Best/Worst of MN Gophers Defense vs Rutgers

The Minnesota Gophers welcomed Greg Schiano’s Rutgers Scarlet Knights into Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday morning. After a bye week following the road loss against Cal, the goal was straightforward. Minnesota needed to exact revenge for their flop against Rutgers in New Jersey last season, and they needed to make Athan Kaliakmanis beat them.

Koi Perich was coming off the worst game of his collegiate career, and the Gophers couldn’t afford to see that trend continue. He turned in a mixed bag on Saturday, but the focus was back where it needed to be.

Danny Collins’ group as a whole left plenty to be desired though, and it put Minnesota in a tough spot early and often. They were on the field with the game on the line late, and they got the job done when it mattered most.

Athan Kaliakmanis returns to Dinkytown

Things weren’t pretty early for the Minnesota Gophers defense. Former coach and current Rutgers offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarocca dialed up a scheme for Athan Kaliakmanis and the pair rolled out of the gate. Minnesota’s defense couldn’t get anything going, and they found themselves in a 14-0 hole with the Rutgers quarterback starting a perfect 9-for-9.

I continue to be so impressed with the growth of Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis. Would not have been drafted in last year’s class. Now I’m not sure there’s a more accurate quarterback in the country. Stock has soared through the first half of this year pic.twitter.com/XVR1MThjlx

— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) September 27, 2025

For the first quarter-and-a-half of the contest Kaliakmanis looked like something that Minnesota never saw. He was accurate, making good decisions, and delivering on all the possessions.

The Scarlet Knights racked up a significant halftime advantage in terms of both plays run (+24) and time of possession (nearly nine extra minutes) because of their offense. Kaliakmanis made a poor decision on a bad interception thrown to Kerry Brown. Outside of that though, he had the unit rolling.

PICKED ‼️ @GopherFootball

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/5IjqpEP5y4

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 27, 2025

Minnesota’s missed tackles in the secondary were problematic for the entirety of the game. Rutgers running back Antwan Raymond rushed for 161 yards, and he routinely picked up more space after first contact.

When the Gophers got pressure, and they had a good amount with seven sacks, Kaliakmanis wilted. An opening-drive field goal block by Deven Eastern was huge, and the big plays were where Minnesota made up for the soft middle-ground.

Koi Perich looks right when staying focused for Gophers

Against Cal, Koi Perich looked human on a football field. That isn’t something he has experienced too often. This week the whole idea of moonlighting on offense was entirely thrown out the window. P.J. Fleck had his safety locked in on defense and allowed him to return kicks. It worked.

Welcome back, Athan. pic.twitter.com/zq1WEoHpSI

— Ted (@tlschwerz) September 27, 2025

Perich finished with 11 total tackles, including a sack and one for a loss. He absolutely, as Pioneer Press writer Andy Greder put it, smacked the shit out of Athan Kaliakmanis as well.

With Rutgers leading just seconds before halftime, Perich ripped off a 54-yard kick return that set up a field goal (ultimately missed) try for the Minnesota Gophers. With the offensive responsibilities no longer in his purview, he appeared to be his best self.

There was a missed tackle of Raymond on a 20-yard scamper late that could have saved Rutgers from going ahead 28-24. Still though, the day was much more good than bad for Perich.

The next test is a big one. Minnesota goes on the road to The Shoe. Perich and the defense will need to make further strides if they are going to keep Julian Sayin and the Buckeyes under wraps.