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-Top25 Cheap MLB Jerseys . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. Authentic NFL Jerseys Wholesale . 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TORONTO -- Will Power used pit strategy to grab his third victory of the season and close in on Team Penske teammate Simon Pagenaud in the race for the IndyCar championship.Powers victory Sunday on the temporary road course at Exhibition Place was his third in four races, and he was second last week at Iowa. He has closed the gap on Pagenaud to 47 points in the standings, and the two are tied for the most wins in IndyCar this season.Were definitely closing the gap and weve got to keep pushing, man, the Australian said. If we can close that gap going into (the season finale) Sonoma, we can do this. We can win this championship, absolutely.He noted that Scott Dixon snatched the IndyCar title away from teammate Juan Pablo Montoya last year with a strong late surge all the way through Sonoma.As long as its mathematically possible, you should never give up, Power said. Dixon has been the example of that year after year. He said to me the other day, with six to go, he was 90 back. Just shows you how quickly that can change.Power pitted on Lap 57 of 85 for his final stop of the race, and moments later, defending race winner Josef Newgarden crashed when he ran over the curb in Turn 5. It brought out a caution and ruined the race for pole-sitter Dixon, who had dominated up to that point.Because Dixon -- along with Pagenaud and five others -- had yet to pit, they were behind Power and stuck in traffic when they did make their stop.It was a late call, Power said. I couldnt believe I came down pit lane and saw the yellow lights come on. I was so stoked to see yellow lights. Its not often you catch a yellow like that.We ran the top three all day. Had a fast car. Its very difficult to pass, so it was going to be a pit stop sequence if youre ggoing to get by anyone, or a restart.ddddddddddddDixon led 56 laps but couldnt recover from having to pit under yellow and finished eighth. His plight earned sympathy from runner-up Helio Castroneves.Sometimes not the fastest car wins the race, the Brazilian said. It makes the level of everyone better. One day its going to play on your side, another day its not going to be on your side.A caution with four laps remaining -- first Jack Hawksworth hit a tire barrier, and in an unrelated incident, Juan Pablo Montoya hit the same barrier -- set up a final restart with one lap remaining. Power got a great start to pull away from teammate Castroneves to give Penske a 1-2 sweep.Castroneves rallied from an early flat tire to finish second.We are never giving up, especially now, he said. We are not giving up.Toronto native James Hinchcliffe finished third for his first career podium at his home race.As we were coming to the last restart, I saw everyone come to their feet and hoped I didnt screw it up, Hinchcliffe said of the home crowd support.Newgarden crashed to set up the race-deciding pit sequence and finished last in the 22-car field. The American was coming off a dominating victory last week on the oval at Iowa despite a broken right wrist suffered in a crash at Texas in June, and he appeared to aggravate his injury on the contact with the wall Sunday.The Iowa victory had pushed Newgarden to second in the standings behind Pagenaud, but his frustrating weekend dropped him to fifth in the standings leaving Toronto.Pagenaud finished ninth -- his eighth finish of ninth or better through 11 races this season. 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