good guy he is, and then what an outstanding competitor. You felt he was going

MINNEAPOLIS -- With only four weeks left in the race, the West Division is thick with contenders for a trip to the Big Ten championship game.Minnesota has crept into the crowd, despite losing the first two conference games, with a boost from a soft middle of the schedule. Theres just one more game to win before the Gophers can dive into a daunting yet potentially stirring finish, but they simply cant afford to let daydreams of a December game in Indianapolis and being heavy favorites at home distract them from playing Purdue on Saturday.If we dont take it one game at a time its not going to happen, linebacker Nick Rallis said.The Gophers (6-2, 3-2) narrowly beat struggling Rutgers at home two weeks ago, but they sandwiched that one with convincing wins on the road over Maryland and most recently Illinois . Not having Michigan or Ohio State on the schedule this season has been a benefit to the Gophers, one they neednt apologize for after going through a gauntlet of top-20 teams last year. The breather would be wasted if they dont beat the Boilermakers (3-5, 1-4), though, because games at Nebraska and Wisconsin are looming the rest of the month along with a home matchup against Northwestern.Many of the Gophers have vivid memories of a 39-38 victory over Purdue at TCF Bank Stadium in 2014 , when they needed a 52-yard field goal to take the lead late in the fourth quarter after rallying from a 31-20 halftime deficit. Purdues skill-position speed overwhelmed Minnesota that afternoon, and that Gophers team in 2014 fared better than any other in the past 12 seasons.Two years ago they came in here and had me scrambling, said Minnesota coach Tracy Claeys, who was the defensive coordinator at the time. He added: So were going have to make sure were ready, or we wont win.Here are some key angles to know about the game:AIRING IT OUT: Purdue quarterback David Blough leads the Big Ten with 2,346 yards passing, averaging close to 300 yards per game. Hes been intercepted 12 times, but the Boilermakers remain the same threat to produce long gains and score quickly like they were while dicing up Minnesotas defense in 2014. DeAngelo Yancey has 557 yards and six touchdowns .Some good athletes, Claeys said. Were going to have to have a great job of tackling.PIRSIG HEALING: Minnesota right tackle Jonah Pirsig, who has missed the last three games with a sprained ankle, was cleared to practice this week and could return to the lineup. Garrison Wright had switched from left tackle to fill in for Pirsig.Hes really excited and itching to get back in the huddle, quarterback Mitch Leidner said.INTERIM STRUGGLE: Interim coach Gerad Parker has had a rough start for Purdue since replacing the fired Darrell Hazell. The Boilermakers lost Parkers first two games, both to ranked opponents, by a combined score of 89-38. The bigger picture presents some hope for the 35-year-old former wide receivers coach, however. Four coaches have held the interim or acting tag in program history, and the three who filled in for more than one game all won at least three times.I think to have this position now and in the future, wherever it may be, Parker said, I embrace it because this is what Ive been called to do.BACK HOME: Freshman Brian Lankford-Johnson, Purdues second-leading rusher, is a native Minnesotan who played at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul before moving to Florida to finish his prep career. He carried the ball 18 times for 127 yards and a touchdown last month in a win at Illinois.Hes a talented guy that deserves and will have a great career here, Parker said, but hes also got to learn how to do it all the time.THIRTY SOMETHING: Purdue has struggled under new defensive coordinator Ross Els. In the first eight games, the Boilermakers have allowed more than 30 points five times. Now they have to rebound from one of the worst performances in program history, having given up 45 second-half points to now-20th-ranked Penn State in a 62-24 rout at Ross-Ade Stadium. To be competitive against the Gophers, the Boilermakers must make some dramatic improvements.---For more college football coverage: http://www.collegefootball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-Top25Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . -- Jimmie Johnson held off a teammate, passed a pair of Hall of Famers, and dominated once more at Dover. Wholesale NFL Jerseys Sale . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. http://www.cheapnikenflauthenticjerseys.com/ Discount Nike NFL Jerseys .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have placed centre Cody Hodgson on injured reserve and recalled two players from their AHL affiliate in Rochester. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Authentic . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action.CHICAGO -- Jimmy Butler spun a basketball on his finger. He joked around with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving during a brief 1-on-1 exchange. He smiled as some of the NBAs biggest stars lobbed some playful barbs in his direction.Back in Chicago on the eve of the Olympics, Butler is fitting in quite nicely with the U.S. national team.There are a lot of great players on this roster, but more than just basketball players, I get to learn a lot more about them off the court, Butler said, who they are as people and their families, and how they act, their personalities. I think thats been my favorite part of this whole journey, just getting to know the guys that I go up against every year.Its good practice for the fall, when Butler returns to a new-look Bulls team that suddenly includes a pair of longtime opponents for the versatile swingman.Derrick Rose is gone, traded to the New York Knicks. All-Star center Pau Gasol landed in San Antonio. But Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo decided to join Butler in Chicago, providing championship experience, but also two more players on the wrong side of 30 who like to have the ball in their hands.Im excited. I know they are as well, Butler said before Thursdays Team USA practice at the United Center. Its a new start for a lot of us.Butlers reputation also took a hit in the wake of Chicagos 42-40 finish in April, ending the franchises string of seven consecutive playoff appearances. The two-time All-Star was openly critical of new coach Fred Hoiberg and did not click with Rose last season.Asked about speculation he had a hand in Chicagos offseason activity, Butler brushed the notion away like he would an overzealous defender.That has nothing to do with me. I dont move guys, he said. Its like I always say, people are going to think what they want to think.That doesnt bother me, he continued. I know where I stand. I know who I am.Butlers inclusion on the national team establishes the 6-foot-7 Marquette product as one of the best players in the world, part of a steady rise for the No. 30 selection in thee 2011 draft.dddddddddddd On the 12-player roster for Team USA, only Draymond Green and DeAndre Jordan are lower draft picks.Butler, 26, averaged 20.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season. He has increased his averages for scoring and assists in each of the last four years.I knew he was a workhorse, but that man really never stops working, Golden State guard Klay Thompson said, and I give Jimmy a lot of credit because he came into this league and obviously he didnt have the hype he (would) if he was like a top-five pick, but hes worked himself into an All-Star and one of the best wings in the game.Before this Olympic run, U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski had only seen Butler on TV.The very first thing is just how strong and what a great athlete he is, Krzyzewski said. Then what a good guy he is, and then what an outstanding competitor. You felt he was going to check every box, but you put two checks in each of these boxes. Hes terrific, and hes a really good guy.Krzyzewski said Butler and Paul George are the most versatile players on the team, capable of guarding any position. Butler had four points and three rebounds while playing 14 1/2 minutes in the United States 107-57 exhibition victory over China on Tuesday night.Next up is a matchup with Venezuela on Friday night at Butlers home with the Bulls, and then a trip to Houston for one more game against Nigeria before departing for Brazil. When it comes to the Olympics, Butler said he just wants to win.Its a very familiar response for U.S. assistant Tom Thibodeau, who coached Butler with the Bulls before he was fired in May 2015.To see how much hes grown from his first year in the league to what hes become, its a testament to how hard hes worked, his intelligence, his drive, Thibodeau said. Each year hes gotten better, and I think his makeup will allow him to continue to improve each year.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap ' ' '