Gophers Take Axe Lead in Snow

The Minnesota Gophers entered this season believing nine or even ten wins were on the table. Instead they found themselves fighting just to reach six…or seven (IYKYK).

P.J. Fleck stumbled in several key moments, and a loss to Northwestern nearly sent the season off a cliff. But with The Axe on the line, and both Minnesota and Wisconsin tied in the all-time series, everything came down to a snowy showdown.

Fleck and company delivered a potentially season-saving win, and the Gophers head into bowl season with a 7-5 record.

Darius Taylor Handles Snow Game for Minnesota Gophers

With snow falling in droves at Huntington Bank Stadium, the Minnesota’s passing attack was never going to carry the day. Drake Lindsey completed 18 of 24 but for just 90 yards and a touchdown. Instead, it was running back Darius Taylor who powered the offense.

DT GOT LOOSE FOR 6️⃣! 🤩〽️ #RTB #SkiUMah #Gophers

📺 @FS1

pic.twitter.com/ZcBoHUXb9L

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) November 29, 2025

Taylor finished with exactly 100 yards on 19 carries, his third 100-yard performance of the season, and first since the tilt against Nebraska on October 17.

Keeping Taylor healthy has been a recurring challenge. A nagging hamstring injury limited him to 9 of Minnesota’s 12 games this season.

Taylor, now a junior, can return for another season under P.J. Fleck. If he does, a backfield tandem with transfer A.J. Turner could give Minnesota a dynamic one-two punch–if both can stay on the field.

Lockdown Defense Returns with John Nestor Healthy

For the last two seasons, John Nestor lived the defensive grind of playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes. After transferring to Minnesota this year, he has been the clear standout in Fleck’s secondary, and he showed it again Saturday.

It's TIPPED and PICKED 🙌@GopherFootball comes away with it! pic.twitter.com/OC9IdxO7uw

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 29, 2025

John Nestor gets his 2️⃣nd pick of the day 😤 @GopherFootball

📺: FS1 pic.twitter.com/QdtEUv9Kjx

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 29, 2025

Despite appearing in 20 games for Iowa, Nestor never recorded an interception. This season with Minnesota he has five, and two of them came on Saturday against the Wisconsin Badgers.

Quarterback play has doomed Wisconsin all year, and it did again in Minneapolis. Entering the day, Minnesota and Wisonson each had 63 wins in the rivalry, along with eight ties. With Nestor anchoring the defense, the Gophers claimed win No. 64, keeping The Axe in Dinkytown for another year.

PAUL BUNYAN’S AXE IS STAYING WHERE IT BELONGS‼️ 🪓#RTB #SkiUMah #Gophers pic.twitter.com/lRHPjHRjtZ

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) November 30, 2025

The victory was significant for another reason: Fleck completed the program’s first perfect home season since 1967. Road matchups delivered Minnesota its losses, but Huntington Bank Stadium remained a true advantage.

It remains unclear whether Fleck will factor into the coaching carousel this offseason. UCLA made a serious push, and Arkansas could attempt to lure both Fleck and Drake Lindsey. For now though, it’s bowl season, and Fleck will aim to move to 7-0 in postseason contests with the Gophers.