Quarterback Mitch Leidner had a stern message for fans who might be rolling their eyes at the Gophers (5-7) playing Central Michigan (7-5) in the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit on Dec. 28.
"Either hop on the bandwagon or don't hop on at all," Leidner said Tuesday. "It's just as simple as that. You've got a bunch of guys out here competing and working hard for the state of Minnesota every single day. If you can't respect us for that, then I feel like you have something wrong with you."
The Gophers are making no apologies for a fourth straight bowl berth because of the unprecedented exceptions made by the NCAA to accommodate the need for three teams with 5-7 records.