindsey passed for 90 yards on 18-of-24 attempts (75.0%) with one touchdown and no interceptions. Taylor carried the ball 19 times for 100 yards and scored one touchdown, adding four receptions for 11 yards. Jameson Geers recorded 27 yards on four catches with one touchdown.
New Mexico won 23-17 over San Diego State on Friday, Nov. 28. Layne led New Mexico with 127 yards on 14-of-25 passing (56.0%) for one touchdown and no interceptions. James Laubstein had 70 rushing yards on 10 carries and one touchdown. Johnson put up 37 yards on three catches.