Run the North | Golden Gophers football

[ShireNiner]

Last year, after the bye, the Gophers won 7 straight. Can they repeat that this season? (ShireNiner PS5 images.)

Week 8 Preview: Indiana Hoosiers (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) at No. 8 Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten)

By: Aiden “AJ” Wexler | October 21, 2027
Minnesota Golden Gopher Reporter

When: Saturday, October 23, 2027
Time: 3:00 pm EST
Broadcast:
Where: Huntington Bank Stadium


Minneapolis— Minnesota is coming off the bye week knowing exactly what they need to do to reach all the goals they set out for themselves back in July. Win out, and they will be back in Indianapolis (barring some crazy Big Ten scheduling issues). Minnesota is past Ohio State, USC, and their normal stumbling block of Iowa. The part of their schedule that looked scariest when the season started. But the Gophers know what is ahead of them.

This week, it is Indiana, a team Minnesota barely escaped from in week 11 last year, 27-26.

The good news from that game is Fame Ijeboi went off for 78 yards on only 7 carries. Ijeboi was the backup last season and is now the main man in the backfield. We expect him to have a much bigger role this week and plenty more yards.

The Hoosiers are coming off back-to-back losses against ranked teams. Losing to UCLA by three and to Michigan by 32. Like Minnesota, Indiana has struggled with consistency this season. Depending on what defense shows up for James Franklin, this could turn into an ugly game early, or Minnesota could be in for a dog fight all afternoon.

Carter Smith, QB - 126/219, 57%, 1,1,623 yds, 15 TDs, 8 INTs, 9 times sacked, 119 rush yards
Jahlil Hageman, RB - 100 atts, 535 yds, 5.3 avg, 6 TDs
Dorian Rashed, WR - 29 rec, 398 yds, 3 TD
Seaonata Stewart, SS - 38 tlks, 1 TFL, 1 INT
Andrew Depaepe, REDG, 21 tlks, 9 TFL, 4 sacks


AJ Brand, QB - 117/198. 59%, 1,104 yds, 9 TDs, 9 INTs, 14 times sacked
Fame Ijeboi, RB - 91 atts, 578 yds, 6.4 avg, 6 TDs
Connor Malik, WR - 46 rec, 437 yds, 3 TDs
Kenric Lanier II, WR - 22 rec, 242 yds, 2 TDs
Mitch Horan, Mike - 48 tlks, 4 TFL. 1 INT
Vernon Woodward III, CB - 29 tlks, 3 TFL, 4 INTs, 8 DEFLs

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

[redsox907]

hand Cignetti another loss, tell em to google that

[Soapy]

fuck indiana up for me, gang

[ShireNiner]

hand Cignetti another loss, tell em to google that

Old man's gone, James Franklin took over... but either way.. they going down.

fuck indiana up for me, gang

The U let me down. I hate them as much as Indiana now.

[ShireNiner]

Next Man Up, Again: Gophers Survive Quarterback issues to beat Indiana


Gophers shut out the Hoosiers for three quarters, coming up with five sacks (ShireNiner PS5 images)

By: Bill Connelly | October 24, 2027
Writer, CFB/NFL

Minneapolis— If you feel like you’ve seen this game before, you aren't alone. For the second time this season, the Minnesota Golden Gophers watched their depth chart dissolve in real-time, losing both their starter and backup quarterback in the same game. Yet, just like last time tthe Gophers found a way to win.

Behind a "bend-but-don't-break" defense and a poised relief appearance from freshman Josh Bobo, No. 8 Minnesota (6-1) outlasted Indiana 21-13 on Saturday, proving that while their quarterbacks may be fragile, their defense is a steel wall.

The drama started almost immediately. On just the second play from scrimmage, starter AJ Brand connected on a 17-yard strike but took a hit in the process. Brand left the field clutching his shoulder and did not return, entering Dylan Wittke—himself returning from injury two weeks ago—into the game.

The chaos only intensified. On a crucial 3rd-and-2, Wittke scrambled for a first down but was leveled as he headed out of bounds, forcing him to the sidelines briefly. Enter the freshman, Josh Bobo. With the composure of a senior, Bobo capped the drive with a one-yard slant to Conner Malik, giving Minnesota an early 7-0 lead.

Wittke eventually returned and provided the game’s biggest play, exploiting a massive Indiana coverage bust to find Kenric Lanier II for a 63-yard touchdown. However, the physical toll became too much; by the third quarter, Wittke was ruled out for good, leaving the game to Bobo with a 14-0 lead.

While the offense stalled with the changes, the Minnesota defense delivered its best performance of the year. Indiana’s offense spent the first three quarters going three-and-out. The Hoosiers managed only 130 yards in the first half and failed even to pass the Minnesota 40-yard line, punting six times before the final quarter began.

The atmosphere shifted in the fourth quarter. With Minnesota playing cautiously on offense, Indiana sold out to stop the run and clawed back into the game with two Nico Radicic field goals. With the lead cut to 14-6 and momentum swinging toward the visitors, the Gophers needed a score.

They got it. Bobo led a six and a half minute drive that killed the clock and put the game out of reach. The freshman used his legs for a six-yard third-down conversion, found Malik again to move the chains, and even plunged forward for a one-yard fourth-down QB sneak. The game was put away when Grant Washington, the bruiser in the running back room, came in and went straight forward for eight yards and the game-sealing touchdown.

Indiana managed to close the gap late with a 63-yard screen pass touchdown from Carter Smith to Jahlil Hageman, but the clock left only a slim chance. A failed onside kick sealed the win, dropping the Hoosiers to .500 and keeping Minnesota’s path to the Big Ten Championship wide open.

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Scoring Summary
1st quarter
Connor Malik, 1 Yd pass from Josh Bobo, 6:03
Kenric Lanier II 63 Yd pass from Dylan Wittke, 3:14

4th quarter
Nico Radicic, 29 Yd FG, 11:34
Nico Radicic, 52 Yd FG, 11:34
Grant Washington, 8 Yd run, 1:56
Jahlil Hageman, 63 Yd pass from Carter Smith, 0:34

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Soapys' Box Score

Passing
AJ Brand - 1/1, 17 yds, left injured on the second play from scrimmage
Dylan Wittke - 10/17, 128 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 lost fumble, left injured in 3rd quarter
Josh Bobo - 4/ 5, 21 yds, 1 TD
Carter Smith - 16/29, 187 yds, 1 TD

Rushing
Fame Ijeboi - 21 atts, 148 yds, 7.0 avg
Xavier Ford - 13 atts, 33 yds, 2.5 avg
Grant Washington - 7 atts, 32 yds, 4.5 avg, 1 TD
Jahlil Hageman - 16 atts, 41 yds, 93 rec yds, 1 rec TD
Kellen Callow - 6 atts, 38 yds, 6 rec, 19 rec yds
Receiving
Connor Malik - 6 rec, 33 yds, 1 TD
Kenric Lanier II - 3 rec, 81 yds, 1 TD

Defense
Mitch Horan - 10 tlks, 1 TFL
Vernon Woodward III - 8 tlks, 2 DEFL, 1 TFL

Andrew Depaepe - 8 tlks, 4.5 sacks, 7 TFL
Byron Baldwin Jr - 8 tlks, 1 INT

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Bill Connelly is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering post-game news for College Football and Premier League Soccer. He previously worked at ESPN covering College Football, Tennis, and Soccer.

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Comments

[djp73]

no fernando no good

[ShireNiner]

Big Ten Week 8 Recap: The Gap Widens at the Top

By: Pat Forde | October 25, 2027
Big Ten Senior Writer

Week 8 saw a definitive separation in the Big Ten standings. As several top-tier programs asserted their dominance, others fell further behind in a highly competitive conference race. From Michigan’s statement win over Oregon to Minnesota’s gritty defensive stand against Indiana, here is the summary of scores and impact from the last week of action.

No. 1 Michigan 49, No. 7 Oregon 21: In a battle of favorites, the Wolverines proved why they hold the top spot in the conference. Michigan dismantled Oregon’s defense, handing the Ducks their first conference loss and extending their winning streak to five games.

No. 5 Minnesota 21, Indiana 13: Despite losing two quarterbacks to injury during the game, the Golden Gophers leaned on freshman Josh Bobo and a suffocating defense to stifle the Hoosiers. Minnesota remains tied for second in the loss column at 3-1 in conference play.

Penn State 35, Maryland 21: The Nittany Lions rebounded well at home, keeping pace with the conference leaders. Maryland continues to struggle, dropping their third straight game.

No. 12 Nebraska 48, Washington 7: The Cornhuskers remained the only team without an overall loss (7-0), steamrolling Washington in Seattle. Their +181 point differential leads the Big Ten by a wide margin.

No. 23 Michigan State 35, Ohio State 14: Sparty capitalized on a reeling Buckeyes squad, handing Ohio State their third straight loss and keeping their own championship hopes alive. Ryan Day has dropped to less than 60% to keep his position, according to Vegas.

Wisconsin 26, Northwestern 20: The Badgers ground out a close win over the Wildcats to move to 3-2 in Big Ten play, sitting just behind the cluster of leaders.

Illinois 24, No. 24 UCLA 17: The Fighting Illini pulled off a significant upset over a ranked Bruins team, moving back to .500 in conference play and ending UCLA's recent momentum.

Road to Indy
The race for Indianapolis is currently a two-team sprint at the top between Michigan and Nebraska, both sitting at 4-0 in Big Ten play. However, a four-team logjam at 3-1 (Oregon, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Penn State) ensures that every remaining week will have massive playoff implications. At the bottom of the table, Purdue and Rutgers remain winless in conference play, with Rutgers currently sitting in a six-game losing streak.


Big Ten Standings
1 Michigan (6-1, 4-0) Steve Sarkisian
12 Nebraska (7-0, 4-0) Kalen DeBoer
7 Oregon (6-1, 3-1) Kenny Dillingham
23 Michigan State (5-2, 3-1) Chuck Martin
5 Minnesota (6-1, 3-1) Mick Smith
Penn State (6-1, 3-1) Marcus Freeman
24 UCLA (6-2, 3-2) Patrick Scully
Wisconsin (5-3 3-2) Jason Candle
Illinois (4-3, 2-2) Bret Bielema
Maryland (4-3, 2-3) Brent Key
Washington (3-4, 2-3) Jedd Fisch
Northwestern (4-4, 2-3) Sonny Cumbie
Indiana (4-4, 2-3) James Franklin
USC (3-4, 2-3) Lincoln Riley
Ohio State (2-5, 1-3) Ryan Day
Iowa (2-5, 1-4) Mick Cloud
Purdue (1-6, 0-4) Butch Jones
Rutgers (1-6, 0-4) Grego Schiano

What did you think of this story?

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Pat Forde is a senior writer for ShireNiner Network who covers Big Ten Football. He cohosts the College Football Enquirer podcast and is a football analyst on the Big Ten Network. He previously worked for Yahoo Sports, ESPN, and The (Louisville) Courier-Journal.

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Comments

[djp73]

MICHIGAN

[redsox907]

just makes the Nebraska game even bigger. If you call to the Huskers kiss a 3rd straight B1G CCG goodbye

[Soapy]

thanks twin

still hurt