What We Learned About the Minnesota Gophers in Black Friday Dismantling of Wisconsin
The 6-5 Minnesota Gophers went into Madison on rivalry week needing a victory about as bad as any team in the country that didn’t have a bowl game or CFP spot on the line. One of those teams in need of a win, in order to become bowl eligible, was the Golden Gophers very well-known opponent, the 5-6 Wisconsin Badgers.
What unfolded at Camp Randall on Black Friday, a 24-7 Gophers beat down of the Badgers, was the culmination of two teams heading in completely opposite 2024 directions. Minnesota’s offense is starting to find its footing, with Brosmer at the helm, and their top 20 defense continues to get better week after week.
MINNESOTA IS BRINGING HOME PAUL BUNYAN'S AXE! pic.twitter.com/wYv4qFSoD7
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 29, 2024
Wisconsin, on the other hand, is not very good, and head coach Luke Fickell is struggling to keep his group together. After the rivalry week loss today, not only did they let Minnesota take Paul Bunyan’s Axe with them back to Dinkytown. But 2024 now marks the first time since 2001 that Wisconsin has finished below .500 (5-7), and outside of the NCAA bowl picture.
What We Learned: Minnesota Gophers vs Wisconsin Badgers
Brosmer looked sharp, Darius Taylor and the U of M offensive line was dominant and the defense didn’t allow the Badgers to do anything, through the air or on the ground. And of course, the Gophers were way better where it matters most, on the scoreboard.
So, here is what we learned in one of the most convincing Minnesota Golden Gopher football victories over a rival, in recent program history.
Max Brosmer is an NFL quarterback
Statistically speaking, Max Brosmer’s day does not stand out, compared to what he has stashed into box scores previously this season. He went 17-of-26 (65%) for 191 yards and 2 touchdowns. But those numbers do not do his performance any justice.
Max was in complete control all day, and his incompletions include some brutal dropped passes, that kept him out of the 200 yards club for rivalry week. But his PFF grades will say different, and so does the eye test. Max Brosmer digests the game like an NFL quarterback, and he’s getting better every day.
Daniel Jackson and Max Brosmer will both be drafted, come April. What a connection… #Gophers pic.twitter.com/jpBXSPs0qr
— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) November 29, 2024
I do not know where he will go, but at this point, I’d be surprised if there isn’t an NFL team next April that takes a chance on Brosmer, especially if he impresses at the Hula Bowl, and especially if he can draw a spot at the NFL combine.
In the 2024 regular season, Max Brosmer totalled 2,617 passing yards, on 250-of-374 (67%), 17 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Brosmer’s 2024 season currently stands as the 7th most prolific passing season in school history, in terms of yardage.
If Max can throw for 203 yards in the Gophers’ bowl game, he will rise all the way to No. 3 on the list, behind just Adam Weber’s 2007 campaign (2,895 yds) and Tanner Morgan in 2019 (3,253 yds). He’s also tied for 9th in touchdowns and easily holds the best completion percentage of any season… ever. It’s too bad we don’t get more time with him.
Darius Taylor is still a really, really good running back
It hasn’t been the sophomore season that Darius Taylor was hoping for, when he agreed to come back to Dinkytown, following one of the most impressive true freshman seasons of any running back in the country in 2023. Entering the final week of the regular season, Taylor had totaled just 730 yards, on 4.8 yards per carry, surpassing 100 yards on the ground in just three games all year.
Compare that to 2023, when he won three-straight Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards and totalled 799 rushing yards (5.8 YPC), in just 6 healthy games. But a closer look tells a much different story. In 2024, Taylor has found paydirt 9 times on the ground, vs just 5 rushing touchdowns last year.
Related: Two Minnesota Gophers Seniors Accept Hula Bowl Invitations
And with Max Brosmer throwing him the football, the sophomore star also showed off his pass-catching ability, racking up 48 receptions (2nd most on the team), 320 receiving yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. As a freshman, Darius Taylor caught just 11 passes for a total of 98 yards and 0 touchdowns.
But Black Friday vs the Badgers was about showing the college football world that the Minnesota Gophers still know how to run the football down your throat, when the opportunity presents itself. Taylor totaled 143 yards on 32 carries vs Wisconsin. He grabbed two more receptions too, for 13 yards (11 YAC).
P.J. Fleck on Darius Taylor: He's one of the best people you'll ever meet in your entire life. His Auntie and Grandma deserve a lot of credit for that. https://t.co/dV2IHAN3UV #Gophers pic.twitter.com/ci1NpKaHtS
— Nadine Babu (@NadineBabu) November 29, 2024
Even without 1st round pick Aireontae Ersery, who exited the game midway through the 1st quarter, Darius & Co complete dominated the Wisconsin Badgers front seven, totalling 183 yards on the ground. Backup running back Marcus Major took his two carries for 43 yards.
Wisconsin never stood a chance vs Minnesota (especially on offense)
Not only does the final score of today’s game look one-sided, so does most of the final stat sheet. The Minnesota Gophers racked up 374 offensive yards to Wisconsin’s 166 and controlled the football for 36 minutes to 24.
Most of the damage was done in the first half, where the Golden Gophers jumped out to a 14-0 halftime lead. At that point in the game, Minnesota had asserted itself as far-and-away the superior team, on both sides of the ball.
| 1st Half | MIN | WIS |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 14 | 0 |
| Total Yds | 202 | 43 |
| Rush Yds | 81 | 6 |
| Pass Yds | 121 | 37 |
| Avg Yds/Play | 6.3 | 1.6 |
Yes, the Golden Gophers played well on offense, especially in the first half on Friday’s game. But take a second to soak in those Wisconsin stats. Six rush yards in an entire half — only 37 pass yards — 1.6 yards per play. Those numbers are nearly impossible vs a Big Ten football team.
But there is a reason why the Minnesota Gophers defense was ranked 16th in points allowed (18.5) and 11th in yards allowed (302.3), both of which will get even better, after today’s win. It’s amazing that, even after Joe Rossi moved on, this might be the best defense since PJ arrived in Dinkytown.
The season that could have been…
This is a team that has felt on the cusp of a breakthrough, since the early weeks of the season. Anyone who has watched Minnesota Gophers football during the PJ Fleck era can easily see that Max Brosmer is the most talented quarterback he has had.
Related: Former Gophers Head Coach Tim Brewster Finally Gets His 2nd Chance
Unfortunately, an early-season hiccup vs North Carolina and devastating November loss vs Rutgers, ruined what should look like a step forward for this program. Combine those losses with Minnesota’s failure to close vs No. 4 Penn State and complete an epic comeback vs No. 12 Michigan (thanks refs), and the Gophers had to win a road rivalry game just to reach 7 wins in the regular season.
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