FACTS & STATS: Site: Metrodome (64,172) -- Minneapolis, Minnesota. Television: Big Ten Network. Home Record: Iowa 6-1, Minnesota 4-2. Away Record: Iowa 1-3, Minnesota 3-2. Neutral Record: Iowa 0-0, Minnesota 0-0. Conference Record: Iowa 4-3, Minnesota 3-4. Series Record: Minnesota leads, 59-40-2.

GAME NOTES: The Minnesota Golden Gophers will play their final game at the Metrodome, as they are set to host the Iowa Hawkeyes in a Big Ten Conference clash. The winner will take home the coveted Floyd of Rosedale, a trophy that dates back to 1935. Iowa brings a bit of momentum into this matchup after picking up wins in four of its last five games. Last weekend, the Hawkeye defense withstood a last-minute drive to secure a 22-17 win over Purdue. Two weeks ago, the Hawkeyes knocked off then-No. 3 Penn State at home, though they are just 1-3 on the road this season. Minnesota enters this game trying to rebound from a 35-32 loss at Wisconsin, in which the Golden Gophers led 21-7 at the half. Since opening the season 7-1 and pushing their way into the national rankings, the Gophers have lost three straight. Two of those losses have come in the friendly confines of the Metrodome. Minnesota owns a 59-40-2 lead in the head-to-head series with Iowa, although the Hawkeyes have won six of the past seven meetings.

The player who will command the most attention in this matchup is Iowa running back Shonn Greene, the nation?s second-leading rusher who is averaging 144 ypg on the ground. He is the only player in the Football Bowl Subdivision to have eclipsed 100 yards rushing in every game this season, and he has twice gone over the 200-yard mark. Greene is coming off one of his strongest performances last week against Purdue, when he piled up 211 yards and two TDs on 30 carries. He is the type of runner who gets stronger as the game wears on, and he can take it to the house on any given play. Because Greene and the running game has been so effective, quarterback Ricky Stanzi has been asked to more or less manage the game and avoid turnovers. He is averaging only 141 passing yards per game, though he is throwing just one interception every 30 pass attempts.

Iowa?s defense is among the stingiest units in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes enter this game ranked third in the conference in total defense (303.64), and only seven teams in the nation have allowed fewer points (14.45). But they got a fairly big scare late in the game against Purdue, as Boilermakers quarterback Curtis Painter nearly guided his team to another last-minute comeback, as he has done on more than one occasion during his career. The Boilermakers offense took over at their own 20, and Painter drove his team down the field by completing 6-of-8 passes. But defensive tackle Mitch King got to Painter for a nine-yard sack with 32 seconds remaining, ultimately killing the drive. Several other players on the Iowa defense stepped up when they needed to. Linebacker Pat Angerer (nine tackles) came up with a big interception at the five-yard line midway through the fourth quarter. Linebacker Broderick Binns tipped the pass, and he also recovered a fumble earlier in the game. Safety Brett Greenwood had a team-high 14 tackles in the game.

On the injury front, Golden Gophers leading receiver Eric Decker (74 rec, 892 yds, six TD) missed last week's game with a sprained left ankle, though he is expected to play this week. Even if he is hobbled a bit, his mere presence is something the Hawkeyes must account for. Even without Decker in the lineup last week, Minnesota was still able to move the ball effectively against Wisconsin. The Gophers scored three straight touchdowns in the second quarter, two on passes from quarterback Adam Weber, who finished with 202 passing yards and three TDs. However, the offense was also largely responsible for the team?s late collapse. Trailing by two late in the game, Weber was sacked in the end zone for a safety. The Minnesota defense then forced a three-and-out to hand the ball back to the offense. Two plays later, Gophers freshman running back Shady Salamon lost a fumble on the Minnesota 11, which set up a Wisconsin touchdown that ultimately proved to be the final dagger. Minutes later, Weber and Salamon hooked up for a 13-yard touchdown pass, but it was too little, too late.

Obviously, the Minnesota defense will have to account for Greene on every play. The Gophers have been somewhat hit-or-miss against the run, and they enter this contest ranked seventh in the Big Ten in run defense (140 ypg). Last weekend was not one of their better efforts, as Badger tailback P.J. Hill ran for 117 yards (4.9 ypc) and two TDs. Two weeks ago, Minnesota allowed lowly Michigan to pile up 232 yards (5.5 ypc) on the ground. If the defense gives Greene the same kinds of running lanes, it will be a long final game at the Metrodome for the Gophers. One thing they have to do is penetrate the line of scrimmage and make plays in the backfield, which they've done a decent job of over the course of the season. Minnesota enters this game ranked fourth in the conference in sacks, and second in tackles for loss. As the coaching staff has preached to the front-seven this week, the best way to stop Greene is to get to him before he gets started.

Minnesota has spent 27 years playing in the Metrodome. Despite a potential huge mismatch in favor of Iowa's running game, look for the Golden Gophers to put forth a stellar effort in this one, as they hope to close out the Metrodome with a W. However, in the end, Greene will likely have inflicted too much damage.