But instead of a high-flying offensive shootout between two of the more talented quarterbacks in the Big Ten, the Gophers went old-school PJ Fleck and grinded out a run-first, clock controlling game plan that relied heavily on a run game that’s struggled all season and a defense that had taken a step back in 2025, going in.

Minnesota Gophers beat Nebraska AGAIN

And it worked. Minnesota took a 7-6 lead into halftime, then put the pedal down in the second half, eventually stretching the lead to 24-6 by the time the clock hit 00:00 in the 4th quarter.

They ran the ball down Nebby’s throat, even when it wasn’t working, and the defense collected a school record 9 sacks on Dylan Raiola. Friday’s win was the Gophers’ first ranked victory of the season and PJ Fleck’s seventh as U of M football coach, also a program record.

COACH FLECK AND THE #GOPHERS DID IT AGAIN‼️#RTB #SkiUMah #Gophers pic.twitter.com/RALSQNfbWu

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) October 18, 2025

It was an absolutely dominating performance by the Golden Gophers, especially on paper where Minnesota outgained the Cornhuskers 339 yards to 213 yards, and completely dominated the ground attack, 186 yards for the Gophers to just 36 from Nebraska.

For a team that had struggled to find its identity through six games of the 2025 season, the Minnesota Gophers looked like a completely different team Friday night, both from a fundamentals + discipline standpoint and from the way they attack on both sides of the football.

Recap @GopherFootball's win over No. 25 Nebraska ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/x8K7Al9Dps

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 18, 2025

In a nutshell, they looked like the hungrier, more aggressive team for the first time this year, an attitude that could pay dividends over the next couple weeks, if they can can hold onto it.

MN Gophers football fans storm field at Huntington Bank Stadium

During such a convincing home victory that you had no business winning, according to oddsmakers and experts across the country, there isn’t a lot of controversy sweeping through campus this morning, as fans wake up to a 5-2 (3-1) Gophers football team.

Except for what happened after the win, when the student section immediately jumped down from the stands and rushed onto the field to celebrate a top 25 victory over a conference rival.

To a kid who grew up in MN during the Mason, Brewster and Kill eras of Gopher football, it's pretty crazy what PJ Fleck has created in Dinkytown… pic.twitter.com/Z0ITQYKzUQ

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 18, 2025

The scene down on the grass was chaotic, as Nebraska players tried to get to the visitor locker room and the FOX Sports crew tried to interview Drake Lindsey and PJ Fleck with Golden Gopher fans and students bearing down on them.

On social media, football fans are arguing over whether or not rushing the field is worth it when your opponent was barely ranked, or if fans at Huntington Bank Stadium should have “acted like they’d been there before” and saved over-the-top celebrations for only the most insane upsets/victories.

PJ Fleck a HUGE field storming advocate

Well, PJ Fleck weighed in on the “controversy” after the game, where he made his stance incredibly clear. He loves it because it creates memories that both the students and the players will never forget. Wins like Friday night, and the celebrations that follow, are what college sports are all about.

Storm the field.

Make the memories.@Coach_Fleck is here for it. pic.twitter.com/yGehNOr1mh

— Ted (@tlschwerz) October 18, 2025

“Crowd storming is awesome. It’s so fun to watch your student population — I’m glad we don’t have a rule [against it] — because I’m just an advocate. I love it. I love watching our student body, which cheers the entire game, makes a difference in the game, go down and create a moment and memory that will last in their brain and their hearts forever. I love that. There’s nothing better than that.”

PJ Fleck on Gopher football fans storming field after Nebraska win

Winning makes current players less likely to leave and opens the eyes of outside talent that may be watching. Younger kids or future transfer portal entrants that may not have considered the University of Minnesota as a viable option beforehand.

Because as Fleck pointed out during his press conference. Winning is hard in the Big Ten, especially in spotlight games against highly-ranked opponents. Never take wins for granted in college football, which is why PJ crowd surfs in the locker room after EVERY victory, no matter the opponent. In other words, smoke em when you got em.

NEVER TAKE WINNING FOR GRANTED 〽️ @Coach_Fleck https://t.co/VwYeZ7WxAW pic.twitter.com/zjD1qFRDZV

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) October 18, 2025

Fast forward to where we are now, and Allar is out for the season while Franklin is being paid more than $50 million to go away. That means a new coach must come in, and Penn State would like that to take place sooner rather than later.

Minnesota Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck would love that opportunity. If UCLA tempted him, then Penn State would have him rowing his boat to Pennsylvania by morning. It’s unlikely to happen for him, but the same can’t be said about Nebraska’s Matt Rhule.

Matt Rhule with an added distraction ahead of Gophers

On Friday night the Nebraska Cornhuskers are coming to Dinkytown for a game against the Minnesota Gophers. They enter as 5.5 point favorites, but that line doesn’t account for the distraction that head coach Matt Rhule being a key candidate for Penn State creates.

Matt Rhule was asked on Monday about his name being connected to the Penn State head coaching vacancy.

"I absolutely love it here."

Watch Rhule's full press conference from Monday here ➡️ https://t.co/tQcqwmIASA pic.twitter.com/Aa4YZBHigK

— 10/11 News (@1011_News) October 13, 2025

“I love Penn State. Met my wife there. My alma mater. Fan since I was born. I think, probably had a Penn State shirt when I was born. I love Pat Craft [athletics director]. I’m really sad to see coach Franklin go…I really respect James Franklin. Troy [Dannen – Nebraska athletics director] and I are in an unbelievable relationship too…But again, I love that place. I love Pat. I love James Franklin. I’m really sad that came to an end. I wish him the absolute best. I’m really happy here and I’m excited to get going this week on Minnesota.”

Matt Rhule

If the beginning of Rhule’s quote doesn’t set the stage for the bulk of it, then we aren’t being fed the same information. The Nebraska head coach would clearly love to head back to his alma mater, and a blank check certainly isn’t going to stifle that reality.

Nebraska faces the Gophers this week, and Rhule now has to be fielding calls about his willingness to jump while trying to stay prepared for his next opponent. Rhule also understands how these things work, and Pennsylvania native Curt Cignetti (Indiana’s head coach) will be next in line to be offered a limitless contract as well.

It’s a tough situation to be put in, and one that doesn’t help preparation to remain centered on what’s in front of you. Ultimately, the Nittany Lions football program isn’t worried about what’s going on at Nebraska.

DR latest Instagram post about Matt Rhule 🔒 pic.twitter.com/0FfIAUVJ9l

— Rhuler of Husker Nation (@RHULEROFNEB) October 13, 2025

At least for now, Nebraska’s Patrick Mahomes doppleganger Dyan Raiola believes his head coach is there to stay. We’ll see how much that is based in reality soon.

Nebraska WR Malachi Coleman transferring to Minnesota

On Monday, they got a commitment from senior UCLA wide receiver Logan Loya. On Tuesday, they followed up the Loya transfer commitment with a another wide receiver get, in Malachi Coleman, a former 4-star recruit out of Lincoln NE, who was the No. 63 overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports.

Let’s rock. @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/sUwysPBI3V

— Malachi Coleman (@ChiColeman23) December 24, 2024

As a freshman at at his hometown school, Coleman caught 8 balls for 139 yards and 1 touchdown, and started 6 games. But something happened to get him in Matt Rhule’s doghouse. As a sophomore, the 6’5″, 210 pound physical freak appeared in only ONE Huskers game all season, and was labeled a redshirt back in September.

Related: Minnesota QB Max Brosmer Lands on NFL Draft Hot Board

According to PFF, Malachi Coleman played just three snaps, total, and they all came in week six… on special teams. All season long, speculation swirled as to why Coleman wasn’t playing, but Matt Rhule mostly refused to give any information.

On November 25, just four days after the above press conference, Rhule announced to Huskers media that Malachi Coleman was entering the transfer portal. Nearly one month later, he revealed on social media that he is transferring to the Minnesota Gophers.

Minnesota Gophers successfully restocking WR room

PJ Fleck and OC/WR coach Matt Simon have pretty successfully restocked a wide receiver room that was looking rather depleted, now that Daniel Jackson and Elijah Spencer are out of eligibility. Those two guys were replaced with proven veterans Javon Tracy (Miami of Ohio) and the aforementioned Logan Loya. LeMeke Brockington will also be at the top of the depth chart.

Malachi Coleman slides in as another young, uber-talented (and unproven) wideout, who according to Minnesota Gophers recruiting expert Ryan Burns (247Sports), will compete with Tyler Williams and Christian Driver, two others who are incredibly talented, but also unproven.

Why did Coleman end up in Dinkytown? He told college football insider Allen Trieu (247Sports) that what the OC Matt Simon’s history of developing wide receivers, along with PJ Fleck himself being a former wide receiver, were major factors in his decision.

Sources close to Coleman say the development of the receivers under position coach Matt Simon, as well as head coach P.J. Fleck having played the position himself were factors in his interest in the Gophers.

Allen Trieu – 247Sports.com

Malachi Coleman highlights at Nebraska

He Has Arrived 🙌

2023 All-American Malachi Coleman (@ChiColeman23) extends the lead for @HuskerFootball #GBR 🌽 #AllAmericanBowl 🇺🇸

pic.twitter.com/WKFX4WjYAN

— Navy All-American Bowl (@AABonNBC) October 21, 2023

Related: Two Minnesota Gophers Declare for NFL Draft

Malachi Coleman pic.twitter.com/KPizmIe8Fi

— What does the film say? (@Huskers_film) November 5, 2023

Malachi Coleman
Looking like Megatron @calvinjohnsonjr

24 pass attempts
40 carries
Vs. Wisconsin #Huskers pic.twitter.com/YnZTyitHPq

— What does the film say? (@Huskers_film) November 20, 2023

The running game was putrid, averaging a measly 2.2 yards per carry. Part of that can be attributed to poor interior line play, but we’ll get to that later. No matter the cause, it became clear that PJ Fleck and play-caller, Greg Harbaugh Jr., would have to rely on Kaliakmanis’ right arm to win the 2023 opener.

PJ Fleck let Athan Kaliakmanis cook vs Nebraska

And to PJ’s credit, he gave his redshirt sophomore QB1 the keys and let him drive, something the head coach was unwilling to do, through six seasons in Minnesota.

Athan threw 44 passes on Thursday vs the Huskers, by far the most any quarterback has thrown for a Fleck-coached Gophers team. In fact, Kaliakmanis’ 44 attempts DOUBLED (or more) Minnesota’s single-game passing attempt totals from 17 of 26 games in 2021 and 2022.

Athan’s statline vs Nebraska isn’t going to launch him into any heisman trophy conversations or put him on the radar of NFL scouts. And yes, the redshirt sophomore made his fair share of mistakes, including an ugly interception that killed one of the best Gopher drives of the night.

BIG RED PICKED IT! ‼️ @Omeezyy12 with the interception for @HuskerFootball! pic.twitter.com/hEav8vAm01

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 1, 2023

But that’s all to be expected, when you put the fate of your program in the hands of a budding young QB. Making mistakes is part of the learning process. If you watched the game, though, you saw a completely different offense, with Kaliakmanis at the helm. An offense that fully trusts its QB1 to throw it to success.

Athan’s cannon is real.

And we saw, throughout the opener on Thursday, why Fleck has changed his offensive philosophy in order to lean more heavily on the right arm of Athan Kaliakmanis, a cannon that was on display throughout the win. A few throws stick out, including this rifle on the run to new WR, Elijah Spencer, on 3rd and 9.

You don’t have to watch Athan play quarterback for very long before realizing the Minnesota Gophers may have a weapon under center that the program hasn’t seen since Adam Weber started all four years for former head coach, Glen Mason, from 2007-2010.

There will be Athan Kaliakmanis growing pains we’ll have to live with throughout this season but, if the interior offensive line can improve so he stays healthy, and PJ Fleck continues to let him learn from his mistakes, I’m confident fans will be in for quite an offensive treat over the next 2-3 football seasons.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

It was a sloppy offensive matchup that never should have reached the 23-point total it eventually did. The Huskers’ only touchdown came on a broken trick play that started with a backward pass, looked like a sure fumble and ended with a wide open Husker receiver standing in the end zone with the football.

"NEBRASKA MAKES CHICKEN SALAD"

Gus Johnson is already in mid-season form 🎙🐐@HuskerFootball pic.twitter.com/zqSduChqaY

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 1, 2023

The Gophers struggled to maintain drives all game, only finding a rhythm when QB Athan Kaliakmanis got hot. But in the end, Minnesota outlasted their Big Ten West foe, narrowly avoiding a season-opening loss that surely would have haunted Minnesota all year long. Here are 3 takeaways from the Gophers’ 13-10 victory.

1. Special Teams Nearly Kills Gophers (Again)

Gophers’ special teams, under PJ Fleck, has never been a strong suit. On Thursday night, Rob Wenger’s group proved that some things never change.

New placekicker, Dragan Kesich, missed a 54-yard field goal that flipped the field during the 1st half. To start the 2nd half, Minnesota surrendered a 63-yard kick return that gave Nebraska the ball at the Gophers’ 35 yard line.

Then, after a key stop by the defense in the 3rd quarter, Minnesota committed a roughing the punter penalty on 4th and 19, giving Nebraska a fresh set of downs. From every angle, the Gophers’ special teams was terrible on Thursday night.

Special teams have been disastrous for Gophers. Just brutal.

— chipscoggins (@chipscoggins) September 1, 2023

Kesich did redeem himself, and the rest of the Minnesota special teams group, by hitting the game-winning field goal, as time expired.

KESICH CALLS GAME 🙌@GopherFootball WINS IT IN THE FINAL SECONDS 😱 pic.twitter.com/mg9U8lVfZi

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 1, 2023

2. Minnesota’s Defense Looks Great (Again)

Much like the special teams group, it appears some things never change. Since Joe Rossi took over the Minnesota Gophers defense, midway through the 2018 season, it’s been one of the best units in the country. That looks to be the case again, in 2023.

Without Minnesota’s stout defensive play vs Nebraska, this game would have been over before the 4th quarter got underway. Outside of one broken play touchdown in the 3rd quarter, Rossi’s crew was nearly perfect, making up for all the deficiencies the Gophers showed on both special teams and offense.

INTERCEPTED@GopherFootball's defense does it again 🔒😤 pic.twitter.com/OIU0nGbSiN

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 1, 2023

Rossi’s defense held Huskers QB, Jeff Sims, to just 114 yards through the air and picked him off three times. They also forced two fumbles, one of which Minnesota recovered. Senior safety, Tyler Nubin, catapulted himself up draft boards around the NFL, flying all over the field, disrupting the offensive rhythm and rewarding himself with two interceptions, the last of which led to the Gophers’ game-winning field goal.

INTERCEPTED AGAIN 😤@T_Nubin27 now has TWO INTs in this game for @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/22E9MhhbAY

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 1, 2023

3. Offense Goes as Athan Kaliakmanis Goes

Thursday night’s opener may have looked like the same old Gophers, in a lot of ways, but their attack on offense did not. As I’ve noted multiple times, leading up to this game, Minnesota’s offense in 2023 is not built on its rushing attack. It’s built around redshirt sophomore QB, Athan Kaliakmanis.

The Gophers ran for just 55 total yards vs the Cornhuskers, averaging a putrid 2.2 yards per carry. The only time they moved the ball efficiently, it was through the air. Kaliakmanis finished 24 of 44 for 196 yards, 1 INT and 1 game-tying TD.

Arguably their best drive of the game ended in an interception, proving this offense will go as far as Kaliakmanis takes it this season.

Then, to drive the point home, PJ Fleck put the football in Athan’s hands at the end of the 2nd half and the redshirt sophomore paid his head coach off by hitting Daniel Jackson for the matchup’s only touchdown. It came on 4th down, with the game on the line. Jackson’s toe-tapping catch was simply magnificent.

WE'VE GOT A TIE GAME❗️@GopherFootball ties it up on 4th down. 😤

📺: FOX/@CFBonFox pic.twitter.com/NXtCpz21b3

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 1, 2023

A win is a win…

It wasn’t pretty, but the Minnesota Gophers are 1-0 and that is all that matters. Remember, they don’t ask “how”, they ask “how many”. Remember, the 2019 squad — which finished 11-2 and won the Outback Bowl — should have lost early non-conference games vs SDSU, Fresno State and Georgia Southern.

Huge dub for the 2023 maroon and gold.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Nebraska is in the first year of a complete rebuild under new head coach, Matt Rhule, after Scott Frost ran the program into the ground in his 4.5-year tenure and have low expectations. It’s a game Minnesota has to have, if they want to get back to 9 or more wins again.

Here’s everything you need to know entering Thursday’s game:

When is Minnesota vs Nebraska?

Date: Thursday, August 31

Time: 7 PM CT

Stadium: Huntington Bank Stadium

Capacity: 50,805

How to watch Minnesota vs Nebraska

Television: FOX

Announcers: Gus Johnson (PXP), Joel Klatt (Analyst), Jenny Taft (Reporter)

How to listen to Minnesota vs Nebraska

Radio: KFAN FM 100.3 OR SiriusXM 135 or 195; SXM App

Announcers: Mike Grimm (Play by Play), Darrell Thompson (Analyst), Justin Gaard (Reporter), Tanner Hoops (Host), Dan Rowbotham (Engineer)

Gopher storylines to watch:

QB – Athan Kaliakmanis: The Gophers’ new QB1 had underwhelming numbers in his 11 appearances last season but he went 26 for 36 for 399 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in his final two games vs Wisconsin and Syracuse. PJ Fleck must trust his redshirt sophomore QB to lead their offense into the modern age and it starts with letting him fling it in Thursday’s opener. Kaliakmanis needs to be given the oars to Minnesota’s 2023 boat. Let him sink or swim.

New Offensive Weapons: Athan has a bunch of new weapons in his arsenal this year. Fleck pulled 1,000 yard rusher, Sean Tyler (Western Michigan) to help replace the departed Mohamed Ibrahim. Transfer wide receivers, Corey Crooms (Western Michigan) and Elijah Spencer (Charlotte) enter the season on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.

CRAB Returns: Thursday is expected to be the return of (WR) Chris Autman-Bell, a 7-year senior who came back for one more season after tearing his ACL during the 2022 campaign. His production could go a long way toward how explosive the Gophers offense is in 2023

Rossi’s Defensive Dominance: Minnesota lost a lot of major defensive contributors from last season but bring back leaders like (S) Tyler Nubin, (CB) Justin Walley, (LB) Cody Lindenberg and (DL) Jah Joyner. But Joe Rossi, who was ranked No. 8 by The Athletic in their “Top-30 CFB Assistant Coaches to Watch”, will have to prove his genius if the Gopher defense is going to be as dominant as it has been in recent years.

• Last year, the Golden Gophers ranked eighth in the country by allowing 295.1 total yards per contest. They also had the No. 4 defense in terms of scoring (13.8 ppg), and No. 15 in passing yards allowed (186.1) and rush defense (109.0). Minnesota, Air Force, Illinois, and Iowa were the only teams in the FBS that ranked in the top 20 in each of those categories. (via U of M Athletic Dept)

Three Keys to a Gophers Victory:

1. Start strong: This seems cliche but Nebraska is a rebuilding team that has lived in a losing atmosphere for a half-decade. Minnesota needs to jump out to an early lead, in order to kill any confidence they may have built up this fall. If they can do that, Husker heads could start hanging early on the opposite sideline.
2. Let Athan cook: I mentioned this earlier — and I’ve written about it on multiple occasions — but it’s worth noting again. PJ Fleck must allow Athan Kaliakmanis to fling the ball around, both on Thursday and during the rest of the season. That means allowing him to make mistakes, without extreme consequences. This is the biggest key to Minnesota’s season.
3. Win the Special Teams battle: Minnesota has two veterans kicking and punting the ball for them this season. It’s imperetive that Dragan Kesich doesn’t leave points on the field by missing kicks that D1 kickers should make. In the same token, punter Mark Crawford must prove his ability to pin Nebraska deep and flip field position when called upon. Do not give the Huskers offense a bunch of short fields to work with.

History between Minnesota vs Nebraska:

Series Overall: Minnesota Leads 36-25-2

Streak: Minnesota Won 4

Series in MN: Minnesota Leads 24-13-2

Streak: Minnesota Won 3

Last Meeting: Minnesota won 20-13 in Lincoln, Neb. (11/5/22)

Five things to know (via Gopher media guide)

1 | University of Minnesota football begins its 140th season, and seventh under head coach P.J. Fleck, Thursday night as it hosts Nebraska at Huntington Bank Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. with a national TV audience on FOX.

2 | Minnesota is 97-36-6 all-time in season openers, including wins in five of its last seven openers (4-2 under Fleck). The Golden Gophers are 101-31-7 all-time in home openers with an identical stretch of five wins in their past seven home openers (also 4-2 under Fleck). Minnesota, which is opening a season at home for the 11th straight year, is 9-5 in home openers since Huntington Bank Stadium opened in 2009.

3 | For the third time in the last four seasons, Minnesota opens the year with a Big Ten opponent after facing Michigan in a 2020 schedule that featured only league action and Ohio State in 2021. Thursday’s matchup with the Huskers will be the 11th time in program history that Minnesota faces a conference foe in the season opener. The Gophers are 2-8 in those previous games. Overall, Minnesota is 64-55-8 in Big Ten openers, including a 71-51-5 mark at home. Thursday marks the seventh time that Minnesota opens the season against Nebraska, going 3-3 in the previous games in a span from 1946-64.

4 | Minnesota is coming off a 2022 campaign where it finished with a 9-4 record overall, capping it off with a 28-20 win over Syracuse in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. Minnesota reached nine wins in a season for the 11th time in school history and the third time in the past four years under head coach P.J. Fleck, something that hadn’t happened since 1905. Fleck is just the second Minnesota coach to have at least three seasons with nine or more victories. Henry L. Williams had six such seasons from 1900-21, while all other coaches in program history have a combined two ninewin seasons. Combined with a 9-4 record in 2021, the 18 wins over two seasons are tied for the most in Gopher history since 1904-05 and it’s just the eighth time ever the team has won at least 18 games in consecutive years. In addition, Minnesota went 5-4 in league play after a 6-3 Big Ten record in 2021. It’s the first time with back-to-back conference seasons over .500 since 1968-69.

5 | The 2023 campaign is the seventh for head coach P.J. Fleck at Minnesota, where he holds a record of 44-27. He is already fifth in program history for wins and sixth in Big Ten wins (26) and games coached (71). Fleck’s .620 win percentage is third best among the 11 Minnesota coaches with at least 45 games under their helm behind only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, ‘45-50). In his 11th season overall as a college head coach, Fleck is 74-49 (.598).

After two quarters, the Huskers led 10-0 and the Gophers offense had totaled just 31 yards. But then, Tanner Morgan exited the game with an upper-body injury. So, highly-touted redshirt freshman QB, Athan Kaliakmanis, buckled his chin strap and took over the white and maroon huddle.

And that’s when everything changed.

The Athan Kaliakmanis Comeback

Suddenly, the Minnesota Gophers offense looked like a hot knife slicing and dicing through a buttery Nebraska defense. Kaliakmanis displayed a confidence and aggressiveness that we’ve never seen a QB play with under PJ Fleck. I mean, Tanner Morgan would cut off his right arm if he risked a cross-body throw like this one…

#Gophers backup QB Athan Kaliakmanis comes in & gives the team a little juice.
He makes this playaction roll out pass to a crossing WR look effortless. He has the athleticism and arm talent to be a long term big time QB if utilized properly. pic.twitter.com/fJGnI0rfPs

— Ron Johnson (@3RonJohnson) November 5, 2022

Athan threw deep and fired rockets into tight intermediate windows that his predecessor would never dream of attempting. His presence overflowed into the run game, too. Holes that didn’t exist for Mo Ibrahim in the first half were parting like the Red Sea in the second.

Not only did the Husker defense have to retreat out of the box, after Athan’s repeated attempts to blow up their single-high coverages with shots down the field, but they had to account for his running ability in the RPO game.

After stumbling for 31 total yards, 4 first downs and 0 points in the first half, with Tanner Morgan at the helm, the Minnesota offense cruised for 217 yards, 11 first downs and 13 points in the 3rd quarter, alone.

Time to pass the torch

The 6-3 Gophers still have a lot of questions but Saturday’s second half comeback made one thing clear. Athan Kaliakmanis is the best quarterback on his football team.

Most of Minnesota’s offensive struggles this season fall on inconsistent offensive line play and bad wide receivers. That’s why PFF still has Tanner Morgan as one of their highest graded QB’s in the country. But this team needs more than a mistake-free game manager.

When Kaliakmanis entered the game yesterday his combination of talent and confidence immediately lifted those around him. Everyone felt it, including his teammates. PJ Fleck needs to put his affinity for Tanner Morgan aside and do the right thing. It’s time to pass the starting QB torch.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Meanwhile, PJ Fleck’s Minnesota Gophers entered trying to show the conference that whatever happened in their loss to FCS Bowling Green three weeks ago, was just a fluke. Oh, and that “sloganeering” works.

After Mohamed Ibrahim won the coin toss, making him 5-0 at midfield this season, a different Minnesota offense took the field than what we’ve seen so far this year. Trey Potts joined Mo on the season-ending injury list after a freak injury vs Purdue landed him in an Indiana hospital for much of the bye week.

So without their top two running backs, PJ Fleck and Mike Sanford turned to their 5th-year quarterback, Tanner Morgan, hoping he could throw them to victory against the Huskers.

Different Half, Different Tanner

In the first half, Tanner rewarded the offensive aggressiveness by tossing the ball around like a Heisman candidate, completing 93% of his passes for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both TD’s were great throws and even better catches by Michael Brown-Stephens and, especially, Chris Autman-Bell. Minnesota entered half time with a 21-9 lead.

Tanner Morgan with an absolute DIME for a Minnesota TD ???? #CFB pic.twitter.com/QAYvtpIfCu

— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 16, 2021

They call @chrisautmanbell ????, because he has really strong hands.

The @GopherFootball WR, already having a career day, proves it ⬇️. pic.twitter.com/mLC2f4qd5t

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 16, 2021

The Gophers looked ready to feed Morgan when they came out of the locker room for half two. Tanner, however, wasn’t the same guy that we saw for the first 30 minutes. After completing 15 of 16 passes in the first half, Tanner threw two-straight interceptions to start the second.

The latter of those two picks turned into a Nebraska touchdown that put the Gophers in serious trouble of losing the lead. But when one part of your team struggles, you need others to pick them up. That’s exactly what happened on Saturday. Morgan and a suddenly stagnant Minnesota offense punted four times in a row after his two second half picks.

After such a hot 1st half, Morgan and the offense were making a call to the bullpen. They needed help.

Defense saves victory

The Minnesota Gopher defense has been pretty good all season, especially against the run. But to win Saturday, PJ Fleck needed even more from that side of the field. And he got it.

While they did plenty of bending, the defense never broke. Nebraska racked up a respectable 377 yards of total offense, but that fell far short of the 493 yards they averaged entering the weekend (2nd in Big Ten). The difference was how Minnesota played QB Adrian Martinez, who led the Huskers in run and pass yards entering Saturday.

Martinez made some nice throws but was never able to get comfortable, completing just 55% of his passes. Part of his uneasiness in the pocket was his inability to run. The Husker leading rusher was held to -17 yards on the ground Saturday.

And when the Gophers really needed a big play from their defense, they got it. Multiple times. Most notably, they held up at the goal line on 4th down in the 3rd quarter, with the lead at risk. Then, they forced a safety in the 4th quarter to help put the game away.

????@GopherFootball stuffs Nebraska on 4th-and-goal to keep the lead. pic.twitter.com/otMVCgxorL

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 16, 2021

No, sir. I do not like this safety dance. ????????????????????????????#Huskers #Nebraska #AdrianMartinez pic.twitter.com/7ubMXn0rdT

— Scott Maier (@samaier) October 16, 2021

Teammate stuff

Sanford, Morgan and the Minnesota offense may have built the lead needed for victory. But Joe Rossi, Mariano Sori-Marin and Co saved it in the second. People helping people. Beautiful stuff.

Now, (3-5) Nebraska will face Purdue before ending with one of the most difficult remaining schedules in the nation. The (4-2) Minnesota Gophers, on the other hand, will be favored in their next three games against Maryland, @ Northwestern and Illinois, before heading south to play the Big Ten West favorite, #2 Iowa Hawkeyes about a month from now.

Nothing is guaranteed in college football… except Scott Frost losing to PJ Fleck.

#Gophers harvest the win! pic.twitter.com/HL2JazBENU

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) October 16, 2021

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Inside Husker Nation, many fans and all of the Frost sympathizers see a good 2021 team that continues to get better as the season goes on. The problem has been their incredibly difficult schedule to start the season. Nebraska has already played against three ranked opponents and they’re yet to claim victory.

In fact, after falling to #9 Michigan last weekend, Scotty Frost is 0-10 against top-25 teams since taking over Nebraska. Some numbers matter and some don’t. This one looks like the former.

Nebraska is 0-10 vs ranked teams under coach Scott Frost. pic.twitter.com/ZljpclDD6R

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) October 10, 2021

Schedule from hell

Life won’t get any easier for the Cornhuskers going forward.

Saturday’s matchup against the Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium is the first of two straight non-ranked opponents the Huskers will face. They host Purdue after their bye week, before finishing vs (#6) Ohio State, @ Wisconsin and vs (#2) Iowa. Frost needs to somehow find three victories out of those 5 games just to get bowl eligible.

That makes the games against Minnesota and Purdue must-win. It’s very clear why Frost may or may not have went out of his way to try canceling the back-to-back matchups vs Oklahoma in 2021 and 2022. If Nebraska loses this weekend in Minneapolis, the 2021 season could quickly spiral out of control, leaving plenty of questions about Scotty’s status for next year.

Optimistic Desperation in Lincoln

Someway, somehow, despite his 15-24 record, Frost still has more defenders than offenders throughout Husker Nation and its media. Barring a horrific finish that changes minds in Lincoln, Frost’s job is expected to be safe this offseason.

Frost is proud of his team because they continue to show fight and play well, despite their propensity to lose close games against ranked opponents. None of Nebraska’s four losses this season, including the three against ranked teams, have been by more than one score.

Since 2018, Nebraska & Scott Frost has lost a national-high 16 one-score games, including all 4 losses this year

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) October 10, 2021

The Huskers lost by 8 to Illinois, by 7 to (#3) Oklahoma and by a pair of field goals to (#20) Michigan State and (#9) Michigan. Keeping things close might be enough for Frost to keep his job security when facing ranked opponents, but it won’t get him off the hook in Lincoln against a flawed Minnesota Gophers team.

Given their remaining schedule, the Huskers cannot afford to lose to the Gophers on Saturday. It would put them in an hole that would be impossible to dig out of. Losing in Dinkytown this weekend would signal the start of that “spiraled season” previously mentioned.

Gophers need to be prepared

The Minnesota Gophers have owned the Nebraska Cornhuskers during PJ Fleck’s tenure, posting a 3-1 record that has given the maroon and gold faithful infinite bragging rights over the loud and annoying Big Red fanbase. But the Huskers need this win more than the Gophers do.

Sure, Minnesota needs Saturday if they are going to stand any chance of competing with Iowa for a Big Ten West title. But, Nebraska and their coaching staff are playing for their credibility and, quite possibly, their job security. Oh, and Frost hates PJ Fleck, constantly throwing passive aggressive shots at him through the media. Randy Johnson (Star Tribune) dug up this gem of a quote for a piece he wrote in Friday’s paper. It was uttered at Big Ten Media Day back in June.

Maybe Scott Frost should try sloganeering…? He might beat a ranked opponent for the first time. pic.twitter.com/wZOOqHWeDN

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 15, 2021

That means PJ Fleck needs to have his team ready to play on Saturday morning. Desperate teams and desperate head coaches can be dangerous but they can also be taken advantage of. I expect the Huskers to throw anything and everything at the wall in hopes that it sticks for a victory.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

We knew the Minnesota Golden Gophers were in a late-season slump and that their 2021 NCAA Tournament hopes were in danger of slipping away. But consecutive losses vs Big Ten bottom-feeders, Northwestern and Nebraska, have dropped the Richard Pitino elevator to a new Dinkytown low.

????????????????????: Nebraska 78, Minnesota 74@HuskerHoops holds on to notch the senior day win. pic.twitter.com/0F1LSvsbGe

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 28, 2021

Marcus Carr had a massive game, scoring a career high 41 points, but it wasn’t enough. In fact, the Gophers made the game close late, but they trailed by 10 for most of the 2nd half.

Outside of Carr, this team cannot shoot. It’s the worst shooting Minnesota Gophers team I’ve seen… and I’ve watched every one since 1996 (born in ’89). It’d be difficult to try shooting as poorly as they do.

If you subtract Carr’s ridiculous numbers tonight, the Gophers shot 30% (13/43) from the field and 13% (2/15) from 3PT. It’s literally embarrassing that Big Ten Network allows this team on semi-national TV.

Oh Richard

At this point, it’s no longer about whether Richard Pitino will be fired… but when. The University of Minnesota has to pay Pitino a $400K bonus if he’s still employed on May 1. In theory, that brings his $1.75 buyout down to $1.35M if you make the move in the next two months.

Pandemic or not, major collegiate athletic departments wipe their asses with that. Experts and analysts around the league expect Minnesota to be the best early job available, adding even more reason to pull the plug on the Richard Pitino era.

We’ll see if Coyle has the chest hair to fire Pitino before the season comes to a conclusion…

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan