Minnesota Gophers vs Iowa Hawkeyes on NBC Primetime

The date, according to Brett McMurphy (Action Network), is set for the night of September 21. Not only will it be the first primetime game of the season on NBC, but it will be Minnesota’s first Big Ten game of the year, as well.

NBC’s preferred primetime lineup sources told @ActionNetworkHQ

Sept 21 Iowa at Minnesota
Sept 28 Illinois at Penn St
Oct 5 Michigan at Washington
Oct 12 Ohio St at Oregon
Oct 19 Iowa at Michigan St
Oct 26 Penn St at Wisconsin
Nov 2 USC at Washington
Nov 9 FSU at Notre Dame
Nov…

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) June 3, 2024

Despite a losing 5-7 record regular season record, the Golden Gophers landed a bowl game at the end of 2023, thanks to their academic excellence, defeating Bowling Green in the Quick Lane Bowl.

Now, with a new quarterback under center, in New Hampshire transfer Max Brosmer, PJ Fleck will get an immediate opportunity to show how good his 2024 squad is.

For the Minnesota diehards!

Here's some more throws from today's #Gophers pro day ft new QB Max Brosmer
(cause I know y'all want them) 😉. pic.twitter.com/MTMtEWpDPv

— Kane Rob (@GophersKaneRob) March 14, 2024

The Big Ten has a substantially different look entering this fall, as four teams from the Pac-12 join the new 16-team super conference. You can bet that long-running rivalries, like the one between Minnesota and Iowa will continue to reign supreme though.

Related: Minnesota Gophers QB Max Brosmer Makes Senior Bowl Watch List

The Big Ten opener vs Iowa won’t be the Gophers’ first quality opponent of 2024, but a Drake Maye-less North Carolina in week one, followed by matchups vs Rhode Island and Nevada in weeks two and three should give the Gophers a solid chance at 3-0 entering this primetime conference opener.

Minnesota vs Iowa – Who ya got?

Iowa struggled mightily to score points last season, and they relied on a stingy defense to elevate them. Tim Lester has been installed as the new offensive coordinator for the Hawkeyes and Michigan transfer Cade McNamara will attempt to show something other than ineptitude at the quarterback position.

Related: Iowa Fan Holds Sign at World Series Reading “It Wasn’t a Fair Catch”

Expecting better than a 12-10 result would be nice to see for the Gophers, and NBC certainly is hoping to produce a more exciting game. There is a level of hype surrounding Minnesota this season, but they’ll need to come out strong if they want to live up to expectations.

COOPER DEJEAN! IOWA HAS GONE MAX IOWA AND GETS A PUNT RETURN TD TO LEAD 16-12!!! pic.twitter.com/35yge5ww7h

— Stretch Facts (@Stretchfacts) October 22, 2023

On the contrary, everyone watching was left shocked when the return was called back, not because DeJean stepped out of bounds, which is what we all thought was the reason for the elongated replay session between officials. Instead, it was ruled at he signaled for a fair catch, thus ruling the ball dead as soon as he touched it.

Refs rule this was a fair-catch call, which negates Iowa’s go-ahead punt return touchdown with 90 seconds left in the game. pic.twitter.com/0wER8ryyYN

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) October 21, 2023

After a Gopher interception ended the game at 12-10 a few plays later, and Minnesota took Floyd of Rosedale from Kinnick for the first time since 1999, the postgame conversation turned to DeJean’s nullified punt return.

Related: Fleck Finally Beats Ferentz the Hawkeye Way – 3 Takeaways from Minnesota vs Iowa

Cooper DeJean invalid fair catch?

After review, there’s really no doubt DeJean waved his left arm and pointed at the football, prior to catching it. The pointing didn’t signal anything to referees.

The waving, however, signaled an “invalid fair catch”, which means the ball is dead when he touched it. The head official gave his explanation to a pool reporter, following the final whistle. The rule, itself, is pretty clear as well.

“If you look at the video you’ll see that. That waving motion of the left hand constitutes an invalid fair catch signal. So when the receiving team recovers the ball, by rule it becomes dead.”

“That is a reviewable element of the game. We let the play run out and then when we went to review, review shows with indisputable evidence that there is a waving motion with the left hand. And that is when these rules are applied.”

Big Ten Referee – Tim O’Dey (via Pioneer Press)

So, while shocking and obviously disappointing for Iowa fans, coaches and players… the ruling was correct and, after explanation, pretty easy to understand.

Kirk Ferentz cries foul on called back punt return

But don’t tell that to Iowa head coach, Kirk Ferentz, who couldn’t talk about anything after the game without going back to the referees and that final ruling that DeJean called for an invalid fair catch. It was like someone had been lying to him about the sky being blue his entire life, even inviting the NCAA to fine him for bad-mouthing officials.

Might have all-time press conference coming from Kirk Ferentz.

Here’s how it started…

If the Big Ten fines him for whatever he’s about to say, I’ll start a fundraising effort to match every dollar and send it to the Univ of Iowa Children’s Hospital, too. #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/RJoy61iWir

— Cody Hills (@ByCodyHills) October 22, 2023

“Most people, when they run, their arms do wave,” Ferentz said. “So if you looked at the video, it looked like he was naturally running to the football and then just made a great play. One of the best ones I’ve ever seen.” Ferentz mentioned multiple times that the coaching staff goes over fair catch procedure “with the officials each and every time” before the game.

“Above the head, wave,” Ferentz said. “And we also cover point to the ground for an errant kick, which there were several of those today.” He maybe “slept through the meeting” where the conference explained where the replay decisions get made. The Big Ten has a replay review center in Pittsburgh to assist with the process.

“I’m still not sure who makes the final decision,” Ferentz said. “I know we go to Pittsburgh for analysis. And my theory there is the more people get involved, probably the more screwed up things are.”

John Steppe – Iowa Gazette

Kirk Ferentz is one of two things…

There may not be a better taste than Iowa Hawkeye tears, after a loss the the Minnesota Gophers that puts their hopes and dreams of another Big Ten West title in danger.

Related: 2023-24 Minnesota Gophers Football Schedule

It’s ok to be upset but all Ferentz’ postgame press conference did was prove he is either (a) blind or (b) a sore loser. He’s 68 years old so I’m not ruling out either possibility.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

PJ Fleck’s Minnesota Gophers 0-6 vs Iowa Hawkeyes

But recently, the Gophers have been starved of the essential protein that bacon provides a football program. The last time Minnesota beat Iowa was November 8, 2014, a 51-14 shellacking at Huntington (then TCF) Bank Stadium.

It gets worse. The last time the Gophers won in Iowa City, where the game is this weekend, was November 20, 1999. That’s nearly 2.5 decades ago, for those counting. If Minnesota were to win on Saturday afternoon, it would be the first time ~1/3 of the fan base has seen the Gophers raise Floyd at Kinnick Stadium. PJ Fleck vs the Hawkeyes: 0-6

Related: Gophers Darius Taylor Expected to Play vs Iowa

For casuals looking in from afar, an upset in Kinnick this weekend seems unlikely. The 2023 Hawkeyes are 6-1, ranked #24 in the country and coming off of a win, on the road, over the Wisconsin Badgers just 7 days ago. Meanwhile, the 3-3 Gophers are coming off a bye week, which they needed after losing three of the four Saturdays prior.

Closer look says Iowa is fraudulent (yet again)

But a closer look tells another story. Iowa’s starting quarterback Cade McNamara, who was brought in from the transfer portal as the answer to their offensive problems, is out. His replacement, Deacon Hill, isn’t good.

The Hawkeyes are also missing their top two running backs and top two tight ends. Oh, and the Iowa offensive line is not the rock-solid future NFL laden group it’s been in past matchups.

Let’s face it, when your biggest weapon is a punter, like Tory Taylor is for Iowa… your team probably has some question marks. You’ll notice Taylor Saturday, when he’s pinning the Gophers deep or flipping fields every time he kicks a football. Future pro? Yes. Feature weapon? He’s still a punter.

Per usual, Iowa has a great defense, ranking 27th in the country in yards allowed and 10th in points allowed. But much like what we’ve seen in past years, Iowa has a whole lot of fraudulence to them. Without a doubt, the Hawkeyes are one of the most beatable one-loss teams in the country.

The sports books agree. Iowa enters Saturday as 3.5 point favorites against a very underwhelming Gophers team. At home, that’s a pretty embarrassing pick-em for the #24 ranked team in the nation.

Fleck Wants Minnesota Gophers to beat Iowa the Iowa way

The obvious formula for victory vs the Hawkeyes is to get up early and make their 133rd ranked offense play from behind. Just in case you weren’t aware, 133rd is last among all college FBS programs.

Iowa’s playbook. pic.twitter.com/yLhR2mN531

— Ed Podolak’s Mustache (@edsstache) October 19, 2023

But there’s one problem with that. PJ Fleck is the Minnesota Gophers head coach, and for whatever reason, he is convinced that Hawkeye head coach, Kirk Ferentz, is the boogeyman. Thus, whenever the two coaches meet, PJ plays scared and the Gophers lose.

Fleck runs the ball vs Iowa until forced to pass and, even then, will shy away from aggressive opportunities downfield, in favor of risk-free air attempts that may or may not move the chains. He’s under the impression that the only way to beat Iowa is to completely avoid mistakes and that leads to the fear he operates with vs the Hawkeyes.

You could smell his fear through your TV screens in the last two match-ups between these Big Ten West rivals, a 27-22 Gopher loss at Kinnick in 2021 and a 13-10 loss at Huntington Bank Stadium last fall. Combined the past two seasons, Minnesota out-gained the Hawkeyes 818 to 557 in total yards and completely dominated time of possession, 75 minutes to 45 minutes.

Related: Gophers Top 2024 Football Commit Koi Perich Moves into National Top-100

But, Fleck & Co refused to grab control of either game and the Minnesota offense failed to turn good offensive possessions into touchdowns. Last year, the Gophers ran for 312 yards on an Iowa defense that did not have an answer for Mo Ibrahim, until late in the 4th quarter, when he fumbled at the goal line and spoiled another chance at ending their losing streak vs Iowa.

What if PJ Fleck’s approach is wrong?

Mo’s unfortunate and unlikely fumble, again, begs to question… why rely on conservative, flaw-free football, to beat Iowa? Fleck might believe the only way to beat the Hawkeyes is playing mistake free football but I’d challenge him to consider whether or not that theory is actually true.

Yes, Iowa wins games by forcing other teams to make mistakes, using defense and a consistent edge in the field position battle to wear down opponents. But isn’t playing ultra conservatively and doing everything seemingly possible to avoid those mistakes playing right into their hands?

We are talking about the worst offense in college football. Even if you throw it to the Iowa defense for two pick-6’s, it’s far from a sure bet they parlay those 14 defensive points into 20 points total in that game. There should be no reason to play scared vs one of the most offensive inept football schools of the 21st century, no matter how good their punter is.

We know one thing for sure. PJ Fleck is 0-6 vs Iowa trying to be perfect.

📂 Documents
└📁 University of Minnesota
└📁 Gopher Football
└📁 PJ Fleck Era
└📁 Wins vs Iowa
└⚠️ This folder is empty.

— Slater (@SlaterKinnick_) October 16, 2023

You had success on the ground in each of the past two seasons, so you have figured something out against the Iowa defensive front. Don’t be afraid to use that, especially with the phenom freshman, Darius Taylor, expected to return after missing two weeks with an injury.

Related: PJ Fleck Pleads Gophers Fans and Boosters for More NIL Money

But there should be no reason to fear running a play action, off that rushing success, every once in awhile, especially knowing they are going to enter the match up geared to stop you from running the ball.

In the end, PJ Fleck will probably PJ Fleck

I highly doubt, however, that we will see an aggressive Minnesota offense on Saturday, no matter how much sense you or I think it makes. The only way Fleck wants to beat the boogeyman is with fear. And maybe he can still win that way. As mentioned earlier, he probably should have won last year, even with just 85 yards of passing on the night.

But one thing we are unlikely to see is the Gophers getting out to an early lead where the horrible, no-good Hawkeye offense has to function properly in order for them to win. I wasted my time begging PJ to be more aggressive for too many years in a row. I have simply lost faith in him having the testicular fortitude to be aggressive vs Iowa.

Thus, we’ll probably have to hope that Darius Taylor goes off for 250 yards and can find his way into the endzone multiple times in the process. Then, pull out a 19-13 mud throwing festival.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

It wasn’t for a lack of time or open receivers. His offensive line played way better than they did last week vs Illinois and, from the press box, I saw available Gophers down the field all day long. Morgan either didn’t see them or was too afraid to throw the ball. But you didn’t have to be there or even watching to know how terrible it was. Not if you were on social media.

Sad to see what's become of Tanner Morgan, honestly. Mike Sanford Jr. has absolutely ruined him.

— The Daily Gopher (@TheDailyGopher) November 13, 2021

In case you want to know how Tanner Morgan’s season is going…guys are wide open and he still can’t make the throw. #Gophers pic.twitter.com/gCBrXNM0fr

— Alex McIntyre (@Alex_J_McIntyre) November 13, 2021

Tanner Morgan is so brutal. Imagine if the Gophers had a QB who could either run or throw accurately…

— Phil Mackey ???? (@PhilMackey) November 13, 2021

Of course, there were other issues for the Gophers. Their wide receivers dropped a few passes and so did the defense whenever the Iowa QB tried to throw them the ball. But it’s Morgan who deserves the biggest piece of blame pie. Outside of one miracle throw, a 68-yard bomb to Chris Autman-Bell late in the 4th quarter, Tanner was mostly terrible vs the Hawkeyes.

PJ Fleck doesn’t see it (apparently)

But don’t tell that to PJ Fleck, who after the game refused to place any blame on Tanner Morgan. He was willing to point the finger everywhere else, especially his wide receivers for whatever reason, but had no idea his QB played poorly. I don’t know. Maybe he’s watching a different game than we are.

PJ Fleck still refuses to admit that Tanner Morgan is playing like shit. He loves to blame his receivers tho… #Gophers pic.twitter.com/v4ESdqX9f7

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) November 14, 2021

Fleck can say whatever he wants about Morgan when he has a microphone in front of his face but the offense’ frustratingly cautious approach tells us how he really feels. PJ does everything in his power to make sure Tanner doesn’t have to win them the game.

That’s why the offense continuously stalled out for field goals on Saturday. When they needed a decent throw from the QB, he couldn’t make it, instead settling for check downs short of the sticks. Or, in the final couple of drives, taking bad sacks.

Big dreams crushed

A win in Iowa City would have put the Minnesota Gophers into the Big Ten West driver’s seat and just two more victories away from a meeting with the East champion in Indianapolis on December 4. Instead, they’ll again watch from home and PJ has nobody to blame but himself (and his QB).

I know Tanner Morgan is a great leader and an even better human. But those two things don’t qualify him as a good quarterback.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan