Just a few weeks into the 2012 college football season, the Minnesota Gophers already have three wins – the same number they had in each of the last two seasons. On Saturday, backup quarterback Max Shortell had touchdown passes on his first three possessions after starter MarQueis Gray went out with an ankle and knee injury. The team survived a late Western Michigan rally and is now looking forward to Syracuse in a night game next week.

MarQueis Gray was originally supposed to miss 2-4 weeks with a high ankle sprain, but there's a chance that he'll be ready to backup Max Shortell this Saturday when the Gophers host Syracuse.

The Gophers and Syracuse Orange battle at TCF Bank Stadium Saturday night and if this game is anything like the last meeting between the two it's going to be fun. In 2009 Minnesota won at Syracuse on a game-winning field goal in overtime.

Erik Haula's two goals and one assist boosted his nation-leading scoring total to 17 points in 7 games. Kent Patterson's 22 saves gave him his fourth shutout. And the high-flying Gophers sailed to a 5-0 win over their nemesis in Anchorage.

University of Minnesota back-up quarterback Max Shortell rallied the Gophers late in the fourth quarter but the team fell short in its loss to Northwestern 21-13 Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium. Shortell came in for MarQuies Gray, who got the start for the Gophers but reinjured his ankle in the third quarter.

MarQueis Gray is only four games into his first full year as the starting quarterback of the Gophers, but inconsistent play has many wishing Minnesota would go with the true freshman Max Shortell as the starter.

Josh Willingham hit his 34th home run of the season and drove in a pair of runs but it was Trevor Plouffe and Denard Span providing the heroics in the late innings. Plouffe hit a game-tying solo home run in the bottom of the ninth and Denard Span hit a walk-off double in the tenth to give the Twins a 4-3 win.

Gopher freshman quarterback Philip Nelson will start against the Badgers Saturday. Nelson began the season as a third-string quarterback, but started Marqueis Gray has been bothered by a sprained ankle and back-up Max Shortell hurt his neck last week against Northwestern. Gray will start at wide receiver.