Indiana is back in Bloomington for a late-afternoon Halloween game, and the setup looks familiar in one key way: the No. 4 Hoosiers are expected to be in control.
Minnesota comes to Memorial Stadium on Saturday with a 5-2 record and a résumé that has some real bite to it. The Golden Gophers handled Iowa 13-10 over the weekend, also beat Michigan 20-14 and won at Washington 27-24. But they’ve also taken some jarring hits, including a 28-point loss at Purdue and a 25-point home loss to Mississippi State.
The teams haven’t seen each other since 2021, when Minnesota rolled to a 35-14 win. The Gophers lead the all-time series 40-26-3, and Indiana has dropped four straight in the matchup.
The Hoosiers’ last win over Minnesota came in 2007. Among Big Ten teams, Minnesota is one of only three that IU does not currently have an active winning streak against; USC and Ohio State are the others.
Minnesota is coached by P.J. Fleck, now in his 10th year in charge.
Fleck is 101-68 overall as a head coach, including his four seasons at Western Michigan before arriving in Minneapolis. He has guided the Gophers to five straight bowl games and seven bowls in the last eight seasons, and they’ve won all seven.
In conference play, he owns a winning Big Ten record at 42-41.
The Gophers’ offense has been uneven. Greg Harbaugh, Jr. is in his fourth season as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator, and he has worked with Fleck on and off for more than a decade. The numbers reflect the inconsistency: Minnesota ranks 83rd in scoring offense at 26.6 points per game, 132nd in rushing offense and 75th in passing.
Defensively, Minnesota has been steadier. Co-defensive coordinators Danny Collins and Nick Monroe are in their second and fourth years, respectively, and the unit allows 20.1 points per game, good for 34th nationally. The Gophers have been tougher against the pass, where they rank 11th, than against the run, where they sit 44th.
PFF places Minnesota at No. 95 on offense and No. 39 on defense.
Quarterback Drake Lindsey is in his second year as the starter and has completed 63.5% of his passes for 1,472 yards with nine touchdowns and six interceptions. The 6-foot-5 quarterback has also carried the ball 19 times for minus-24 yards, including sack adjustment, and he has not scored a rushing touchdown. Minnesota has given up just seven sacks for 44 yards.
Even with a respectable opponent coming to town, the forecasts lean heavily toward Indiana. As of Monday morning, the Hoosiers were listed around a 19.5-point favorite.
ESPN’s FPI gives Indiana a 96% chance to win, with IU at No. 6 in the model and Minnesota at No. 65.
ESPN’s SP+ projects a 34-11 Indiana victory and puts the Hoosiers at a 92% chance to win.
The early weather report for Saturday calls for cloudy skies, light wind, a 10% chance of rain, and temperatures expected to reach 72 degrees with a low of 57.
In Other News...
Indiana Gets A Josh Hoover Update Fans Needed Before Minnesota
Curt Cignetti offered a reassuring update on Josh Hoover as Indiana turns its attention to Minnesota, saying the quarterbacks injury is expected to improve in time for the next game. Its a timely bit of news for a team that has otherwise come through a physical stretch in pretty good shape, even as the grind of recent games has been felt on both sides of the ball.
Indianas defense has continued to do its job by keeping opponents out of the red zone when it matters most, and the special teams also drew praise after Billy Gowers and Nico Radicic stood out in the Michigan game. With that kind of week-to-week stability, the Hoosiers can at least enter the Minnesota matchup with a clearer picture of the pieces around Hoover, even if his final status still bears watching. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Starters Leave Hoosiers With A Real Debate Before Opening Night
Indianas exhibition win over Western Kentucky offered a useful first look at a team still sorting itself out before opening night. The Hoosiers trailed in the second half at the Ford Center, then leaned on a strong bench rally to flip the game and come away with a 79-74 victory. Three freshmen played a major role in the closing stretch, giving Indiana a glimpse of the kind of depth it may need as the real games begin.
The bigger takeaway may have been how much the result seemed to tilt once the reserves got involved. Western Kentucky got a huge night from Teagan Moore, who scored 30 points, but Indianas defense still managed to keep the Hilltoppers to 36.9% shooting overall. With the starters leaving the exhibition with some real questions still hanging, the Hoosiers now have a decision to make about how they want to line up when the season opens. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Showed Fans Something They Needed To See Late
Indiana wrapped up its preseason with a 79-74 win over Western Kentucky, a result that offered a little more than just another exhibition victory. After building a 3-0 record in the preseason, the Hoosiers got the kind of late push that can matter once games start counting, with a second-half run driven by strong minutes off the bench and noticeably better ball protection.
For a team still ironing out its identity before the opener against Eastern Illinois, that stretch was useful in ways the final score only hints at. Indiana had to work through a deficit late, then found enough composure and depth to turn the game back in its favor, a sign the roster can respond when the night gets tight. [Read more 🡒]