Iowa State and Minnesota collide in the 21st Annual Insight Bowl, which will be played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona on Dec. 31 at 4 p.m. MST.

This game features a matchup of two teams who followed very similar paths during the 2009 regular season as both finished 6-6 overall with 3-1 records in nonconference play and 3-5 slates in their respective conferences.

The Gophers lead the all-time series 22-2-1. Minnesota won the most recent meeting 53-29 in 1997. The schools have met only three times since 1924.

Minnesota makes its third appearance in the Insight Bowl in the past four years. The 21st Annual Insight Bowl will be the Golden Gophers’ 14th all-time bowl appearance and their eighth in the
past 10 years. In fact, the Golden Gophers are making their third Insight Bowl appearance, all in the past four years. In the memorable 2006 contest, Texas Tech overcame a 31-point Minnesota advantage to send the game into overtime and eventually prevail 44-41. It was the largest comeback in NCAA Division I-A bowl history. In last year’s appearance, the Gophers and Jayhawks lit the scoreboard at the outset, playing to a 14-14 draw in the first quarter. Kansas took command threrafter en route to its 41-21 victory.

Iowa State makes its 10th all-time bowl appearance in the 21st Annual Insight Bowl. It is the Cyclones first bowl game since the 2005 EV1Net Houston Bowl. The Cyclones are bowl eligible for
the first time since 2005 and rank as one of the nation’s most improved teams, climbing from 2-10 in 2008 to this year’s 6-6 record under first-year head coach Paul Rhoads. Iowa State makes its second appearance in the Insight Bowl. They earned the schools first bowl victory by defeating Pittsburgh in the 2000 Insight Bowl on the strength if a 27 point first half. Cyclone quarterback Sage Rosenfels was named the offensive player of the game by completing 23 of 24 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns.

Minnesota and Iowa State each receive $1.35 million for their participation in the 2009 Insight Bowl.

The NFL Network will televise the Insight Bowl for the fourth consecutive year with Paul Burmeister (play-by-play), Mike Mayock (color analysis) and Stacey Dales (sideline reporter) describing the action.

The Westwood One Radio Network will broadcast the Insight Bowl to a national audience. Kevin Kugler (play-by-play) and Terry Donahue (color analysis) call the action.