Minneapolis (Learfield News Service) - The University of Minnesota football team opens the 2018 season with a home game Thursday against New Mexico State.

The visiting Aggies are 0-1 on the season after last Saturday's home loss to Wyoming, 29-7. The Golden Gophers are hoping to improve on their 5-7 campaign last year.

The all-time series between the two teams is split at 1-1 with the road team winning each contest. Minnesota won at New Mexico State in 2013, while the Aggies beat the Gophers in Minneapolis in 2011.

The Gophers have 113 players on the roster this season and 60 of those players – or 53.1 percent – are either true freshmen or redshirt freshmen. That's the highest number in college football.

The position with the least experience on the roster is also the most important: quarterback.

The Gophers will enter the 2018 season with the youngest and most inexperienced quarterbacks in the country. Minnesota has four quarterbacks – all freshmen – on its roster meaning that the quarterbacks have attempted zero passes in a collegiate game. Minnesota is the only team in the nation that has all freshmen quarterbacks on the roster and is one of three teams - joining Kentucky and Nebraska - who do not have a quarterback who has attempted a pass.

Tonight's kickoff is set for 6:00 PM. Coverage on KROC AM begins at 5:00 PM.

More From KROC-AM