Run the North | Golden Gophers football

[ShireNiner]

Really starting to get going after some bumps through the early goings of the season. Turner is making the most of all of those carries.

We are finding a formula that will work for us.

Soapys stat box

another huge win. Brand hasn't been flashy, but that post touchdown was a laser

The man wanted stats, he now has the honor of having ShireNiner Nation naming stats after him. Brand is safe, better than Wittke was with the ball.

Just continue to feed Turner and he'll lead you to the promised land

My concern is Turner being burned out as the season goes on. I try to rotate carries but without giving him 25-30 touches, we have no chance.

[ShireNiner]

Week 5 in the CFB Universe: Manning drops from Heisman talk, Irish drop again and Buckeyes clear favorites


AJ Turner is becoming the clear Heisman frontrunner /ShireNiner PS5 Images


By:Steven Koenig
Week 5, 2026 | NCAAF

After a week of little movement in the top-25, week five gave us plenty to talk about. Arch Manning showed he is not the machine people (looking at your Paul Finebaum) thought he was, throwing three interceptions in a blowout loss to LSU. The collapse on Saturday night prime time has Manning dropping out of the top five for the Heisman race and has people questioning Lane Kiffin already in his first year with Texas. “Arch put up big numbers against lesser teams, when the lights were bright, he collapsed. That’s not the Heisman moment he was needing.” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit said as the game ended Saturday night. “Voters will not be forgetting tonight for a while.”

The other team at the top of the standings, Ohio State, proved they are the real deal this year. The Buckeyes hosted the Ducks, winning 31-26 in a game both quarterbacks looked less than impressive. The Buckeyes still found a way to win, getting three interceptions and over 130 yards on the ground between their backs.

Penn State fell to Minnesota and their Heisman leading running back, AJ Turner. Fans are now focused on James Franklin and if he can survive another season finishing outside the top-25. Penn State are currently unranked and fell to 1-3 on the season.

In the SEC, Alabama continues to struggle in Dabo Swinney’s first season, dropping to 2-2 after a loss to Arkansas. Dabo’s job is still safe, but the Crimson Tide fan base will not put up with this much longer if the former Tiger cannot find a way to turn things around.


Heisman watch
A.J. Turner, RB
What else is there to say about the Gopher back? Another 200 yard performance and now he is leading the nation in rushing by 224 yards. Turner is over the 1,000 yard mark after only four games with 140 carries and 1,064 yards.
Kevin Jennings, QB
Ranked fifth last week, Jennings shot up the charts after dominating Stanford, 38-3 with 229 yards, 1 TD and a rushing TD. Jennings is now at 1458 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions.
Conner Weigman, QB
A new name to the Heisman race, Weigman has Texas Tech up to 10 in the polls after beating Houston last week and throwing for over 400 yards. The big win puts Weigman as 21 touchdowns and only 3 picks this season.
Jaivian Thomas, RB
668 yards, 8 touchdowns, and only 108 carries would normally being a great stat line for five games but with the numbers Turner is putting up at running back, Thomas is just a name on the list with no chance to actually win this award.
Darian Mensah, QB
Everyone was wondering when Darian Mensah would be listed. Duke have continued to climb the rankings every week behind Mensah’s play and the 49-10 thrashing over 19th ranking Missouri was exactly the game Mensah needed to become a name. 4 total touchdowns in the win brings Mensah up to 14 on the year without a single turnover. Duke continues to shock everyone and that will only help Mensah’s case for a Heisman.


AP Top 25
1. Ohio State (4-0)
2. SMU (5-0)
3. Georgia (5-0)
4. BYU (5-0)
5. Florida (5-0)
6. Duke (4-0)
7. Michigan (4-0)
8. Texas A&M (3-1)
9. Oregon (4-1)
10. Texas Tech (5-0)
11. USC (5-0)
12. Texas (4-1)
13. Illinois (4-0)
14. Ole Miss (5-0)
15. Indiana (3-1)
16. Miami (3-2)
17. Louisville (3-1)
18. Clemson (5-0)
19. Missouri (4-1)
20. LSU (3-2)
21. Minnesota (3-2)
22. Nebraska (4-0)
23. Boston College (5-0)
24. Kentucky (3-2)
25. Notre Dame (3-3)




Steven Koenig is a senior writer for ShireNiner Nation covering College Football. He previously covered a variety of sports and events, including World Cups and Olympics, for MSNBC Sports. He is based in Boston, MA. Follow Steven on Twitter @SteviesFake.

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Comments

[The JZA]

A.J. Turner out for blood. Thousand in 4 is crazy work

[toysoldier00]

How are you feeling about Brand? Giving off multi year starter vibes?

[Soapy]

Canes are 3-2 but I got a stat box named after me and it kind of works with soap box double entendre

[ShireNiner]

A.J. Turner out for blood. Thousand in 4 is crazy work

He just keeps getting better but he does not seem that fast. Just great at cutting into holes.

How are you feeling about Brand? Giving off multi year starter vibes?

For sure, he is going to be a star if he sticks around and we keep improving the passing. I like how easy he moves around and how he can throw while moving.

Canes are 3-2 but I got a stat box named after me and it kind of works with soap box double entendre

It has a nice ring to it as well, might just become a staple of ShireNiner Network. In honor of the chise goat.

[redsox907]

It has a nice ring to it as well, might just become a staple of ShireNiner Network. In honor of the chise goat.

Soap da homie from way back, but you got something on your chin brodie

[ShireNiner]

It has a nice ring to it as well, might just become a staple of ShireNiner Network. In honor of the chise goat.

Soap da homie from way back, but you got something on your chin brodie

i give credit where due. I said a month ago he was the GOAT but also said you are on pace to be the future goat in the chat.

Unless I decided to take the honors off Caesar myself next year.

[ShireNiner]

By the Numbers: AJ Turner’s Historic Season Is on Record-Shattering Pace


Making a Heisman case for Gophers running back/ShireNiner PS5 Images

By: Aiden “AJ” Wexler
Week 6, 2026 | Bye Week


Minnesota’s bye week gives the program a chance to reset, heal, and prepare for a brutal Big Ten stretch. But it also gives everyone a moment to appreciate the extraordinary season unfolding in front of them — because AJ Turner isn’t just having a great year. He’s putting together one of the most statistically dominant starts any running back in modern college football has ever had.

Through five games, Turner has:
140 carries
1,064 rushing yards
7.6 yards per carry
9 rushing touchdowns
8 runs of 20+ yards
284 yards after contact
Longest run: 79 yards

Those numbers by themselves are elite. But when placed in context — both program-wide and nationally — they become historic. Turner is on pace for a season that could obliterate Minnesota records, challenge long-held Big Ten marks, and even enter NCAA single-season conversations that almost never change.

Minnesota Records: Turner Is Tracking Toward the Top Spot

Minnesota has produced some truly great backs over the last two decades — Marion Barber III, Laurence Maroney, Rodney Smith, David Cobb, and Mo Ibrahim. Turner’s current pace puts him ahead of all of them.

Single-Season Rushing Yards (Minnesota)
Record: Mo Ibrahim, 2022 — 1,665 yards
Turner’s Pace: 1,064 yards in 5 games
Projected (12 games): ~2,556 yards

No Gopher has ever sniffed 2,000 yards. Turner is on pace to surpass it comfortably.

Single-Season Rushing Touchdowns
Record: Gary Russell, 2005 — 18 TD
Turner’s Pace: 9 TD in 5 games
Projected: ~21 TD

Most 200-yard Games in a Season
Turner already has three, tied for fourth-most in a single Gopher season.
Record: Mo Ibrahim (2021) — four
Turner could break that before Halloween.

Big Ten Records: Turner Is Threatening the Conference’s Immortals

The Big Ten is legendary for its running backs — Archie Griffin, Eddie George, Ron Dayne, Saquon Barkley, Melvin Gordon. Few have matched Turner’s early production.

Big Ten Single-Season Rushing Yards
Record: Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin (2014) — 2,587 yards
Turner’s current pace (with bowl): ~2,700+ yards

Big Ten Single-Season Rushing TD
Record: 29 (Blanchard, Wisconsin, 1942; some modern backs in the mid-20s)**
Turner’s pace: ~21 TDs

Big Ten Yards Per Game
Turner is averaging 212.8 yards per game, which would break the conference record for any back not named Melvin Gordon or Larry Johnson — and he’s doing it against stacked boxes.

NCAA Records: Turner Is Entering Rarefied Air
Only a handful of backs in college football history have approached Turner’s projected totals.

NCAA Single-Season Rushing Yards
Record: Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State (1988) — 2,628 yards
Turner’s projected pace with 13 games: ~2,778 yards

NCAA 200-yard Games in a Season
Record: 5 (several players)
Turner already has three through five games.

NCAA Rushing Yards Per Game
Sanders’ 1988 season averaged an impossible 238.9 YPG. Turner’s average of 212.8 puts him in the top 5 all time.

This is not normal territory. This is Heisman territory.

What did you think of this story?

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Aiden “AJ” Wexler is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering Minnesota Gophers Football. He previously covered local high schools in the Minneapolis area. He is based in Minneapolis, MN. Follow AJ on Twitter @AidensFake.

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Comments

[Soapy]

It has a nice ring to it as well, might just become a staple of ShireNiner Network. In honor of the chise goat.

Soap da homie from way back, but you got something on your chin brodie

i give credit where due. I said a month ago he was the GOAT but also said you are on pace to be the future goat in the chat.

Unless I decided to take the honors off Caesar myself next year.

the brand is strong.