The Spartans haven’t been to Golden Gopher territory since 2005 and never have played at the brand-new TCF Bank Stadium.

The Gophers are coming off back-to-back defeats at the hand of Penn State and Ohio State, in which the Gophers scored a combined seven points. Minnesota will be back at home in what is sure to be a hostile environment. Here are three matchups that will determine Saturday night’s outcome.

MSU secondary vs. Minnesota wide receivers

The MSU secondary dramatically has improved as the season has gone on. The unit that was supposed to be the strong point of the defense is finally living up to its billing. Minnesota’s strongest part of its offense is its receivers, but the group suffered a significant blow last week when Eric Decker left the game against Ohio State with a sprained foot. Head coach Tim Brewster said Decker is out for the rest of the regular season. Decker is one of the most prolific receivers in school history and this season, he accounts for 41 percent of the team’s total catches, 62.5 percent of the team’s touchdowns and 51 percent of the team’s receiving yards. The loss of Decker hurts an already struggling offense. The Spartans’ secondary will be able to continue the momentum and lock down the Gophers’ receivers.

Advantage: MSU

MSU junior linebacker Greg Jones vs. Minnesota quarterbacks Adam Weber and MarQueis Gray

Jones continued his rampage against opponents this season, racking up 12 tackles in the loss to Iowa and he still leads the nation in tackles with 97. Jones will be moving sideline to sideline this weekend as both Weber and Gray are dual-threat quarterbacks. Weber has tried to become more of a pass-first quarterback while Gray, an athletic freshman, only has thrown seven passes this season. The run-first Gray has 136 rushing yards on the season and Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster has been switching both quarterbacks in and out. Without reliable receivers, the quarterbacks may be more prone to running and Jones will be there to meet them.

Advantage: MSU

MSU red zone offense vs. Minnesota red zone defense

The Spartans have failed to score from the goal line at least once in the past three games. Those are points the Spartans’ offense is leaving off the board and the Spartans are scoring points just 82.1 percent of the time the reach the red zone. Minnesota is toward the bottom of the conference in red zone defense so the Spartans will need to take advantage of their opportunities, especially if the weather is cold and points come at a premium.

Advantage: Split