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.

"GAME. SET. MATCH." 🗣️@GopherFootball forces a fumble at the end to seal the win ✅#B1GFootball on FS1 📺 pic.twitter.com/nyp8Rb07PO

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 2, 2024

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.

Darius Taylor finds the end zone for @GopherFootball 😤#B1GFootball on FS1 📺 pic.twitter.com/X67GjUeWzl

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 2, 2024

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.

▶️ 22 car.
▶️ 131 yds
▶️ 1 TD
▶️ 9 rec.
▶️58 yds

Darius Taylor was a busy man in @GopherFootball's win at No. 24 Illinois.#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/hbdRAjGmct

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 2, 2024

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.

Fake Punt stopped by Collin Dixon ‼️

The Gophers go for it but @IlliniFootball comes up with the stop 👀#B1GFootball on FS1 📺 pic.twitter.com/jRfhrMCCP6

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 2, 2024

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.

WATCH: @GopherFootball coach P.J. Fleck details Mark Crawford's fake punt try that almost worked in today's 25-17 #Gophers win at Illinois.

If they get the right look, it's Crawford's call to take off with the ball. pic.twitter.com/SoFNgkf8PV

— FOX 9 (@FOX9) November 2, 2024

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.

Minnesota has now:

• won 4 straight games
• covered in 5 straight games
• reached a bowl game in the last 6 FULL years
• started 6-3 or better in 4 of the last 5 FULL years

The Gophers are ROLLING. pic.twitter.com/TnGAd9ljwe

— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) November 2, 2024

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.

Today, long-time Pioneer Press writer Charley Walters provided some thought-provoking information about the Gophers’ standing within the Big Ten in terms of their NIL budget, and how it compares to the riches NIL teams in the Big Ten.

Minnesota Gophers are way behind top Big Ten schools in NIL funding

Hint: It’s not good. According to Walters, the Gophers find themselves operating with just a quarter of the NIL resources that the two most well-funded schools, Purdue and Illinois, are operating with, which he is being told is $2.5 million.

Purdue and Illinois are said to have the Big Ten’s largest men’s basketball NIL budgets, about $2.5 million a year. Insiders say the Gophers’ men’s basketball NIL budget is barely one-fourth of that.

Charley Walter – Pioneer Press

In the modern landscape of collegiate sports, it’s increasingly evident that a substantial financial foundation in NIL cash is essential for any team aspiring to maintain competitiveness. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the prestigious Big Ten conference, widely recognized as one of the most prominent and competitive leagues in all the NCAA.

Walters highlights the disparity between the financial resources allocated to Ben Johnson and the Gopher basketball program for NIL deals. If he is right, that means Minnesota’s NIL budge sits at around $625,000 per year, which tells us why they’ve been losing kids to big NIL dollars elsewhere this offseason.

Related: Charlotte PG Lu’Cye Patterson Transferring to Hometown Gophers

Given this information, it shouldn’t be surprising that Purdue and Illinois have both made runs to the Elite 8 in recent seasons. More money = More talent = (usually) More wins

It’s unclear whether the basketball program should seek additional NIL partners, but they definitely need to come up with a solution fast. If not, recruiting might become nearly impossible.

Because since then, Minnesota has won three-straight over Rutgers, Nebraska and Northwestern; and the Illini lost two of three in that same timeframe. Now suddenly, the Gophers find themselves in a four-way tie for first place atop the West.

Who is going to win the Big Ten West? pic.twitter.com/SRsa3VupVa

— 247Sports (@247Sports) November 13, 2022

Gophers Path to Big Ten West Supremacy

So the obvious questions must now be asked. What is the path for Minnesota? How likely is it that they actually come out on top of the division?

Well, the answer isn’t as complicated or unlikely as you might expect. PJ Fleck & Co do not hold their own destiny, yet. Still, their chances of playing in Indy in a few weeks are exponentially better and more plausible than before games kicked off yesterday.

First thing is first; the Gophers have to win out. That means victories over Iowa (home) and Wisconsin (away) to finish the season. Those wins, while simultaneously keeping Minnesota in the race, would eliminate the Hawkeyes and Badgers from contention.

That would leave Illinois and Purdue as the other two contenders. And both would have to find losses in one of their final two games, as well.

For you people looking for what has to happen for “X” Big Ten West team to win the West

Here’s all the scenarios with two weeks to go, courtesy of @WesleyJ_14 pic.twitter.com/dKCsinX3pK

— Ryan Burns (@RyanBurnsMN) November 13, 2022

Can That Happen?

To recap, Minnesota must win both of their final two games, while Purdue and Illinois both lose one of their final two. Should those three things happen, the Gophers are heading to Indy to play in their first-ever Big Ten Championship game.

How likely is that to happen, you ask? Well, losing shouldn’t be a problem for the Illini, who faces #3 Michigan at the Big House next week. If Illinois pulls that one out (they won’t), they deserve the West.

Purdue, on the other hand, has a much easier path. The Boilermakers’ remaining schedule features conference bottom feeders, Northwestern and Indiana. And on paper, those should be Boiler victories.

But, as we’ve learned many times throughout this season, nothing is guaranteed in the Big Ten West. And while it’s difficult to imagine a Purdue loss vs Northwestern next week, it’s easier to see them losing at in-state rival, Indiana, to close the season.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The oddsmakers and millions of gamblers pushing the line on this weekend’s game, however, have no interest in such context. What started as Minnesota (-3.5) earlier this week, has now moved all the way to Minnesota (-7), at certain sportsbooks. That’s right. Touchdown favorites ON THE ROAD.

Not only are the Gophers playing a ranked team on the road. But that ranked team’s 2nd-year head coach, Bret Bielema, is 8-0 in his career vs Minnesota. That includes an upset win over the Gophers last season. A loss that cost Minnesota a chance to play in the Big Ten Championship. Earlier in his coaching career (2006-2012), Bielema was 7-0 vs the U of M as Wisconsin’s head coach.

What do the sportsbooks know?

Really, I cannot justify what’s transpiring in Vegas, regarding the ridiculous lines/spreads on this game. I do believe the Gophers will win on Saturday and I’ll tell you why in the paragraphs below. Still, there’s no justifiable reason for Minnesota to be a touchdown favorite going into this game. It’s straight-up disrespect against Bielema’s Illini.

Illini starting QB, Tommy DeVito is questionable to play. That’s part of it. DeVito (1163 YD, 9 TD, 2 INT) has been a great compliment to Illinois’ dominant rushing attack.

It’s possible that bettors and oddsmakers see the Illini defense, which has been the team’s biggest strength so far, as built on a house of cards. They’ve held opponents to just 8 PPG on the season but 2/3 of their big ten schedule, so far, has consisted of teams that suck at offense (Wisconsin, Iowa).

Slow Chase Brown

And if the Fighting Illini aren’t fighting out a close game or playing with a lead, they could be in trouble because their offense revolves around star running back, Chase Brown, who has already amassed 879 yards and 4 TDs on the season.

If the Minnesota Gophers defense can slow Brown and the offense can expose Illinois’ defense as statistically overrated… then Vegas might end up right. But that’s a lot of if’s for a spread like what we’re seeing in this game.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The mission: Beat the Illini and move onto next week’s matchup against Iowa with a possible chance to take command of the West. Unfortunately, the weather was the best part of the day if you were cheering for the maroon and gold.

The Gophers got the football to start the game and it only took two Tanner Morgan throws for everything to go horribly wrong. Daniel Jackson was his target but the ball didn’t make it past the line of scrimmage before it was batted into the air and intercepted.

Illinois would score a touchdown on their short field, stop Minnesota again and then score another TD. Just like that, it was 14-0 halfway through the 1st quarter.

Touchdown ???????????? Reiman ???? to bring @IlliniFootball up 1️⃣4️⃣ @ Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/GfwLpKSF69

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 6, 2021

Where’s the offense?

From there, the home-team defense bore down and found whatever remedy they needed to slow the Illini, who wouldn’t score another point all game. The problem though, neither would the Gophers. Until late in the 4th quarter.

Minnesota finally gave up on the run and tried to mount a late rally, using Tanner Morgan’s arm to drive the length of the field and score a touchdown with just 4:49 remaining on the clock. Of course, Matthew Trickett missed the following extra point, making it an 8-point Illinois lead (14-6). It’s worth noting that Trickett also missed from 45 yards out in the first half. It wouldn’t matter.

The defense did get the ball back for the offense but it took way too much time. After one big play to Dylan Wright, Tanner Morgan finished the game by throwing his second interception. The final offensive stats were brutal, to say the least.

"Siri, What does 'anemic' mean?"

Siri:

Morgan: 15/28 | 180 YD | 0 TD | 2 INT
Ky + Buck: 21 CAR | 86 YD | 0 TD

Total #Gophers Points: 6

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) November 6, 2021

Now, the Minnesota Gophers will go to Kinnick Stadium still licking their wounds from this weekend.

Saturday’s loss far from dooms the Minnesota Gophers’ chance at a Big Ten West Championship, but it would be difficult to see that happening after what unfolded on the field today. Iowa, Purdue and Wisconsin all play this afternoon.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The maroon and gold are 14.5 point favorites at home against the Illinois Fighting Illini. If they can dispose of Brett Bielema’s blue and orange, they’ll head to Iowa City next weekend with a 7-2 (5-1) record, a chance to take a stranglehold on the Big Ten West and possibly choke out the last hopes the Hawkeyes have at their second-ever West title.

Iowa needs to win out, including beating Minnesota, and hope Minnesota then beats Wisconsin. Minnesota and Wisconsin control their own destiny, and play each other. That’s the Big Ten West race, right?

— BiggerTen (@BiggerTen) November 2, 2021

Pump the breaks

But, if we learned anything from the Bowling Green loss earlier this year, it’s that point spreads in college football mean nothing. Fleck preaches his “one game season” approach as an exaggerated version of what every good sports (or life) coach has been teaching for decades.

Thinking about the future and losing focus on the present is a recipe for letdown. On Saturday, the Minnesota Gophers will lose to the Fighting Illini if they look ahead to next weekend vs Iowa. That’d be a bad look fresh off a new PJ Fleck contract extension.

Running on eggshells

There’s one other focus vs Illinois this weekend, beyond winning. The Minnesota offense relies on a lot of production out of its run game, which has worked out for PJ and many of his predecessors. But what happens when you lose three of your six running backs to injury and then another enters the transfer portal?

In Fleck’s case, you’re very glad the two freshmen backs remaining, Mar’Keise Irving and Ky Thomas, have the talent and maturity to perform at a high level, this early in their careers. Oh, and you try to protect them at all costs.

We know PJ and his offensive coordinator, Mike Sanford, prefer a bell cow back in their offense. But with just two guys remaining, plans might need to change. Even if it means moving some pieces around.

O Captain! LeCaptain! pic.twitter.com/lCMZkWT7Vw

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) October 31, 2021

That’s Derik LeCaptain, who the Gophers have converted from linebacker to running back because of their emergency situation. Defensive back, Jordan Nubin, has also joined the emergency crew in the RB room. LeCaptain proved, in that ridiculous run last week, that he’s up for the challenge. But, LeCaptain and Nubin aren’t the only relief the Minnesota coaching staff can provide Mar’Keise Irving and Ky Thomas vs Illinois or going forward.

More from Tanner Morgan

Using 5th-year senior quarterback, Tanner Morgan, more often has been a talker since the beginning of the season and I’ve written that blog way too many times. To Fleck’s credit, he hasn’t really needed Morgan to win him a game yet this season. But relying so much on the ground game has also proven fatal for the health of his backfield.

That may leave PJ and his staff with no other choice than to use Tanner Morgan’s arm more often, if not to defeat opponents, than at least in the hopes of keeping hits off of their running backs. He’s done it before but Tanner’s yet to prove he can be a consistent thrower since his record-breaking 2019.

P.J. Fleck said that having Tanner Morgan us like having another coach on the field! #gophers pic.twitter.com/wGkuyVpwWX

— GopherHole.com (@GopherHole) October 30, 2021

Wildcat help

The other QB who could help keep the running backs safe is Cole Kramer, who runs the wildcat offense. Usually when Kramer’s in the game, he keeps the ball in his hands. A few more opportunities for both quarterbacks could take a significant load off Thomas and Irving.

But winning is the #1 goal and I have no doubt Fleck and his staff will do what it takes to get a W at Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday. Nothing else matters if the Minnesota Gophers go 0-1 in the Illinois Fighting Illini season.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team was underrated entering this season. Pitino’s jumbled squad of transfers and home-town boys have already proven that with a 6-0 start, even if most Americans wouldn’t recognize the universities they’ve defeated.

The Gophers have only played two teams inside the KenPom national top-135. They beat Loyola Marymount TWICE (#133) and Boston College in the B1G/ACC Challenge. BC is barely hanging on to their top-100 spot, at 97.

So while there’s no need for Richard Pitino to apologize for any of his team’s wins so far, the Minnesota Gophers still have a lot to prove. But they’ll get two opportunities to show they’re “for real” this week.

The #Gophers have Illinois on Tuesday and Saint Louis on Sunday. https://t.co/FdaYG7dwS2

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) December 14, 2020

Tuesday, Dec. 15 – 6:00P: @ #6 Illinois (4-2)

The Fighting Illini were supposed to “be back” in 2020, touting two of the best players in the nation (both preseason All-B1G) in Kofi Cockburn and Ayo Dosunmu, but the start of their season has been shakier than expected. The new AP and Coaches Polls will drop this afternoon but, as you can see above in Jeff Goodman’s rankings, the Illini will fall down both.

Missouri surprised everyone when they upset Illinois on Saturday, handing them their second loss of the season. The first came vs #2 Baylor, but wasn’t really held against them.

Still, the Illini barely snuck past Ohio University 77-75 on November 27, when the orange allowed future NBA point guard, Jason Preston go off on them for 31 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds. If you haven’t heard about Ohio’s Preston, I recommend you do some digging.

He’s the underdog story (Steph Curry style) of the 2020-21 college basketball season. Ohio should make the tourney this year and it wouldn’t shock me to see them make a run. shooting Preston into immediate stardom. But on Tuesday, the Illini play against another team with an NBA point guard, in the Gophers’ Marcus Carr.

So both teams enter Tuesday’s game with plenty to prove. The Minnesota Gophers need to prove they belong in conversations with the other NCAA Tournament teams in the Big Ten. Illinois needs to prove they’re not all preseason hype. If they lose, they will take a long tumble down (and possibly out of) the rankings next week.

Sunday, Dec. 20 – 7:30P: vs Saint Louis (4-0)

Saint Louis is trying to become the latest mid-major basketball program to turn itself into a powerhouse via the right coaching hire. They hired Travis Ford before the 2016 season, after he and Oklahoma State “mutually parted ways”, following a rough three-season stretch from 2013-2015. He made 5 NCAA tournaments in 8 seasons at OSU.

Here is the trajectory of Saint Louis basketball after hiring Ford.

Saint Louis is already knocking on top-25 rankings around the country. You can see them tied for #25 in Jeff Goodman’s rankings above and Seth Davis (The Athletic) has them ranked #19 overall.

The Billikens aren’t the only team that has Seth Davis’ eye, however. If the Minnesota Gophers can split these two games, they could climb into Davis’ rankings next week. If you didn’t know, Seth Davis’ top-25 rankings count toward the AP Poll.

Another Big Ten team, Minnesota, is also undefeated but has just one top-100 win, and that came in overtime at home against rapidly sinking Boston College. The Golden Gophers have a big week coming up with a game Tuesday at Illinois and a home game against Saint Louis on Sunday. If they earn a split, they very well could have a number next to their name next week.

Seth Davis – The Athletic (12/14)

Go 7-1 with one victory over a top-25 team and we could see the Gophers grace the top-25 polls next week…

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Minnesota Gophers walked into Champaign Illinois’ Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon, hoping to turn the page on an 0-2 start. Well, if putting up a 40-piece on the road in a 27-point blowout is “turning the page”, then I’d say the effort was a success.

#Gophers get the win in Illinois! pic.twitter.com/PW8rpoUjby

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) November 7, 2020

Mohamed Ibrahim had another record game, scoring four more touchdowns for Minnesota on over 200 yards rushing. Mo’s been great all season, though. This was a well-rounded team victory and the most exciting part was the Gopher defense.

The Gophers can play defense…

It’s true. I watched it with my own two eyes. The Minnesota Gophers have a defense and it’s even capable of playing sound football. They limited Illinois’ big plays, for the most part, and ruined the starting debut of backup Illini QB, Coran Taylor.

The Gopher defense racked up four sacks and only allowed 275 yards of total offense. They held the Illini run game in check and suffocated the pass game, limiting Taylor to 6/17 and 106 yards passing. That’s quite the turnaround from what they displayed over the first two games, where they gave up an average of 575 yards per game.

Mo Knows

The improvements on defense allowed the Gophers to play their game on offense. And their game on offense… is handing the ball to Mohamed Ibrahim. Why? Because Mo knows what to do with the football when it’s in his hands.

The @GopherFootball ground game was busy on Saturday afternoon, accounting for four touchdowns in the win over Illinois.

Highlights: pic.twitter.com/PVEt61o4yr

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) November 8, 2020

Ibrahim went off for a total of 224 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns. He went for 200 and 4 total TD’s last week. That’s the first time a running back has gone for back-to-back 200 yard and 4 touchdown games since Larry Johnson (Penn State) back in 2002.

He has everything you’d want in a running back and the Gophers are ready to ride him to victories in 2020.

Agent Zero

Rashod Bateman had a huge game, too. He brought in 10 receptions and looked as comfortable and explosive as I’ve seen him through three games. He and Tanner really seemed to be clicking. Finished with 10 catches, 154 yards and this beautiful touchdown catch.

Perfection from Rashod Bateman. ?

It’s his first TD of the season for @GopherFootball: pic.twitter.com/HEoHsVGoes

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) November 7, 2020

Tanner didn’t have the huge game I was hoping for, but he looked confident when he was called on to deliver the football. When Mo is going like Mo is going… why pass more than necessary?

This was the exact victory the Minnesota Gophers needed, before taking back to TCF Bank Stadium where they will host the Iowa Hawkeyes for the Floyd of Rosedale. Let’s see if a win in Illinois can be the turning point on this season.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

I hope you turned on the Big Ten Network today at 11 AM and sat your ass in front of the TV for 7 hours straight. If you did, then you got to see Wisconsin somehow lose to Illinois and afterwards, another convincing Gopher victory, this time over a really fucking bad Rutgers team. People laughed at SDSU and Fresno State earlier in the season… both of those teams would stomp on the 2019 Rutgers Scarlet Knights. It’s sad that they live in the Big Ten…

First, let’s talk about Wisconsin’s loss to the Illini. Jesus (Paul) Chryst, how does this happen? All of a sudden, Wisconsin forgot how to score or stop the run. This is a team that looked invincible leading up to this weekend.

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Once the Badgers got done losing to Illinois, the Gophers took care of Rutgers handily. I’m not going to go play by play or quarter by quarter because this game just got out of control. I’ll embed some highlights at the end of this blog. Here is what got me excited about today’s game.

• Casey O’Brien: Look, this moment was awesome. If you don’t know about the Casey O’Brien story, you can read more here. This kid is a fucking miracle and the fact that he is on the football field, no matter the position, is awesome. Also, he’s not some out of shape kid that they just let hang out. Casey O’Brien looks like a fucking football player. I know this first-hand. And, what more can you say about PJ Fleck? If you still hate this guy… it’s a “you” problem.. as this tweeter so perfectly puts it:

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There it is. Take in all this selfishness and egotistical madness… it’s hard to watch… https://t.co/9GygF7lqWA

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 19, 2019

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• Rashod Bateman: Bateman is going to be a phenom. I don’t know how we are going to hold him here after next season, once he is eligible for the NFL Draft. If he continues on his current track, there’s no way he stays out of the 1st round with one more year under his belt. But don’t let that get you down. That’s what we want and we still have a lot of catches to celebrate before then.
• Bland Bland Bland: I wasn’t the only one to notice this. It was getting pointed out all over the place and Seth pointed it out on his radio show and on Minnesota Sports & Stuff weeks ago. The Gophers have had a very bland gameplan for a lot of the bad teams they have played. That could be a reason why those early non-conference games were so close and why they were a little slow to get going in this game. At the same time, you have to wonder if that bland play vs. bad teams, has played into any of the blowout performances they’ve put up against the better teams on their schedule.
• Antoine Winfield Jr.: This is another guy that I’m not sure we hold onto much longer. He put up another ridiculous performance today with 2 interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. He damn-near recovered a fumble too. He is eligible for the draft after this season. With his performances, leadership, and family pedigree, I can’t imagine he’d last past day two in the draft, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he landed in the 1st either… Again, these are not problems. These things are absolutely unmeasurable when recruiting. Guys that are able to leave early for the draft… that doesn’t happen everywhere.

The Bad:

• Kamal Martin: After getting named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week last week, Kamal left this game on a cart. That was really the only negative to come out of this game…

The Gophers will now welcome Maryland to TCF Bank Stadium next weekend and the stakes have never been higher. They haven’t been 7-0 since the 60’s, when they were winning national titles and now they have a great chance to have Penn State at home with an 8-0 record (after a bye week), if they can win next weekend vs the Terrapins. What a year to cover Gopher Football…. what a year to be a fan!

Make sure you are ready to packe the Bank next weekend boys and girls! We have a Big Ten West Championship to win!

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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Antoine Winfield's good at this.@AntoineWJr11 | @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/GWM1ASZaJ4

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) October 19, 2019

Antoine Winfield's good at this.@AntoineWJr11 | @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/GWM1ASZaJ4

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) October 19, 2019

Rashod Bateman is an impossible red zone cover.@R_bateman2 | @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/1mUaHNfbGa

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) October 19, 2019

?@GopherFootball WR @R_bateman2 is a highlight machine.#BTNStandout x @AutoOwnersIns pic.twitter.com/CzvAOTxSb2

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 19, 2019

✅ Vision
✅ Agility
✅ Speed

Rodney Smith showed it all on this TD.@Numerouno1_ | @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/sOdJ4GUVcl

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) October 19, 2019

You could say that Chris Williamson read this one the whole way.@Chris_Will8 | @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/gwB9XPS3PT

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) October 19, 2019

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Dele Harding with a giant ??? to the Homecoming crowd.

It's an @IlliniFootball pick six to start us off on BTN: pic.twitter.com/2HluMHNBer

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 5, 2019

The Gopher offense would continue to struggle throughout the first half but this would be Illinois’ only highlight, until late in the 3rd quarter, when their only other TD went on the board, a sack/fumble returned for a score. That’s the only way Illinois scored 6 points in this game. The Gopher defense was dominant against an Illini offense that‘s put up 30+ points in every game, leading up to this contest.

Late in the first half, the Gopher offense started to find its stride. With 4:40 remaining on the 1st half clock, they drove down the field to score, leaving just 1:32 to play. Illinois actually came back down the field though, and after Fleck iced their kicker from 46 yards (he left that kick 10 yards short), he knocked the second try directly through the uprights (would have been good from 56).

The Gophers took a 16-10 lead into halftime but the second half is where the offense went into an all-out sprint.

That escalated quickly.

Two strikes from Tanner Morgan makes it 23-10 @GopherFootball! pic.twitter.com/qsFskSVQQi

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) October 5, 2019

Another one ✅

Tanner Morgan tosses Brevyn Spann-Ford's first career TD for @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/kcgarPibKT

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) October 5, 2019

Un ? touched ? for six!@Numerouno1_ coasts for another @GopherFootball TD: pic.twitter.com/qip2mWuX08

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 5, 2019

The offense put on an absolute show in the 2nd half. The passes started connecting too, but the real story was the running backs, who had been relatively held down all season.

Rodney Smith finished with the most yards by a Gopher running back in a Big Ten game (211) since Lawrence Maroney finished with 258 vs Wisconsin in 2005. Meanwhile, Shannon Brooks let everyone know he’s back and ready to rack up some yardage with his own 111, on the ground. There were chunk yardage plays every time you looked up. It was fun (unlike what was happening over at Yankee Stadium at the same time).

This was exactly the type of victory this Gopher team needed, with Nebraska coming to town next Saturday night. They were 5-0 but their wins vs lesser teams weren’t as impressive as you’d like. That wasn’t the case today. If the Gopher defense can show up next week like they did today, and the offensive line can open up holes that these running backs can squeeze through, the Huskers are in for a shit show next weekend…

And I can’t fucking wait.

#Nebraska right now pic.twitter.com/qyJ3GXeWYp

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 5, 2019

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan