Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. CDT, the Golden Gophers are back at Huntington Bank Stadium for their 2025 homecoming matchup against a much more comparable Big Ten foe, the (2-3, 0-2) Purdue Boilermakers.

Minnesota Gophers vs Purdue Boilermakers (Oct 11, 2025)

If you are looking for how the Gophers and Boilermakers matchup on paper, you are in the right spot. Below, you will find all the worthwhile comparables between Purdue and Minnesota, heading into Saturday night’s primetime matchup on Big Ten Network.

Included below, you will find Minnesota Gophers vs Purdue Boilermakers betting odds, basic/advanced tale of the tape (team stats) and top performers to watch from both teams. If you believe there are other statistics or categories that should be added to this post for future matchups, please let us know.

Gophers vs Boilermakers Betting Odds

Obviously, the oddsmakers are all in on the Minnesota Gophers winning by two scores on homecoming, against a Purdue Boilermakers team that PJ Fleck & Co have lost two straight games against (49-30 in 2023, 20-10 in 2022).

But the 2025 Boilermakers come into this one having lost three-straight (USC, @ Notre Dame, Illinois), and as you will see in the tale of the tape below, they are one of the worst teams in the Big Ten on defense and their offense has been unreliable, at best.

On the other side, the Minnesota Gophers defense looks a lot better on paper than it has with the eye test, but you can see in some of the advanced metrics below, that there are plenty of cracks in their armor. Offensively, let’s just say the Gophers move the ball a lot better through the air than they do on the ground.

Minnesota vs Purdue Tale of the Tape (Basic)

MN Gophers vs PUR Boilermakers Tale of the Tape (Advanced)

Lastly, here are some of the players from both teams that you can expect to see a lot on Saturday evening. For the Gophers, redshirt sophomore Drake Lindsey looks to bounce back off of a step-back performance against the Buckeyes in which he went from Ohio State killer in the first drive to Horseshoe loser for the rest of the 3.5 quarters.

Minnesota Gophers vs Purdue Boilermakers players to watch

Without a doubt, this is a get-right game for the young right-handed gunslinger, if he can take advantage of an incredibly leaky Purdue pass defense that only takes the ball away 0.2 times per game.

Defensively, the Gophers will look to hold down Purdue QB Ryan Browne, who has thrown almost as many interceptions through five games, as he has touchdowns.

Darius Taylor will lead Minnesota run game, which has been incredibly pedestrian so far in 2025. Again, the Boilermaker defense will give them a chance to change their best on the ground too.

Purdue’s mediocre run game is led by Devin Mockobee, who is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry this season. Minnesota won’t let that fool them, however, as Mockobee has run all over the Gophers during the past two matchups (265 yds, 2 TD total) between these two Big Ten rivals.

There is plenty of returning talent for next year’s Golden Gophers, but there’s been plenty of turnover this offseason, too. On offense, they’re making changes yet again at the most important position in all of sports, quarterback.

Out is Max Brosmer, who’s hoping to hear his name called this weekend during the 2025 NFL Draft. Talented true junior Drake Lindsey is Max’s expected replacement, after Georgia Tech transfer Zach Pyron re-entered the portal last week.

On defense, not only are the Minnesota Gophers trying to find replacements for previous staples on the front seven like (DL) Jah Joyner, (LB) Cody Lindenberg and (DL) Danny Striggow, but they’re also deploying a new defensive coordinator, Danny Collins, for the second-straight season.

Mo Omonode sticks in Big Ten and lands with Minnesota Gophers

Thus, PJ Fleck and his staff were on the transfer portal hunt for more talent up front. On Tuesday, they found some in Purdue soon-to-be senior defensive tackle Mo Omonode, who currently has one year of eligibility remaining.

In his three seasons as a Boilermaker, Omonode operated as a rotational nose tackle, and produced some impressive PFF grades (see below). In other words, he’s exactly what the Minnesota Gophers defense was looking for.

RTB🚣🏾🚣🏾 pic.twitter.com/MCWPWqYKvW

— Mariere Omonode (@moomonode50) April 22, 2025

Mo Omonode played in in 33 games during his career with the Purdue Boilermakers, where the Indiana native racked up 32 total tackles and 3.5 sacks. More impressive are his PFF grades. Last season, Omonode posted a 71.6 PFF grade, which was actually down from the 80.2 mark he earned as a sophomore.

Kevin Kane, the former Purdue defensive coordinator, is now part of Fleck’s staff in Minnesota, which explains part of this move. The expectation should be that Omonode immediately works in with the MN Gophers returning DL talent, including Anthony Smith, Deven Eastern, Jaxon Howard, Lucas Finnessy and Jalen Logan-Redding. Another transfer, Rushawn Lawrence, will also be a part of that mix.

MN Gophers defense to have plenty of familiarity

P.J. Fleck lost five total starters from the Minnesota Gophers defense last season — Jah Joyner, Danny Striggow, Cody Lindenberg, Justin Walley, and Ethan Robinson — who are all looking for NFL jobs this offseason. Of course, the most exciting part of the defense remains sophomore Koi Perich.

Related: Koi Perich Playing Offense and Defense for Gophers?

He’s going to factor in on both sides of the ball this season, and that could make him among the most dynamic players in college football. As a true freshman he picked off a conference-leading five passes and recorded 46 tackles. The Minnesota Gophers have already kicked off their spring practices. They open the season on August 28 against Buffalo at Huntington Bank Stadium.

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

Combine all of those internal positives with a weak 2022 Big Ten West and a Gophers schedule void of matchups vs Buckeyes or Wolverines; the optimism in Dinkytown was running amuck. But then, the game vs Purdue kicked off and everything changed.

Gophers hit Purdue wall

The Minnesota Gophers were punched in the face immediately. Purdue forced an opening drive 3-and-out, then charged down the field, themselves, and scored a touchdown. It took until the 3rd quarter, but the Gophers did eventually tie the game, 10-10. They’d never get the lead, though. Three Tanner Morgan interceptions and a flacid run game choked the life out of their offensive effort. Final: 20-10, Purdue wins.

Just like that, the population of PJ Fleck’s 2022 hype boat has declined rapidly over the past 20 hours. It’ll only get worse from here, too. They’re top-25 AP Poll ranking will disappear on Sunday afternoon. And media members will jump ship for the next two weeks, given the Gophers impending bye.

But is the current bandwagon exodus warranted? After the Purdue loss, how worried should fans be about Minnesota’s chances in the Big Ten West? The answer to these questions, of course, is “yes” and “no”. But, more “yes” than “no”.

Most Concerning: Running Back Depth

Mohamed Ibrahim dressed and worked out before the game but didn’t take the field for Minnesota’s first snap. Or for any thereafter. Instead, the Gopher running game was anchored by Trey Potts and Bryce Williams. And it didn’t go well.

Tanner Morgan handed the ball off just 20 times on Saturday (Williams: 11, Potts: 9). Probably because those handoffs totalled just 48 yards (2.4 YPC). With or without Mo, the Minnesota Gophers under PJ Fleck will always be a run-first team. They lost two elite backs to the transfer portal this offseason, so the depth issues aren’t surprising. Nonetheless, if the run game is reliant on Ibrahim’s health, that’s worrisome.

#Gophers first half rushing yards: 17#Gophers second half rushing yards: 17

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) October 1, 2022

Don’t Worry Defense

If Gopher fans need a happy place to go to, think about the defense. Yes, they struggled in the first drive, but from there, they fought ever single down and gave the Minnesota offense a multitude of opportunities to get back into it.

It has depth, it has speed and it has talent. It also has Joe Rossi. Every opponent on the schedule will struggle to score points against the Minnesota Gophers and that means they’ll be in every matchup. Yes, Kirk Ciarrocca & Co struggled on Saturday and RB depth is a concern. Still, this team is much better offensively than last season, when they finished 9-4.

The Key: Tanner Morgan

And that brings us to what matters most: Tanner Morgan. Given Minnesota’s depth issues in the backfield and the determination opponents have to stop the run, offensive productivity throughout the season will land on Tanner’s shoulders.

Michigan State challenged him and he made them pay. In return, the Gophers won easily. Purdue did the same thing, even with Ibrahim sidelined, and Morgan struggled. Thus, the Gophers failed to move the football consistently and lossed.

So, the jury is still out on Tanner Morgan. You know Illinois will force him to make plays in two weeks, when the Gophers resume their schedule after the bye week. How does Tanner respond?

More Optimism

Even with their struggles offensively, the Minnesota Gophers should have won yesterday. Mike Brown-Stephens dropped an easy TD that turned into an INT and Tanner Morgan was careless with the football. On top of that, the OL struggled throughout the day.

Great throw by Tanner. Michael Brown-Stephens has to catch that ball. #Gophers pic.twitter.com/NsutzCn3oy

— Noel Thompson (@N0ELTHOMPSON) October 1, 2022

These are the issues that are unlikely to be repeated. Morgan is never careless with the football, PJ Fleck’s wide receivers do not drop passes and the Gopher o-line is one of the best in the conference.

Most importantly, if we’re eyeing a Big Ten West championship, is the inadequecies plagueing the rest of the division. Wisconsin and Iowa both lost AGAIN yesterday and Minnesota’s biggest competion looks like Illinois, who they face in two weeks.

Yes, there’s reason for concern around Dinkytown. But overall, the Gophers are still in really great shape.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Jeff Brohm’s shiny new offense had posted 38 or more points in 4 of its last 5 games, going into the matchup. Oddsmakers saw a track meet (o/u: 58.5), even though the forecast called for snow. Instead, Rossi & Co punched the Boilermaker offense in the face for four-straight quarters, while Kirk Ciarrocca picked their defense apart. Final score: 41-10, Gophers win.

Brohm was 1-0 vs PJ Fleck, as a Big Ten rival, going into that late-season dual. Overall, Brohm was 2-0 against PJ (1-0 vs Fleck with W. Michigan). Since that victory, Fleck has beaten the Fighting Jeff Brohms three-straight times and now holds a 4-1 record vs Purdue as Minnesota head coach (4-2 overall).

Deeper than Purdue

But it wasn’t just the division rivalry vs Purdue that Joe Rossi helped turn around, on that snowy night in Dinkytown. That win and the arrival of Rossi turned the tide on PJ Fleck’s program at the University of Minnesota. The Gophers lost the following week, to the eventual Big Ten West champions (Northwestern: 14-24). then closed out the season with two more dubs.

The defense dominated Wisconsin (37-15), in Madison, to close out the regular season. Then, they suffocated Georgia Tech’s (34-10) triple option offense in the Quick Lane Bowl a month later. In 2018 the Gophers were 4-5 with Robb Smith as DC; 3-1 under Rossi.

Then, 2019 happened. Minnesota went 11-2 and beat Auburn (31-24) in the Outback Bowl. That made the PJ Fleck and the Gophers 14-3 with Joe Rossi as defensive coordinator. The last two years haven’t been as successful, from a record standpoint. But that was more of a Mike Sanford problem, it appears, than an anything else problem.

Joe Rossi + PJ Fleck

Zoom out even further, PJ Fleck held a 9-12 record with Smith as his defensive coordinator. Since Joe Rossi took the reigns (mid-2018 to current), the Minnesota Gophers are 30-11. Now, time accounts for some of those wins. Fleck’s program was a lot younger, when Robb Smith was DC.

But the change under Rossi has been monumental. Minnesota went from a defense that gave up 40-50 burgers on the regular, to one that opponents are lucky to score 10 on. And yes, the Gopher offense has been high powered through four games this season and ripped up the Big Ten in 2019. But outside of some hiccups in 2020, it’s been the defense that has kept this program afloat in harder times offensively.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

➡️ Undefeated and 4-0 ATS
➡️ 183-24 point differential
➡️ Averaging 543 yds/game
➡️ Starting defense has allowed 3 points
➡️ 0 rush TDs allowed
➡️ Allowing 187 yds/game
➡️ 40:35 avg time of possession

Row the boat ski u mah go gophers 〽️ https://t.co/onBOFPMWHh

— Barstool Gophers (@BarstoolUMN) September 28, 2022

The Minnesota Golden Gophers (@GopherFootball) have allowed under 280 total yards in 11 consecutive games, dating back to last season. pic.twitter.com/dNFv3ZU3R8

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) September 27, 2022

And I don’t want to alarm anyone with this stat, but it feels wrong not to share it. With Kirk Ciarrocca and Joe Rossi at PJ Fleck’s side, the Minnesota Gophers football team is 18-3. I’m counting the Outback Bowl because Kirk may not have been there, but it was his offense the Gophers ran.

Enjoy Joe Rossi While He’s Here

The Gophers’ dominance on defense goes beyond wins/losses and statistics. If you prefer anecdotal evidence, talk to Rossi’s players. He’s nicknamed “The Guru” because he remembers everything and he’s always considered the smartest guy in the room. What’s even better about him? He hates that nickname.

Here’s a clip from PJ Fleck defending Rossi, when things were going sideways in 2020. Below it is a 2021 quote from linebacker Mariano Sori-Marin, about his DC’s steel-trap of a brain.

Joe Rossi's not getting fired. #Gophers pic.twitter.com/QuJ3rA3brz

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) November 2, 2020

“He is the walking library of plays. He can watch a play in practice and say the Sam linebacker … sheds (a block) early and the ball bounces. He can go back in time and tell you exactly when that happened in game, a 10-year-old play. He’ll be like, ‘I will tell you a time Indiana was playing Ohio State in 2017 and their Sam linebacker did the exact same thing and the ball bounced for a 40-yard touchdown. It’s just funny because guys get a little chuckle out of it. It’s true because sometimes he’ll pull up the play and show us.” — Mariano Sori-Marin (via Pioneer Press)

There’s some bitterness to writing this blog about how great Joe Rossi is. Blogs and articles just like this one are sure to hit the world wide web frequently over the next couple of months. Hype that is likely to push Rossi into a head coaching job this offseason. And he’ll deserve it.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

So if you’re attending Saturday’s home-opener in-person, know whether your section is wearing “gold” or “maroon”. Suggestion for U of M Athletics: Next time your promotions team comes up with an idea like this, the budget should probably be deep enough to provide the fan attire needed to pull it off.

The stripe out is secondary to what happens on the field, though. And under PJ Fleck (and throughout most of history), the Minnesota Gophers have mostly dominated (4-1) the Boilermakers. Four wins over a Big Ten team is tied, with Nebraska and Illinois, for PJ’s high as Gophers head coach (according to the media notes sent out by Gopher Football this week).

So, how does Fleck & Co grab that 5th dub over the Fighting Jeff Brohms? Let’s take a look.

1.) Slow (WR) Charlie Jones

Charlie Jones might be the best wide receiver in the Big Ten and nobody would have known had he not transferred from Iowa to Purdue last offseason. Jones’ 41 receptions through four games is BY FAR the most in the conference — 2nd: Cam Camper – Indiana (33). He’s number one in yards (533) and touchdowns (7) too.

There’s one man that sits on the @bigten record list for both the most receptions and reception yards in the first four games of the season.

That man is @BoilerFootball‘s Charlie Jones. ????

???? @CountryMark pic.twitter.com/Hm9qx5oOXw

— Purdue On BTN (@PurdueOnBTN) September 26, 2022

If Brohm has to, he will force the ball to Charlie Jones, who has 52 targets (PFF) on the season, more than double Payne Durham’s 25, which sits 2nd on the team. Durham is a tight end, though. Next in line for wide receiving targets is 17, where both TJ Sheffield and Tyrone Tracy sit. That means Jones gets three passes thrown his way before any other WR gets one.

In other words, the 2022 Boilermakers have not shown they can pass the football with success, unless it’s thrown to Charlie Jones. Joe Rossi and the Gopher defense will do their best to force them elsewhere on Saturday.

2.) Stay Aggressive on Offense

Under PJ Fleck, the Minnesota Gophers are going to run the football and control the clock, especially against teams like Purdue, who like to beat themselves with over-aggressiveness on offense. But this weekend, Fleck needs to let Tanner Morgan and Kirk Ciarrocca continue to cook.

Mo Ibrahim and the Minnesota running game has been great for the last five years. What’s held the Gophers back in years other than 2019, is their passing game. But in 2022, that script has flipped. Tanner Morgan has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country and his effectiveness is the main factor to four blowout victories to begin the season.

If the Boilermakers pack the box with defenders, the Gophers need to make them pay. Just like they did last week vs Michigan State, when Morgan went 23/26 for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns. A performance that earned him Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.

3.) Stay Focused

Confidence is necessary to success. Overconfidence often destroys it. The Minnesota Gophers showed the college football world, last weekend, that they could be a REAL problem in the Big Ten this season. Now that everyone is paying attention, focus can naturally wander.

The Gophers should be feeling themselves. They’re the only team, other than Alabama, that currently ranks in the top-15 nationally, in both scoring offense (45.8 PPG – 11th) and scoring defense (6.0 PPG – 2nd). They also rank in the top-15 in total offense (543.0 YPG – 3rd) and total defense (187.8 YPG – 1st), too. Alabama and Georgia are the only other schools who can boast about that.

So, PJ Fleck & Co should be confident. They have a really, really good team. But in the Big Ten, you need to bring it each and every week. Luckily, the Gophers’ head coach takes the “one week at a time” mantra to an extreme level, labeling every week its own “Championship Season”.

If there’s any team that won’t be allowed to feel themselves too much, it should be the Minnesota Gophers.

Prediction

The ELITE Minnesota defense slows Charlie Jones and reels in multiple interceptions. Morgan goes for over 250 yards again and Mo Ibrahim adds a couple hundred (or so) more yards to his Heisman candidacy. Touchdowns everywhere. Gophers win big, 42-17.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Much like a surprise visit to Dairy Queen after a big 4th-grade flag football win, Gopher fans got a little dessert when their undefeated rivals to the south, the Iowa Hawkeyes, were routed by the Purdue Boilermakers. The defeathering was nationally televised on ABC.

That means the Hawkeyes (3-1) have the same number of Big Ten losses as the Gophers (2-1), though Minnesota is undefeated (2-0) against West teams, while Iowa is now 2-1. For some reason, victory drinks tonight in Dinkytown will taste just a little bit better.

PURDUE UPSETS NO. 2 IOWA, 24-7 ????

The Boilermakers snap the Hawkeyes’ 12-game win streak

David Bell: 11 REC, 240 YDS ???? pic.twitter.com/LW8ghQOtgE

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 16, 2021

Picked off, Purdue.@BoilerFootball can really feel it, now, at No. 2 Iowa. pic.twitter.com/resddaN4Vy

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

Wild Wild West

The Big Ten West has been an absolute roller coaster so far in 2021. Many, myself included, counted the Gophers out when they lost to Bowling Green during non-conference play. Even in the West, where the gap between competition is smaller than ever, I didn’t think it was possible to lose vs an FCS team and recover to play in the Big Ten Championship.

But, it’s quite possible I doubted PJ Fleck when I shouldn’t have. If any team can recover from that type of devastating loss, it’s probably a Fleck-led team that rows through everything, no matter how rough the waters.

Don’t look up now, because it’s been just two games since that embarrassing L vs BGSU and the Minnesota Gophers are riding a two-game Big Ten West winning streak and sitting 2nd in the division standings. Just one Iowa loss away from a chance at the top spot.

Big Ten West standings as of Saturday evening ???? pic.twitter.com/h4aBroCnQE

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 16, 2021

Upcoming Schedule

Want some more good news? You’d might as well fill up on it because we all know how quickly karma swings in this state.

Minnesota’s upcoming schedule is one of the easiest in the Big Ten. Over the next three weeks, they will play all Big Ten bottom-dwellers. First the Gophers will welcome (4-2) Maryland Terrapins, whose record looks pretty good. But, they’ve played just two good teams on the season, losing 51-14 to Iowa and 66-17 to Ohio State a week later.

After the “Maryland Season”, PJ Fleck will take his team up to Chicago to play in (3-3) Northwestern’s empty Stadium before coming back to Minneapolis to play (2-5) Illinois. None of those games are sure victories but they’re matchups Minnesota should be favored in.

Iowa gets to think about their first loss over a bye, next week. They’ll take that negative energy out in Madison vs Wisconsin and in Evanston vs Northwestern the next two weeks after, before the Gophers and Hawkeyes meet at Kinnick Stadium on November 13. We’ll see where the standings shake out then.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Going home with a W! pic.twitter.com/uGh8f04GzZ

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) October 2, 2021

Tanner Morgan

The Gophers got their first Big Ten win of the season and moved to 1-1 in conference play, 3-2 overall. That means we’ll see Tanner Morgan as the starting quarterback when play resumes vs Nebraska two weeks from now. But that doesn’t mean his play impressed those watching. The coaching staff, again, wasn’t willing to let Tanner sink or swim their chances of winning. He could have sealed it, late, but Fleck chose to trust his defense instead. It paid off, but more on that momentarily.

Mike Sanford and PJ Fleck did make an obvious effort, however, to push the ball down the field in bigger bunches, something they’ve been dreadful at all season. It worked, at times, but Morgan struggled with his long-ball accuracy again. Michael Brown-Stephens made two nice catches for Monster gains on Saturday but had to make pretty major adjustments to both while they were in the air.

After the game, I asked Tanner about his performance. You could tell in his answer that he expects more. He’ll celebrate the win and what he did well, as he should. Winning DI power five football games is hard. But the Gophers will need more out of their Senior QB if 2021 is going to end in success.

#Legend@MikeBStephens7 // @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/2wSroJBCN8

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) October 2, 2021

I asked Tanner Morgan how he felt about his performance vs Purdue. You can tell he’s a bit torn with his answer. #Gophers pic.twitter.com/qAl4bUkEq4

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 2, 2021

Wildcat in the clutch

With the game hanging in the balance late and the rain coming down at its hardest of the day, Fleck decided to run his wildcat on the last Gophers drive of the game. It was smart. Purdue knew they were going to run the clock out. So, why not force them to respect two rushers?

Cole Kramer played the Wildcat QB position and used a few different running backs to pound the rock for ten-straight plays. They ate up 4:37 of game time and pushed the ball to Purdue’s 20-yard line, before eventually settling for a Matthew Trickett field goal and a 7-point (20-13) lead.

Now let’s get back to the coaching staff’s trust in Tanner Morgan. A Gophers’ first down on that last 3rd-and-5 (from the Boilermakers’ 20-yd-line with 2 minutes to play) could have sealed the game. Instead, Purdue finally figured the Wildcat out and got the ball back with 1:46 remaining and a chance to tie. It wouldn’t matter. After giving up a couple chunk plays, the defense came through again and Tyler Nubin ended it on this interception. So, correct call by Fleck, right?

I’m not so sure. No matter how well your defense is playing, the Minnesota Gophers’ offensive playbook needs to have something in it for Tanner Morgan in that situation. If the look isn’t open, he can throw it away and Trickett kicks the same field goal with a bit more time on the clock. Nothing hurt. If you can’t trust your Senior QB in that situation then when can you?

INT‼️ pic.twitter.com/46vItntmdS

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) October 2, 2021

Defense

Speaking of the defense, they were the story of this game and the brightest side for this Minnesota Gophers team heading into a bye week. Purdue hasn’t had the high-powered and big scoring offense that we’ve seen from them in the past but they still have a solid quarterback and some deadly weapons at receiver.

Their biggest threat, David Bell, had to clear concussion protocol after a jarring hit last week. Not only was he able to suit up. Bell added another 6 catches and 120 yards onto his season totals, which now sit at 27 catches for 439 yards. But, he wasn’t able to get in the end zone, which was a theme for the defense on Saturday.

The Boilermakers posted 154 more total yards than the Gophers on Saturday (434 vs 290) but only posted 13 points. Purdue QB, Aiden O’Connell, threw 52 times and completed 34 of them (65%). Still, he was only able to average 10 yards per completion. PJ Fleck said after the game that he doesn’t like to use the football defensive mannerism of “bend but don’t break”, yet that’s exactly what his defense was in West Lafayette today.

And it worked out perfectly.

Now what?

Now, the Minnesota Gophers will rest for a couple weeks and pick play back up vs Nebraska on October 16 at Huntington Bank Stadium. The Huskers host Northwestern tonight on Big Ten Network and then Michigan next week on ABC.

To win that game, Fleck’s squad will have to play better offensively than what we’ve seen the last couple times out and a lot of this season. To do that, Tanner Morgan will have to be more consistent.

If the defense can keep the offense in games, like they have the last two weeks, then anything is possible for this season. That’s if the offense can wake up.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Gophers took to their home Huntington Bank Stadium turf and got smacked around by a ‘group of five’ team that hadn’t beaten a ‘power five’ school since 2019. The maroon and gold looked underprepared and shocked with the type of tenacity brought by the BGSU defense. But the ugliest part of last weekend’s nightmare happened whenever Tanner Morgan dropped back to throw the football.

Tanner Morgan’s No Good, Very Bad Day

Tanner doesn’t deserve all of the blame for his poor play. The veteran-laden offensive line that’s supposed to keep him cozy-warm in the pocket vs MAC opponents wouldn’t have stopped seven middle-schoolers last weekend. But guess what? If you can’t muster better than 5/13 for 59 YDS, 2 INT’s and a lost fumble, nobody is going to care about your o-line play.

Even as badly as the Gophers played on Saturday, Tanner Morgan still had the ball in his hands late in the 4th quarter, down just four points, with chances to lead his team down the field to victory. And to the very last possession, fans thought it would happen.

Why not? Morgan has proven more than capable in those situations, even when he and the rest of the team rode the struggle bus for three quarters. In 2019 vs SDSU, Georgia Southern and Fresno State, Tanner threw Minnesota to 4th quarter victories.

But vs Bowling Green a week ago, instead of a point-producing, game-winning drive, Tanner threw two ugly interceptions that sealed the loss. Both were thrown with under two and a half minutes to play.

Tanner Morgan….YIKESpic.twitter.com/NMAmZiWUMP

— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) September 25, 2021

Tanner Morgan throws an INTERCEPTION!!! Bowling Green can almost kill the clock but Minnesota has one timeout left. pic.twitter.com/I0I3z7H4L6

— Sickos Committee (@SickosCommittee) September 25, 2021

Who lacks confidence?

I’m struggling to understand who lacked more confidence against Bowling Green; Tanner Morgan when he dropped back to throw OR Fleck and Sanford when they called plays? It’s clear that head coach, PJ Fleck and offensive coordinator, Mike Sanford, did not trust Morgan to throw them to victory. Even against a much lesser opponent.

Obviously, throwing just 13 times in a game where you trailed throughout, speaks volumes. But specific plays tell the story in more detail. Late in the 3rd quarter with the Gophers down 10-7, for example, the Minnesota offense had the ball at the BGSU 33 yard line. It was 3rd and 6 yards. Instead of trusting their senior QB to throw them a huge first down, Fleck and Sanford opted to run the ball. They were stuffed for a 1-yard loss. Matt Trickett missed the 52 yard field goal one play later.

It’s these types of calls that show an obvious lack of trust in Tanner Morgan and contribute to a day where he only threw the football 13 times.

Sink or Swim vs Purdue

So it’s time to take the training wheels off of Tanner Morgan, whether he’s ready or not. The coaching staff needs to show their confidence in him by putting more weight of the outcome on his shoulders. At this point, if you can’t trust Morgan then it’s time to turn to the next guy in line. Since losing OC Kirk Ciarrocca and wide receivers, Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman, the Kentucky kid’s failed to produce results worthy of a power 5 QB.

With your star running back, Mohamed Ibrahim, out and defenses keying to stop the run, trusting Tanner’s arm is a very logical offensive game plan. So PJ Fleck and Mike Sanford should scheme and call a game that is much more balanced vs what we witnessed last weekend.

Both guys have talked this week about doing exactly that, while still staying true to themselves. We’ll see if that actually happens. And if it does, we’ll indeed see whether or not Tanner Morgan is the right guy to lead the Minnesota Gophers going forward. I’ll be in the press box at West Lafayette when we find out. My first road game as a big j. Hopefully it’s a W.

PJ Fleck said the same types of things on his radio show yesterday. Hopefully this means sink or swim time for Tanner Morgan.

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) September 29, 2021

Heard West Lafayette is nice this time of year figured I’d find out for myself. #Gophers pic.twitter.com/t958YIbczk

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) September 29, 2021

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Richard Pitino’s 2020-21 Minnesota Gophers have become the epitome of an enigma, as this weird af NCAA basketball season continues to unfold before our eyes.

We’re talking about a team that’s winless on the road this year (0-4), but up until last weekend, was undefeated at home (now 11-1). A team that has shooters who start at all five positions, but can’t shoot. Yet, the Gophers are still a team that can beat anyone in the country, on any given night, if they show up and hit a few shots.

Only these eight teams have 4+ Quad 1 wins this season ????

Who will finish with the most? pic.twitter.com/iyTAEBv651

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 25, 2021

Well, they will tip-off at 6:30 Saturday night against the Purdue Boilermakers and it’s one of their biggest games of the season. The must(ish)-win nature of the game is self-inflicted. They took that first home “L” at The Barn exactly one week ago vs 9-7 (3-6) Maryland, and need to make up for it with their first “W” on the road.

A loss puts Top-25 in Jeopardy

The Golden Gophers enter Saturday ranked #21 (AP) in the nation. They fell there from #17, after the Maryland loss and didn’t play another game this week. There’s no guarantee they remain in the Top-25 if they were to lose again tonight.

They’ve already dropped to #31 in the KenPom rankings and need a road win to gain any traction in the NET, where they still only rank #38.

A loss would be their fourth in five games and their fifth in their last seven. It would also mean starting the easiest portion of their Big Ten schedule 0-2, after going 4-4 vs all top-25 teams to start conference play.

A win puts season back on track

But a win would flip the script. It’d give Minnesota their first road victory of the season and it would come over a legitimate Big Ten team. Purdue might not be ranked, but they’re no scrub.

At 11-6 (6-4), the Boilermakers rank ahead of the Gophers in both the KenPom (#29) and NET (#30) rankings. Purdue is also the favorite to win tonight’s matchup (-2.5).

Coming out on top would vault Pitino’s squad up the KenPom, but especially up the NET rankings. It’d also prove their loss vs Maryland as more of a fluke than their recent victory over (#7) Michigan.

Win or lose, the Gophers will still be projected as an easy NCAA at-large bid. As of yesterday, they were projected as a #6 seed by Joe Lunardi (ESPN).

The #Gophers enter Saturday night's game @ Purdue projected as a #6 seed in March by @ESPNLunardi. pic.twitter.com/KOVuLAJMSC

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) January 30, 2021

Notes on Purdue Game

The Boilermakers are down their best outside scorer, Sasha Stefanovic, and they don’t really have anyone else. So, if both teams are bad from the outside, which Minnesota has been all year long (especially on the road), then this could be an ugly one to watch. If one team shoots well, this could (also) be an ugly one to watch.

I’m going to go out on a HUGE limb here and predict a Gabe Kalscheur revenge game. I don’t know why but something tells me today is the day Gabe finally catches fire. If that happens, we party.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan