Gophers Football Headed to Citrus Bowl

For the third straight year, the University of Minnesota will be headed to a bowl game. The Gophers will take on the Missouri Tigers January 1 in the Citrus Bowl held in Orlando, Florida.

"I'm excited for our players -- they've worked so hard," Coach Jerry Kill said. "I'm excited for our university and for our fans and state. I think it's a great thing for all of us."

The bowl game bid was announced Sunday. The Tigers are 10-3 but coming off of a loss to Alabama in the SEC championship game. With both teams coming off of losses and hoping to prove themselves against a tough opponent, the game looks to be a competitive battle and a positive step for the Gophers. The Gophers (9-3) have five first-team All-Big Ten selections and had implications on the other nine bowl-eligible teams in the Big Ten, each of which made a bowl game. For the Gophers, the game is the first New Year's bowl game since the Rose Bowl in 1962 and their third straight bowl game. Last year's team lost 21-17 to Syracuse in the Texas Bowl. The Gophers most unfortunate loss to Illinois this year allowed the Illini to sneak into the Heart of Dallas Bowl at 6-6 against Louisiana Tech. The Citrus Bowl will air January 1st at noon on ABC with tickets available here.   Image via: Buffalo Wild Wings