PISCATAWAY – Athan Kaliakmanis spent three years in a Minnesota Golden Gophers uniform before transferring to play for the Rutgers football team, but the quarterback on Tuesday insisted the Scarlet Knights’ upcoming game against his old program doesn’t carry any extra meaning.

“I approach every week the same,” Kaliakmanis said. “Preparation and just following my routine.”

Still, this is an important game.

Kaliakmanis and Rutgers will be trying to snap a four-game losing streak when they host the Golden Gophers on Saturday at SHI Stadium (noon, NBC) as they return from their second and final bye week of the season.

“I’ve got a lot of friends there that I still keep in touch,” Kaliakmanis said. “I had a great time there. Respect to the coaches there. I’m just focused on where I’m at now, making friends here. I’m super grateful for the opportunity I had there but I’m super grateful for the opportunity I have here.”

It won’t be an easy game – Minnesota has one of the nation’s top-ranked defenses, led by defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman, who was the Scarlet Knights’ linebackers coach the previous two years. The Golden Gophers have a plus-12 turnover margin.

“They’ve very disciplined,” Kaliakmanis said. “They take the ball away. They’re where they’re supposed to be when they need to be there. They’re super well-coached.”

Kaliakmanis has a deep knowledge of the Golden Gophers’ defense and their personnel, but he said that won’t necessarily give him a significant advantage on Saturday.

“I wouldn’t say just me knowing them is a big advantage at all,” Kaliakmanis said. “You change as a player. I think I’ve completely changed as a player since last year. Yeah, I played with those guys but people change, there’s new players there. A lot of new things there, and they play really well.”

Kaliakmanis had an up-and-down stint with Minnesota. He made 17 starts with the Golden Gophers, going 8-9. Last season he went 156-of-294 passing (53.1 percent) for 1,838 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Transferring to Rutgers allowed him the chance to reunite with offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, who was previously the OC at Minnesota and recruited Kaliakmanis.

Kaliakmanis this season has helped the Scarlet Knights offense improve considerably. He’s 131-of-242 passing (54.1 percent) for 1,650 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions.

He said he’s grown a lot since his time with Minnesota.

“Just overall as a quarterback I think my game has progressed,” Kaliakmanis said. “From the film room to constantly learning over the season and seeing new things and applying what I’ve learned.”

But going up against his former teammates on Saturday?

Kaliakmanis isn’t expecting it to feel strange.

“I miss a lot of those guys, but I wouldn’t say it’s going to be weird,” Kaliakmanis said. “I went against them every day in practice too for three years. I wouldn’t say I’m focused on that either, to be honest. Just staying where my feet are and preparing.”

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers football: What Athan Kaliakmanis said about facing Minnesota