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Minnesota thrives in an era of bowl opt-outs, even when a national championship is out of reach. These Golden Gophers dig the postseason. Jalen Smith scored his second touchdown on a diving 12-yard catch in the first overtime and Minnesota extended its postseason winning streak to nine games with a 20-17 win over New Mexico in the Rate Bowl on Friday. Minnesota’s bowl winning streak - seven straight under coach P.J. Fleck - matches Southern California and Utah for second-longest all-time, behind Florida State’s 11 in a row from 1985-95. A year after Kansas State beat Rutgers 44-41 in the Rate Bowl, the 2025 version turned defensive in the desert - until a flurry early in the fourth quarter. Minnesota (8-5) went up 14-6 when Darius Taylor scored on a 5-yard touchdown run, but Damon Bankston returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. New Mexico's 2-point conversion on a trick play tied the game at 14-all. The teams returned to trading punts, sending the game to overtime at Chase Field, home of baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks.

New Mexico (9-4) failed to get a first down on the opening possession and Luke Drzewiecki kicked a 36-yard field goal. The Gophers and their fans then got to celebrate Smith's spectacular touchdown twice - once live, the other after an official review confirmed the catch. New Mexico had its chances and took a couple more that failed. It didn't work out, but the Lobos took quite a step forward in coach Jason Eck's first season. A team picked to finish 11th in the 12-team Mountain West Conference, New Mexico went undefeated at home for the first time since 1962, beat a Power Four team (UCLA) for the first time since 2007 and played in a bowl game outside of Albuquerque for the first time since 2004. The Lobos earned a spot in their first bowl game since the 2016 New Mexico Bowl behind a vastly improved defense. Fourth-worst in the FBS a year ago, New Mexico climbed to No. 49 this season, allowing about 222 yards less in total defense. The Lobos shut down Minnesota for most of the first half, recovering a botched snap on a midfield fourth-and-1 attempt and holding the Gophers to 112 first-half yards. - Minnesota/AP College Football

(DS#35 WR) rFr/2029

WR Jalen Smith, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota/AP College Football
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11/29/25 - Drake Lindsey, rFr/2029, Minnesota, 6-4, 230 (DS#16 QB) + More +

P.J. Fleck celebrated his 45th birthday by crowd-surfing through the Minnesota locker room as players tossed him the air, finishing his ninth regular season with the program in jubilant fashion. The second-longest tenured coach in the Big Ten, Fleck has helped infuse the Gophers with some welcomed stability, a model of consistency that now includes partying with Paul Bunyan's Axe. Drake Lindsey threw a touchdown pass to Jameson Geers for the only second-half score in snow-globe conditions, and John Nestor had two interceptions and a fumble recovery for Minnesota in a 17-7 victory over Wisconsin on Saturday to keep possession of the axe and overtake the all-time series lead at 64-63-8. Darius Taylor had a 49-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter to get the Gophers going, and their defense rebounded from a rough month to limit the Badgers to one score for the second straight year in the 135th edition of the most-played rivalry in major college football history. Minnesota (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) has won five of the last eight matchups with Wisconsin (4-8, 2-7) after a 14-game losing streak that was the longest for either side. The Badgers, who missed a second straight bowl season after making 22 in a row, finished with their most losses since a 1-10 record in 1990.

With snow whitening the field and wind whipping through the air all afternoon, Lindsey completed 18 of 24 passes in a safe diet of screen plays and out routes for 90 yards. The redshirt freshman nailed his most important throw on third-and-7 from the 13 in the third quarter, floating a perfectly placed ball over the line so his trusty senior tight end could secure a jumping catch in traffic as he tumbled to the turf for a 10-point lead that might as well have been double that on this wintry day for a Badgers offense that entered the game with the second-fewest yards and points in the FBS. Carter Smith threw a fourth-and-goal touchdown pass to Jackson Acker with 21 seconds left in the first half, after Hunter Simmons set up the score with a 67-yard completion to Vinny Anthony. The Badgers despite the conditions broke their streak of six straight games under 100 passing yards. But for the ninth time this season, they were held under 300 total yards. - Minnesota/AP College Football

(DS#16 QB) rFr/2029

QB Drake Lindsey, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota/AP College Football
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11/29/25 - John Nestor, Jr/2027, Minnesota, 6-0, 205 (DS#16 FS) + More +

Though they failed to capitalize on Nestor's first two takeaways, the Gophers matched the plus-three turnover margin goal they set for themselves in practice during the week. The transfer cornerback from Iowa delivered interceptions on consecutive third quarter drives, just as the Badgers were starting to find success in the passing game that eluded them all season. Nestor darted in front of Trech Kekahuna for the pick and raced 68 yards before getting tackled by Simmons. Minnesota's season leader with five interceptions in 10 games, Nestor had two of his team-high-tying nine tackles in the game for loss. "He fits so well here," Fleck said. "He's the ultimate competitor." - AP College Football

(DS#16 FS) Jr/2027

FS John Nestor, Minnesota
News Source: AP College Football
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11/01/25 - Drake Lindsey, rFr/2029, Minnesota, 6-4, 230 (DS#16 QB) + More +

Drake Lindsey scored on a 3-yard run on third down in overtime after he had the tying rushing touchdown with 29 seconds left in regulation, and Minnesota kept Michigan State winless in Big Ten play with a 23-20 victory on Saturday. The Spartans (3-6, 0-6) took possession first in OT but had to settle for a 36-yard field goal by Martin Connington, who missed kicks from 46 and 23 yards in regulation, for a 20-17 lead. A pass interference penalty on Michigan State's Malcolm Bell on third-and-4 kept the drive alive for the Gophers (6-3, 4-2), and Lindsey capped the comeback when he faked a handoff and rolled left on a bootleg that put him one-on-one with Spartans linebacker Darius Snow. Lindsey stiff-armed Snow to get the corner and beelined for the front corner of the end zone. "It was really cool to see Drake kind of just put the ball in his hands and put the game on his shoulders," tight end Jameson Geers said. "He's a playmaker, and he went out and won the game for us." The Spartans, who had a season-high 467 total yards on offense, trailed 10-0 at halftime and took their first lead at 17-10 with 1:52 remaining.

Elijah Tau-Tolliver gained 85 yards on a first-down run, and Brandon Tullis ran it in from a yard out two plays later. But after Connington's kickoff went out of bounds, the Gophers got to start at the 35 with two timeouts. A facemask penalty on Michigan State's Jordan Hall got them going with a 15-yard boost, and a pass interference call on Malik Spencer on a second-and-1 incompletion from the 8 gave Minnesota first-and-goal from the 2 with 30 seconds left. Lindsey completed 26 of 39 passes for 197 yards. - Minnesota/AP College Football

(DS#16 QB) rFr/2029

QB Drake Lindsey, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota/AP College Football
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11/01/25 - Drake Lindsey, rFr/2029, Minnesota, 6-4, 230 (DS#16 QB) + More +

Drake Lindsey scored on a 3-yard run in overtime and Minnesota denied Michigan State its first Big Ten Conference win of the season with a 23-20 victory on Saturday. Michigan State (3-6, 0-6) had the ball first in OT but had to settle for Martin Connington's 36-yard field goal for a 20-17 lead. A pass interference call on third-and-4 kept the drive alive for Minnesota (6-3, 4-2) and Lindsey capped the rally when he scored on a third-and-goal rush to the left. It was a wild finish after the Golden Gophers took a 10-0 lead into halftime.

Fame Ijeboi gained 49 yards on a first-down rush up the middle and then capped a five-play, 63-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to give Minnesota (6-3, 4-2) a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter. The Golden Gophers sacked Alessio Milivojevic three times in the period, but the redshirt freshman completed seven of his first nine passes for 71 yards in his first start. Michigan State junior Aidan Chiles had made 20 consecutive starts, but coach Jonathan Smith turned to Milivojevic after a rough start in conference play. Brady Denaburg kicked a 30-yard field goal in the second quarter but missed one from 33 with 17 seconds left as Minnesota built a 10-point lead at halftime. Milivojevic found Rodney Bullard Jr. along the right sidelines for a 71-yard touchdown three plays into the third quarter to get the Spartans within 10-7. Michigan State took its first lead of the game at 17-10 with 1:52 remaining. Elijah Tau-Tolliver gained 85 yards on a first-down run and Brandon Tullis ran it in from a yard out two plays later. Lindsey used nine plays to move the Gophers 65 yards, scoring on a 2-yard run with 29 seconds remaining to send it to OT. Lindsey completed 26 of 39 passes for 197 yards, while Ijeboi totaled 108 yards on 17 rushes. - Minnesota/AP College Football

(DS#16 QB) rFr/2029

QB Drake Lindsey, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota/AP College Football
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10/17/25 - Darius Taylor, Jr/2027, Minnesota, 5-11, 215 (DS#3 RB) + More +

Darius Taylor ran for 148 yards and a touchdown, Drake Lindsey completed 16 of 20 passes for 153 yards and a score and Minnesota sacked quarterback Dylan Raiola nine times in a 24-6 victory over No. 25 Nebraska on Friday night. The Gophers (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) have won six straight against the Cornhuskers (5-2, 2-2), who fell short in their bid to win back-to-back road games in consecutive weeks for the first time since 2006. Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck improved to 7-1 against Nebraska, which hasn't won in Minneapolis since 2015. Raiola completed 17 of 25 passes for 177 yards for the Huskers, who spent part of a short week addressing rumors of coach Matt Rhule's candidacy for the vacant Penn State job.

Anthony Smith and Karter Menz each had 2 1/2 sacks for Minnesota. Aided by the program's most sacks since Fleck became head coach in 2017, the Gophers held Nebraska to a season-low 36 yards rushing. Lindsey found Le'Meke Brockington in the front corner of the end zone on a 20-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-6 with 2:36 left in the third quarter. A fourth-down defensive holding call kept the 98-yard, 14-play drive intact. A pass-interference penalty negated a Nebraska interception on Minnesota's next possession, capped by Taylor's 1-yard touchdown run. Minnesota led 7-6 at halftime thanks to a 1-yard, tush-push score by Lindsey 1:40 into the second quarter. Taylor's 71-yard run down the right sideline set up the touchdown and eclipsed the running back's 44 yards in the previous two games, his first since missing two contests with an injury. - Minnesota/AP College Football

(DS#3 RB) Jr/2027

RB Darius Taylor, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota/AP College Football
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10/11/25 - Koi Perich, So/2028, Minnesota, 6-1, 200 (DS#2 FS) + More +

Koi Perich returned an interception for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and Minnesota held on to defeat Purdue 27-20 on Saturday. Drake Lindsey threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns for the Golden Gophers (4-2, 2-1 in the Big Ten), who overcame deficits of 10-0 and 20-13. Ryan Browne threw for 203 yards and ran for 61 yards and a touchdown for Purdue (2-4, 0-3), who outrushed the Gophers 253-30 but were done in by numerous mistakes. Minnesota tied the game 20-20 midway through the fourth on a 14-play, 70-yard drive that ended in Lindsey's 4-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Geers. The drive was aided by two face mask penalties on the Boilermakers.

On the next play from scrimmage, Perich - a sophomore safety who made many preseason All-America lists - jumped in front of a Browne pass and returned it 27 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Browne then marched the Boilermakers all the way to Minnesota's 5-yard line, but a holding penalty pushed them back 10 yards and a fourth-down pass was broken up at the goal line by Jai'Onte' McMillan. Myles Slusher had six tackles, broke up two passes and intercepted another for the Boilermakers, who have lost four straight. - Minnesota/AP College Football

(DS#2 FS) So/2028

FS Koi Perich, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota/AP College Football
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09/29/25 - Drake Lindsey, rFr/2029, Minnesota, 6-4, 230 (DS#16 QB) + More +

WEEK 5 BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Drake Lindsey, Minnesota, QB - Fayetteville, Ark. - Fayetteville,...Completed 31-of-41 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns in Minnesota's 31-28 win against Rutgers...Led Minnesota on a seven-play, 72-yard drive over the course of 3:05 to give Minnesota the lead with a four-yard touchdown pass to Javon Tracy...His 31 completions were tied for the fifth most in program history and his 41 attempts were the fourth-most since 1995 without an interception...Since 1995, no Minnesota quarterback has completed 31 passes, attempted 41 passes, thrown for 324 yards and thrown for three touchdowns...Last Minnesota Freshman of the Week: Koi Perich (Oct. 28, 2024). - Big Ten Football

(DS#16 QB) rFr/2029

QB Drake Lindsey, Minnesota
News Source: Big Ten Football
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09/27/25 - Drake Lindsey, rFr/2029, Minnesota, 6-4, 230 (DS#16 QB) + More +

Drake Lindsay threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday as Minnesota rallied to defeat Rutgers 31-28. Playing with out their top two running backs, the Golden Gophers (3-1, 1-0 in the Big Ten) had problems establishing a ground game, rushing for just 35 yards. But Lindsay, their freshman quarterback, completed 31 of 41 passes, using the short passing game to control the clock and help Minnesota recover from a 14-0 deficit.

Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, who spent three years in the Minnesota program and was the Gophers' starter as a redshirt sophomore in 2023, threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Antwan Raymond rushed for a career-high 161 yards and two scores for the Scarlet Knights (3-2, 0-2). The Golden Gophers trailed 28-24 when they got the ball back with 6:24 to play. Lindsay went 6 for 7 for 72 yards and found Javon Tracy from 4 yards out to give Minnesota the lead. Rutgers then moved the ball to Minnesota's 26, but a miscommunication on a shotgun snap cost the Scarlet Knights 15 yards. Dane Pizzaro's game-tying field goal attempt from 56 yards was wide right. - Minnesota /AP College Football

(DS#16 QB) rFr/2029

QB Drake Lindsey, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota /AP College Football
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09/06/25 - John Nestor, Jr/2027, Minnesota, 6-0, 205 (DS#16 FS) + More +

John Nestor had a pick-six on the game's first offensive play and Minnesota scored five first-quarter touchdowns en route to overwhelming FCS Northwestern State 66-0 Saturday. With the severe weather in the area, the game ended with 6:15 left in the fourth quarter. Minnesota amassed 484 yards of offense and scored its most points in a game since 2001. Drake Lindsey was 8 of 9 for 139 yards in his five series. Ten running backs had carries, led by Grant Washington's 126 yards. However, Minnesota's top ballcarrier left the game early with an apparent injury. Darius Taylor ran out of bounds and immediately reached for the back of his right leg and fell to the ground. He gingerly walked back to the bench but did not return. The junior ran for 141 yards in a season-opening 23-10 win over Buffalo.

His presence was not needed against the Demons, who ended a 20-game losing streak by beating Alcorn State Aug. 28 and were playing a Big Ten foe for the first time in school history. Six seconds into the game, Nestor jumped an out route and returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown. A.J. Turner and Le'Meke Brockington had short rushing scores to make it 21-0 Minnesota less than 10 minutes into the game. Matt Kingsbury returned a fumble 25 yards to the end zone to make it 35-0 before the first quarter expired. The 35 points is the highest in any quarter by Minnesota since at least 1973, per the school. Eight Gophers scored first-half touchdowns and Brady Denaburg had a 27-yard field goal for a 59-0 halftime lead. Northwestern State finished with 42 yards of offense. - Minnesota/AP College Football

(DS#16 FS) Jr/2027

FS John Nestor, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota/AP College Football
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08/28/25 - Darius Taylor, Jr/2027, Minnesota, 5-11, 215 (DS#3 RB) + More +

Drake Lindsey passed for 290 yards and two touchdowns in his debut and Darius Taylor rushed for 141 yards on 30 carries to help Minnesota wear down Buffalo 23-10 in their season opener on Thursday night. Jameson Geers had four catches for 38 yards and a score and redshirt freshman Jalen Smith jogged into the end zone with a wide-open 60-yard reception that broke the game open early in the fourth quarter. New defensive coordinator Danny Collins had his group flying all over the field, as the Gophers stifled Bulls senior Al-Jay Henderson, a1 ,000-yard rusher last season, to 25 yards on 11 attempts. Ta'Quan Roberson, in his first start at quarterback after transferring from Kansas State, went 12 for 20 for 107 yards with a 40-yard touchdown pass to Victor Snow.

Lindsey, a redshirt freshman from Arkansas, finished 19 for 35 with one interception in the second quarter that was simply bad luck. Geers ran a crossing route into Mitchell Gonser's zone, when the linebacker delivered a hockey-style check that leveled the fifth-year tight end. Lindsey threw to where he expected Geers to be, and when his foot went airborne while his back hit the ground, the ball hit the top of it and bounced straight into Gonser's arms. Taylor tracked him down to save a touchdown and limit him to a 54-yard return. Brady Denaburg made all three of his field goal tries and two extra points in his first game for the Gophers after transferring from Syracuse, taking the edge off three stalled drives inside the 20-yard line. Another red-zone possession ended with a stuffed tush-push run by Geers on fourth-and-1 at the 11. - Minnesota/AP College Football

(DS#3 RB) Jr/2027

RB Darius Taylor, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota/AP College Football
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12/27/23 - Aireontae Ersery, rSr/2025, Minnesota, 6-6, 331 (DS#5 OT) + More +

2023 ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAM: OT Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota,...Ersery has started all 12 games at left tackle. According to PFF, he allowed just three sacks and 13 total pressures in 779 snaps on offense. He is the Big Ten's top-graded lineman at 81.0. That grade also ranks eighth among FBS tackles and 16th for all offensive linemen. Ersery also leads the Big Ten, is sixth among FBS tackles and 14th overall along the o-line with a run block grade of 80.6. - Minnesota Football

(DS#5 OT) rSr/2025

OT Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota Football
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12/27/23 - Daniel Jackson, rSr/2025, Minnesota, 5-11, 193 (DS#37 WR) + More +

2023 ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAM: Daniel Jackson, Minnesota,...Jackson led the team in receptions (57), receiving yards (831) and touchdowns (8) and he ranked third in the Big Ten in touchdowns and receiving yards and fourth in receptions. For his career, Jackson has played in 41 games and has made 131 catches (tied with Chris Autman-Bell for tenth in school history) for 1,822 yards (12th in school history) and 14 touchdowns (tied for 11th in school history with Chris Autman-Bell, Ryan Thelwell and Omar Douglas). - Minnesota Football

(DS#37 WR) rSr/2025

WR Daniel Jackson, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota Football
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12/27/23 - Tyler Nubin, Sr/2024, Minnesota, 6-1, 205 (DS#2 FS) + More +

2023 ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM: DB Tyler Nubin, Minnesota,...Nubin made 53 tackles this year and had five interceptions and four pass breakups. He ended his Gopher career with 13 career interceptions, which is the most in program history. - Minnesota Football

(DS#2 FS) Sr/2024

FS Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota Football
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12/27/23 - Dragan Kesich, rSr/2025, Minnesota, 6-4, 243 (DS#8 K) + More +

2023 ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM: Kicker Dragan Kesich, Minnesota,...Kesich led Minnesota in scoring with 90 points during the 2023 season. He made 22 field goals and was a perfect 24-of-24 on point-after attempts. He ranked eighth in the nation in field goals made (22), sixth in field goals attempted (26) and tied for 24th in field goal percentage (84.6%). - Minnesota Football

(DS#8 K) rSr/2025

K Dragan Kesich, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota Football
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