Minnesota Sports Briefs: Gophers ready to take on Huskers in Lincoln

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LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska has played against the University of Minnesota in college football more times than any other school in the Big Ten. The series in renewed in Lincoln, Nebraska tomorrow, with a game that marks the first Big Ten Conference game the Golden Gophers have ever played in Nebraska.

The two teams played regularly for years as non-conference rivals and then the series went silent in 1990. The Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten Conference last year and beat Minnesota in Minneapolis 41-14 last October. Now, the Gophers return to Lincoln for the first time in 22 years. Minnesota leads the overall series 29-21-2, but hasn't won a game over Nebraska since 1960. Kickoff tomorrow is set for 2:42 p.m.

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Minnesota Vikings tight end John Carlson of Litchfield says it is a pleasure blocking for a running back as good as Adrian Peterson. Carlson says Peterson gets through the hole so quickly that it is easy to block for him, too. Carlson says Peterson's ability to break long runs also provides motivation to open up holes for him since all of the blockers know the team can be rewarded because of Peterson's special abilities. The Vikings are off this week and will play at Chicago a week from Sunday.

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The 2012 Minnesota State Football Playoffs continue today and tomorrow with semifinal action at the Metrodome. There are three 2011 state title teams still alive and contending to repeat. Caledonia stayed alive with a win last night over BOLD. Eden Prairie won last year's Class 5A crown, but was moved to the newly-formed Class 6A this year and will play Wayzata tonight in one semifinal. Dawson-Boyd is the returning Class A championship club and will play tomorrow. Here are results and the schedule for the entire semifinal slate of games (all at the Metrodome):

Class 6A:

Lakeville North 28, Rosemount 7 (final)

Eden Prairie vs. Wayzata, today, 7 p.m.

Class 5A:

St. Thomas Academy vs. Owatonna, today, 2 p.m.

Bemidji vs. Totino-Grace, Saturday, 7 p.m.

Class 4A:

Hutchinson 28, Becker 14 (final)

Princeton vs. Holy Family Catholic, today, 4:30 p.m.

Class 3A:

Annandale vs. Rochester Lourdes, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Perham vs. Blue Earth Area, Saturday, 4:30 p.m.

Class 2A:

Caledonia 26, BOLD 24 (final)

Moose Lake/Willow River 27, Jackson County 20 (final)

Class 1A:

Dawson-Boyd vs. Bethlehem Academy, Saturday, 9 a.m.

Mahnomen vs. Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City, Saturday, 11:30 a.m.

9-Man:

South Ridge vs. Grand Meadow, today, 9 a.m.

Goodridge/Grygla vs. Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley, today, 11:30 a.m.

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Here is Thursday's results in men's college hockey games:

Augsburg 3, Saint John's 1 (final)

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