Darius Taylor News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/darius-taylor/ Minnesota sports, but different Mon, 08 Dec 2025 20:09:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg Darius Taylor News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/darius-taylor/ 32 32 Gopher Football’s Top NIL Earners Revealed https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/top-nil-deals-minnesota-gophers-football/ Mon, 08 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=74639 2025 was a disappoint season for the Minnesota Gophers. P.J. Fleck was starting a redshirt freshman quarterback, but heading into the season there was legitimate hope this team could win nine or ten games.

Not only did they win just seven, but Fleck got embarrassed by Iowa in his ninth season on the job, and they didn’t perform well against Northwestern, either. Minnesota is headed to the Rate Bowl against New Mexico in Phoenix, but the page needs to be flipped to 2026.

If the Gophers are going to be better next year, it will be because Drake Lindsey, Koi Perich, and Darius Taylor contribute in a big way. They aren’t going to be cheap to keep around, either, as the transfer portal will soon heat up.

MN Gophers spending big on key roster talent

The college sports landscape has changed amidst the introduction of NIL spending. Roster creating, especially in revenue generating sports, is not simply a byproduct of recruiting anymore. Dollars are attached to expectations, and Charley Walters revealed the substantial amount Minnesota will need to pay their stars.

It is expected to cost the Gophers at least $1 million to retain redshirt QB Drake Lindsey for his sophomore season next year. That would make him and 2016 junior defensive back Koi Perich at least a $2 million duo. Add Darius Taylor and the cost could exceed $3 million for trio.

Charley Walters – Pioneer Press

Drake Lindsey hardly set the world on fire this season. He completed 63.2% of his passes, with 16 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. At times, he looked every bit of a redshirt freshman. However, he also showed off his special arm talent, and there’s clearly a path for development.

Needing to pay a guy like Lindsey seven figures to retain his services is indicative of what college football has become, way too expensive… Minnesota will likely pony up for the Arkansas native who has always had a soft spot in his heart for the home state Razorbacks. It’s also probably helpful that his mentor, Vikings QB Max Brosmer is still in town.

Perich earned a hefty jump in NIL funds after leading the Big Ten in interceptions as a true freshman. The Minnesota native was nowhere near as noticeable this year, but he did record his first pick six. It seems logical he’ll be back, but the number will only increase.

Of the trio, Darius Taylor would seem to be the most expendable. An extremely talented running back, but rarely can be counted upon to remain on the field. Taylor played in just nine games for the Gophers while nursing a hamstring injury, and someone else paying for him to be injured on their sideline wouldn’t be the worst outcome.

Attendance still an issue for Minnesota Gophers

P.J. Fleck has the best recruiting class in history for the Minnesota Gophers for 2026. He held onto that talent despite the 7-5 record, but he’ll need to do much better in order to generate additional interest in the program. Walters added this about attendance for the Gophers:

Meanwhile, Gophers football attendance has decreased for a second straight season, averaging 46,519 for its seven games this year in 50,085-capacity Huntington Bank Stadium. The Gophers’ highest attendance average in history was 62,954 in 1957 at Memorial Stadium. The Metrodome years topped out at 60,985 in 1985; and the Huntington Bank Stadium high is 52,355 in 2015. During Fleck’s nine seasons at Minnesota, home attendance — excluding the abbreviated COVID 2020 season — has averaged 45,257.

Pioneer Press

When things are good at Huntington Bank Stadium, they can be really good. The problem is that Fleck has largely failed to sustain consistency. It might have seemed odd to storm the field after beating Nebraska, but it could have held more weight if the season trended in a positive direction.

At some point Fleck needs to reach a new level. He is 6-0 in bowl games at Minnesota, but has won less than nine games each of the past three seasons. An outlier 11-2 season with Tanner Morgan in 2019 is the high-water mark, and he’s shown zero semblance of returning to those heights since.

]]> Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:09:05 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Gophers Take Axe Lead in Snow https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/darius-taylor-john-nestor-wisconsin-badgers-win-paul-bunyan-axe/ Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:28:04 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=73642 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.

Credit: Kayden Kircher

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.

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.

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.

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.

]]> Sat, 29 Nov 2025 18:58:21 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Gophers Star RB Out for Real This Time https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/darius-taylor-injured-out-michigan-state/ Sat, 01 Nov 2025 17:55:29 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=70720 Last week the Minnesota Gophers went into Kinnick Stadium with a chance to emerge with a victory and likely top 25 ranking. Instead, P.J. Fleck failed to have his team ready and they were embarrassed in a 41-3 laugher.

Notably, Darius Taylor went unmentioned on the Minnesota availability report. He played just three snaps, took one carry, and then spent the rest of the day on the sideline. In the NFL, that sort of injury report manipulation earns you a hefty fine.

At least this week Fleck will be a bit more forthright about his star running back.

Darius Taylor out yet again for Minnesota Gophers

There are two very real truths about Minnesota Gophers star running back Darius Taylor. He is very good. He is also very injured. Taylor has made a habit of standing on the sideline, and his body consistently doesn’t agree with his desire to play. On Saturday against Michigan State, he will be unavailable once again.

Earlier this season, playing against a severely overmatched Northwestern State team, Taylor pulled his hamstring. He then missed games against Cal and Rutgers before returning against Ohio State. As has been the case throughout his career though, he hasn’t returned to a clean bill of healthy.

Last season Minnesota played 13 games, of which Taylor missed one. As a freshman, the Gophers also played 13, but Taylor factored into just six of them. Now playing their ninth game of the 2025 season, Taylor will have missed three.

Across six games, Taylor has turned 80 carries into 354 yards and a touchdown. His veteran presence in the backfield would certainly help redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey, but he has been consistently unreliable.

Minnesota is 4.5 point favorites against the Spartans, and a win would make them bowl eligible for the seventh straight full season. They can’t reach the heights possible before the season, but a solid showing is still on the table. It’s just unfortunate that Taylor continues to not be a part of it.

]]> Sat, 01 Nov 2025 12:55:33 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Gophers Hid Star RB Injury Against Key Rival https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/pj-fleck-hid-darius-taylor-injury-iowa-hawkeyes/ Tue, 28 Oct 2025 23:06:53 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=70468 Over the weekend P.J. Fleck took what may have been the worst paddling of his adult life. A spank down in Iowa City at the hands of Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes was on display for all to see. After a big win against Nebraska, his Minnesota Gophers came out flat and continually got punched in the mouth.

It seemed curious that the Hawkeyes were favorites by more than a touchdown with the teams owning identical records and both riding high. There was no question who asserted dominance by the end, and Fleck willingly went into the game with his star running back, Darius Taylor, looking questionable.

Darius Taylor injury now raises serious eyebrows for MN Gophers

The Minnesota Gophers kicked off against the Iowa Hawkeyes at 2:30 pm on Saturday. Fleck and his traditional “two hours before the game” injury report was provided at 12:30 pm. Here is what that looked like.

Not only is starting running back Darius Taylor not listed as questionable, not a single Gophers player was. The star running back played three snaps, he carried the ball one time for a single yard, and then spent the rest of the game on the sideline.

At halftime, Fleck said directly about Taylor that, “he won’t be back.” It was a curt response from a coach getting his tail kicked, but it was one that seemingly had already been predetermined.

Banking on Taylor to play at this point in his career is fruitless. Despite being uber-talented, he misses games every season, and the list of maladies is a mile long. He suffered a hamstring injury earlier this year, and has already been sidelined during his junior season.

Still, what happened in Iowa for the Gophers is inexcusable given the ramifications in this sports landscape. Fleck already safeguards his injury report to the tune of a final 120 minutes. Taylor was never going to be worth a touchdown swing on the spread, but knowing something was up, reporting nothing, and immediately rendering him unavailable was a goofy plan of attack.

There’s gambling issues at the NBA level, and problems with health reported at the NFL level. Minnesota needs no part of welcoming themselves into that realm as well. Maybe Taylor will be back against Michigan State or maybe he won’t. Hopefully Fleck, and the injury report, will be forthcoming with all players availability regardless.

]]> Tue, 28 Oct 2025 18:06:58 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Gophers Down Multiple Running Backs vs Rutgers https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/darius-taylor-aj-turner-injured-out-rutgers/ Sat, 27 Sep 2025 13:30:26 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=68926 Saturday morning the Minnesota Gophers take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. It’s a big game for P.J. Fleck and company for multiple reasons. His squad dropped the contest last season in New Jersey, and it’s the return of quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis to Dinkytown.

Minnesota is coming off a game against Cal that they should have won. The offense couldn’t get things going and star defensive back Koi Perich put up his first clunker of his career.

The Gophers are slight 3.5 point home favorites, but they’ll need to win without their top two running backs.

Taylor and Turner out for Minnesota Gophers

It was expected that Minnesota could be without star running back Darius Taylor. He didn’t play against the Cal Golden Bears. Unfortunately his replacement, A.J. Turner, suffered an injury in that game and is out as well.

Against Cal, Fame Ijeboi (16) and Cam Davis (15) led the Gophers backfield. That should be expected to continue on Saturday against Rutgers. Ijeboi rushed for 85 yards while Davis turned in 44 but had a touchdown.

Earlier this week 247 Sports’ Ryan Burns talked about the running back situation on Gopher Gridiron Radio. Fleck wasn’t willing to disclose the status of his running backs at the time, but we now know both top options are out.

It has been 21 days since Taylor suffered a hamstring injury against Northwestern State. Last season he returned 25 days after he had a hamstring injury. Minnesota is going to error on the side of caution in order to make sure he returns at 100%.

Burns suggests that Taylor could even sit against Ohio State next week if it gives him a clean slate to finish the season. Although Fleck hasn’t said anything, Burns said he believes Turner’s injury could be a “season-long one.” The Gophers have since confirmed that Turner is done for the year.

Turner transferred to Minnesota after accumulating 864 yards on 8.3 yards per carry last season with Marshall. He was supposed to be a dynamic option along with Taylor, and at worst his insurance policy. Losing him for the rest of the year is a significant blow.

The lack of top running backs means it’s time for someone to step up. The Gophers have a seemingly-capable quarterback in Drake Lindsey, and the skill position players need to support him. Minnesota is just 2-7 without Darius Taylor in the lineup, and that’s again something they’ll need to overcome on Saturday.

Kickoff is set for 11 am at Huntington Bank Stadium.

]]> Sat, 27 Sep 2025 09:46:21 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Star Playmaker Out for MN Gophers https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/darius-taylor-injury-doubtfull-cal-golden-bears/ Sat, 13 Sep 2025 13:40:34 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=68334 The Minnesota Gophers are 2-0 so far this season and Drake Lindsey has looked like a difference maker. Saturday night against the Cal Golden Bears though, he’ll face his toughest test yet.

P.J. Fleck’s team enters the contest as slight favorites. They are fresh off an absolute rout of overmatched Northwestern State. The 66-0 drubbing didn’t prove much but ten different players carried the football.

The running back depth is something that Fleck has spoken on this season, and it’s something he’ll need for the road test. It appears as though Darius Taylor won’t be in uniform for Minnesota.

Darius Taylor not expected to play for Minnesota Gophers

After an early pick-six put Minnesota on the board last week, the Gophers drove the ball down the field for their first offensive touchdown. Darius Taylor got the corner and looked to have a rushing touchdown. Instead, he hit the sideline and went down in a heap. Fleck said postgame the expectation was that Taylor avoided a serious injury. That doesn’t mean he was going to be ready this week.

Taylor being unavailable on Saturday for the Gophers is definitely a blow. It’s a long season though, and prioritizing his health for future contests makes sense.

Minnesota will instead run A.J. Turner as their lead back. The Marshall transfer has ran for 49 yards on 12 carries through the first two games. He also scored his first touchdown in a Minnesota uniform.

Last week freshman Grant Washington had a coming out party. The freshman turned 20 carries into 126 yards with a long of 16. Fellow freshman Fame Ijeboi ripped off 53 yards on his seven carries. Washington transfer Cam Davis was also in the mix and scored a touchdown.

If there’s someone with familiarity against Cal, it’s definitely the transfer Davis. He has 107 carries for 522 yards and a whopping 13 touchdowns with the Huskies in 2022. Before playing in the National Championship later that year, Davis led the backfield against Cal with 13 carries for 46 yards and a touchdown. His quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., plays the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night.

Related: Gopher Football Paying Out How Much Money to Players?

Fleck also has a diverse group of pass catchers that can help to shoulder the load in Taylor’s absence. Freshman Jalen Smith was the standout in Week 1 against Buffalo. Passing wasn’t much of a necessity last week against the Demons, but Kenric Lanier II led the group with 59 yards receiving.

Kickoff is set for 9:30 pm on Saturday. If Minnesota wants to achieve the heights they are capable of reaching this season, then tough road tests like this one need to result in a victory.

]]> Sat, 13 Sep 2025 08:40:36 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Gophers Star Avoids Serious Health Scare in Rout https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/darius-taylor-injury-update-pj-fleck/ Sun, 07 Sep 2025 01:49:58 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=68036 P.J. Fleck’s Minnesota Gophers came into their Week 2 matchup against Northwestern State knowing it could be a cakewalk. Of course the head coach was always going to go the route of a nameless, faceless opponent. That didn’t stop them from coming out and immediately setting the tone.

John Nestor read the first play of the game correctly and housed a 29-yard pick sick. Once the Gophers got the ball on offense, it wasn’t long before Darius Taylor got his turn.

Unfortunately, on his third carry of the game, Taylor hit a massive hole on the left edge and scampered 17 yards. He came up just shy of the end zone though, and something was wrong.

P.J. Fleck provides update on Darius Taylor

Taylor had the corner and could have turned up into the end zone. Instead, he looked to avoid contact and grabbed the back of his right leg as he went down in a heap. Postgame, head coach P.J. Fleck shared how much he cares for Taylor and all of his players. He noted that they seem to have avoided something more serious too.

“I really love my players. You hurt for the kid, anybody that gets hurt. You don’t immediately go to like, what are we going to do as a team? We have really good tailbacks. You immediately feel for the person because of everything that young person has been through, and what they invest in themselves, and how hard they work, and the time they spend in the training room to prevent those things. It’s football, it happens. It happened in the NFL game Thursday night, it happens in college football today. Injuries are part of our sport. They always will be. The test of time, they will always be that way. You have to be able to respond to it. That was my whole conversation more was, ‘hey, now you gotta go lead those young guys for right now.’

It doesn’t seem too bad, which was really good. We got a really good, positive diagnosis on that. We’ll see how the week goes as he goes through it. We weren’t going to put him back in the game, that’s for sure.”

P.J. Fleck on Darius Taylor’s injury

Losing Taylor for a substantial period of time would be a serious blow. Leg injuries are now new for Taylor and that’s what makes this latest one so tough.

As a freshman in 2023, Taylor led the Big Ten in rushing through six games before suffering a hamstring injury that ultimately cost him the final seven games. Last season, after a hamstring injury in practice, an aggravation kept him out of the season-opening loss to North Carolina.

Although Taylor played 12 games last season for the Gophers, he was listed as limited following the Rhode Island contest. That forced more action onto the shoulders of Marcus Major and Jordan Nubin.

Related: New MN Gophers Freshman QB Looks Special

After Week 1 against Buffalo, Taylor led the Big Ten in attempts with 30. He piled up 141 yards and turned four catches into 36 yards receiving. Minnesota feasted on the Demons Saturday, and Taylor could have put up gaudy numbers in limited action.

Gophers got key contributions to lean on moving forward

The line for Saturday’s contest against Northwestern State closed at 42.5. That seemed like a lot of points for a typically-conservative Fleck to be giving. They covered that in the first half, and Minnesota sat down starters before the second quarter ended.

Even had Taylor not gotten hurt, he was never going to play the full game. Minnesota saw rushing attempts from 10 different players, and they reeled off yards at a 5.6 yards per carry clip. Freshman Grant Washington paced the group with 126 yards on 20 carries. A.J. Turner, the Marshall transfer, found pay dirt for the first time as a Gopher and had 33 yards on six carries.

Fame Ijeboi also showed plenty of burst out of the backfield. Another freshman, he had 51 yards on just seven carries and ripped off a 14-yard gain. Ijeboi scored his first career touchdown on a 22-yard pass from Stillwater walk-on sophomore quarterback Max Shikenjanski.

As Fleck noted, the Gophers have a boatload of tailback and they’ll likely need all of them to contribute in the short term. It seems unlikely that Taylor would be ready to go next weekend against Cal. Getting him back on September 27 against Athan Kaliakmanis and Rutgers at home would be a great outcome.

]]> Sat, 06 Sep 2025 20:50:00 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football What We Learned About the Minnesota Gophers in Yet Another PJ Fleck Bowl Game Victory https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/minnesota-vs-virginia-tech-postgame-what-we-learned-mayo-bowl/ Sat, 04 Jan 2025 14:39:04 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=58809 Prior to Friday’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl matchup vs the Virginia Tech Hokies, it had been over 40 calendar days since the last Minnesota Gophers football game. Rest or rust? Both teams were going to put that sports tried and true sports question to the test.

Oddsmakers put their belief in the Gophers, who entered the Mayo Bowl as -10 point favorites. It did take a bit for Minnesota to shake off that aforementioned rust, but the Golden Gophers eventually returned the dominant bowl game team they usually are under PJ Fleck.

QB Max Brosmer didn’t win over any of the NFL scouts, in attendance tonight, completing 18-of-29 passes (62%) for 211 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. It’s only the third time in Max’s last eight games that he has finished with a completion percentage lower than 65%.

What We Learned: Minnesota Gophers vs Virginia Tech Hokies

But for most of the evening, the Gopher offense didn’t need Brosmer. Instead, they turned back to clock to a an offense that looked much more like what we have seen from Fleck’s Gophers, prior to the grad transfer QB’s arrival. And it worked.

PJ Fleck covered in Mayo: Duke's Mayo Bowl - Minnesota Gophers vs Virginia Tech Hokies
Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Throw in another great performance from a Minnesota Gophers defense (that was missing a handful of important pieces), and it was the maroon and gold who took home the Duke’s Mayo Bowl victory, moving PJ Fleck’s Bowl Game record at the University of Minnesota to 6-0. So… here is what we learned from the final Gopher football game of the 2024-25 season.

Darius Taylor is still him

It’s been an up and down season for Darius Taylor. He came into his sophomore season as the sole superstar-type talent on that side of the ball, after a freshman season that included three Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors and even more injuries.

Quickly, however, we all learned that the 2024 Minnesota Gophers offense was going to look completely different than offenses of Gophers past. After running the ball 71 times in the first two weeks, and averaging a brutal 2.75 yards per carry, PJ Fleck and Greg Harbaugh mostly abandoned the run for the rest of the season.

But not on Friday night vs Virginia Tech, where the Gophers turned back the clock and leaned into their phenom sophomore running back, Darius Taylor, handing him the ball 20 times, which he took for 113 yards (5.7 YPC) and a touchdown.

Michigan State transfer Jared Mangham, who hasn’t seen a lot of run all year, got 9 carries too. He took those carries for an impressive 57 yards (6.3 YPC) against a depleted Hokies front-seven that never really stood a chance, even with the Gophers offensive line missing their own key pieces on the offensive line.

Related: Minnesota Gophers Swipe Physical Freak WR (and Former Top 75 Recruit) from Big Ten Rival

But Darius Taylor does a lot more than run the football. His 4 receptions and 7 targets were both second on the team behind only WR Elijah Spencer, who had 6 receptions on 9 targets. Oh, and Taylor — who has already committed to returning to Minnesota next season — threw a touchdown, too. Because why not?

Taylor was injured for the Gophers first game of the season, vs UNC, but in the four games that followed, he never once topped 14 carries. Still, there were a few games this season where the offense leaned on him in a major way.

  • Oct 5 vs USC: 25 carries, 144 yards
  • Nov 2 vs Illinois: 22 carries, 131 yards, TD
  • Nov 29 vs Wisconsin: 32 carries, 143 yards

And whatever Darius Taylor didn’t get in carries, this year, he made up for with receptions. Brosmer found him 21 times in those four September games where he never reached 14 carries.

That included 10 receptions on September 29 vs Michigan. On the season, Taylor totalled 54 receptions and 350 yards receiving on the year, to go along with his 986 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.

Minnesota defense dominant again

What is there to say about the Minnesota Gophers defense? They lost their longtime defensive coordinator in the offseason, and never blinked. Friday night, Virginia Tech posted just 223 yards in total offense (149 pass, 74 rush) and ZERO 2nd half points.

Sure, the Hokie offense was missing a lot of players, but so was the Gopher defense, including starters (CB) Justin Walley, (LB) Cody Lindenberg (DL) Jah Joyner, and (S) Darius Green. But it didn’t really matter. Once Minnesota figured out what Va Tech was trying to do, the night was pretty much over.

None of this is new, though. The 2024 Minnesota Gophers have been one of the best in PJ Fleck’s coaching tenure at the U of M, and that is saying something because defense has been this program’s staple attribute since Joe Rossi took it over during the 2018 season.

There are still a few bowl games left to play. But as of Saturday morning, the Minnesota defense ranks 9th nationally in points allowed (16.9), 5th in total yards allowed (285.7), 12th in rush yards allowed (109.6) and 10th in pass yards allowed (176.1). That’s top 12 in every major defensive statistic on the books. They also ranked 29th in turnovers created per game (1.6).

Related: Lots of Minnesota Gophers Players are Planning to Sit Out Bowl Game

It was very concerning when Joe Rossi left for Michigan State. Before he took over, Robb Smith was fired for giving up nearly 40 points per game. If the Minnesota Gophers defense reverted back to that in 2024, they may not have won a game. Instead, in Corey Hetherman’s debut DC season, the defense never skipped a beat.

PJ Fleck mayo bath was as good as advertised

Finally, let’s get to what really matters. Everyone watching on Friday night wanted one thing (even the Virginia Tech fans I bet). We all wanted to see PJ Fleck take a Duke’s Mayo bath. The Hokies are dealing with all sorts of problems.

I can’t even tell you what their coach’s name is. But everyone knows and has an opinion on Fleck. So you’re damn right that’s the coach everyone wanted to see doused in tangy mayonaise. And when the clock expired and the Minnesota Gophers were 21-10 winners on the scoreboard, we all got what we came for.

And it was everything we could have imagined… and more. We even got Flava Flav, and a PJ Fleck “Yeeeeeaaaaahhh Boooiiiii” right before the vat of mayo was dumped onto his smooth, bald head.

]]> Sat, 04 Jan 2025 08:39:07 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Two Minnesota Gophers Football Stars Announce Return for 2025 Season  https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/gophers-football-news/koi-perich-darius-taylor-to-return-in-2025/ Sat, 07 Dec 2024 00:14:39 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=57977 The Minnesota Gophers wrapped up their regular season with a big win in Madison, claiming the Axe with a victory over the Badgers. Now, all eyes are on the bowl game, which will be announced this weekend.

Not every player will suit up for the bowl game, some will opt out to prepare for the NFL draft, while others are entering the transfer portal in search of a new program for next season. However, despite the usual roster changes, the Gophers have avoided much of the bad news so far. In fact, today brought some really good news for the program.

Minnesota Gophers stars Koi Perich and Darius Taylor announce 2025 return

After speculation about Koi Perich and Darius Taylor potentially exploring other options, the two players made a joint announcement today, confirming they’ll be sticking with the Maroon and Gold for next season. Both will remain in Dinkytown.

Both players took to social media today to announce they’re staying, following a new NIL deal with Roy, an innovative two-way marketplace. On Roy, fans can favorite players and support their favorite team’s athletes. Check it out here.

Koi Perich, just a freshman, had an incredible debut season. The Minnesota native is making a strong case for being the best freshman of the year, and according to PFF, he’s earned that title. Perich finished the season with 5 interceptions and an impressive 86.4 PFF grade, the highest of any freshman in the country.

Related: Minnesota Gophers Short on Running Backs After Two Upperclassmen Enter Transfer Portal

Darius Taylor, wrapping up his sophomore season, has continued to impress across the nation. With over 2,000 all-purpose yards in just two seasons. Taylor has proven himself as one of the top running backs in the country. Despite the temptation to transfer to a premier program, Taylor has chosen to stay in Minnesota, where he’s steadily climbing up the 2026 NFL Draft boards.

These two players are key figures in the Gophers program, and with PJ Fleck keeping them on the roster for next year, it could bring even more excitement and attention heading into the 2025 season.

]]> Fri, 06 Dec 2024 18:14:42 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football News Minnesota Gophers Football What We Learned About Bowl Bound Minnesota Gophers in Crucial Victory Over Illinois https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/minnesota-vs-illinois-what-we-learned-2024/ Sun, 03 Nov 2024 13:19:16 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=56871 The Minnesota Gophers entered their game vs No. 24 Illinois on Saturday with a massive opportunity in front of them. Win, and go 4-2 in Big Ten play, something that is about as rare as seeing the Gophers beat Bret Bielema (0-10 entering the day).

Oh, and a win vs Illinois would keep the Gophers’ College Football Playoff hopes alive, at 6-3 overall. Yeah, I said it. But it wasn’t going to be easy. The Fighting Illini came into this contest ranked, for a reason. This was a matchup of two Big Ten teams trying to prove that they belong in the new division-less Big Ten.

As Illinois vs Minnesota usually does, this contest came down to one final drive. With less than one minute remaining, the Illini were down eight points and driving. But then, EDGE Jah Joyner strip-sacked Illini QB Luke Altmyer, in Gophers territory. Danny Striggow recovered, Max Brosmer took a knee, and Minnesota won 25-17.

Minnesota still needs Darius Taylor

The first quarter was a battle of two defenses. The Illini might have been the first opponent of 2024 to focus on stopping Max Brosmer, which they did pretty successfully, throughout the first half. That’s why this turned into by far the most balanced offensive attack of the season for Minnesota.

In the first half, the Gophers rushed for 88 yards and passed for 99 yards. In the 2nd quarter, with Brosmer struggling to find open receivers, it was Darius Taylor who powered through tacklers and put Minnesota up by a touchdown, with this 29-yard scamper and score.

Max Brosmer, on the other hand, was just a bit off for much of the day. He was missing throws that he normally hits and hanging onto the football for far longer than what we have seen the past few weeks. Whatever the Illini were doing defensively, it worked, and Brosmer struggled to find open receivers for most of the afternoon.

But when the Gophers went down 17-16 in the 4th quarter, and needed Brosmer to get their lead back, he delivered, going 4-of-5 on the drive, for 61 yards and a touchdown. On the day, Brosmer finished 22-of-37 (59%) for 213 yards and 1 touchdown, but that one TD drive may have been the most important of the game.

Meanwhile, with Illinois keying on the Minnesota Gophers’ air attack, PJ Fleck hitched his wagon to running back Darius Taylor, in a way have not seen since last year, pre Max Brosmer. Taylor rushed 22 times for 131 yards and the one TD you saw above. He also caught 9 passes (on 9 targets) for another 58 yards, totalling 31 touches for 189 total yards offense.

If you want to be a college football playoff contender, you have to be flexible on offense. Minnesota proved, on Saturday, that they can run the ball, if you make it too difficult for them to pass it, something they hadn’t shown they were capable of, prior to this week.

Mark Crawford has the green light to fake punt

There have been a lot of questions surrounding the Minnesota Gophers special teams unit, over the years. But there was no denying how important they were in victory this week. Mark Crawford boomed some nice punts and Dragan Kesich returned to form, going 4-of-4 on FG attempts, including two that were over 40 yards.

But early in what would be a very eventful 4th quarter, punter Mark Crawford — who is 31-years-old — caught the snap, took a couple steps as if he was going to punt it. But then, he tucked it under his right arm, instead, and bolted toward the right sideline, which had a 1st down marker about 15 yards upfield.

Unfortunately… he only made it about 13 yards, before he was tackled and the ball was jarred loose. Instead of pinning the Illini deep in their own territory, they took over on Minnesota’s 35 yards line. They scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive, to take a 17-16 lead.

The broadcast, and most pundits on social media, chalked the fake punt up to a questionable PJ Fleck coaching decision. As it turns out, the only direction PJ gave Mark, before he took off running, was a green light months earlier.

Related: Accolades Raining Down on Gophers QB Max Brosmer

That’s right, Mark Crawford has Fleck’s trust to take off running any time he gets the right look, which is a punt return max protect, when most of the receiving team bails back toward their punter, to setup blocks down field. That’s what Illinois did Saturday. Crawford identified it, and took off. Unfortunately, this time around, he came up short.

The Minnesota Gophers have a shot at College Football Playoff

Saturday’s win moved the Minnesota Gophers to 6-3 on the season (4-2 in Big Ten). That means they are bowl eligible, with three games remaining on their regular season schedule. It would be surprising if they are not ranked in this week’s AP and Coaches Poll. At worst, they will get votes. The College Football Playoff Poll drops this week, too.

But the Gophers aren’t just bowl eligible, they are now a legitimate threat for the College Football Playoff. Yeah, that’s right. They’ve now defeated two ranked opponents (USC, Illinois). If they want any chance to do the impossible, and play in the first ever 12-team College Football Playoff bracket, they’ll need to add a third team.

Related: Minnesota Gophers LT Continues Climb Up Mel Kiper’s Big Board

After Minnesota plays Rutgers next week, they’ll get a bye before hosting No. Penn State, who lost a nailbiter to No. 4 Ohio State on Saturday. But if the Gophers can win out (@ Rutgers, Penn State, @ Wisconsin), it’ll be nearly impossible to leave them out.

Of course, this is Minnesota, where any talk of National Championships in college football became preposterous, post 1970. But with the expanded tournament, the Gophers have a shot. They have a really good defense, and the most balanced offensive attack in Fleck’s 8-year coaching tenure, possible ever, as long as Max Brosmer and Darius Taylor can stay healthy.

They should win against Athan Kaliakmanis and a floundering Rutgers football program next weekend, before they get two weeks to prepare for Penn State. Wisconsin, Minnesota’s final regular season opponent of 2024, is 5-4, 3-3 in conference play. It feels weird to talk about… but with only three games remaining, the Minnesota Gophers have a clear path to the CFP. That much is undeniable.

]]> Sun, 03 Nov 2024 07:23:02 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football