P.J. Fleck’s Minnesota program is suddenly looking a lot like the version that once had the college football world buzzing.
Back in 2019, Fleck pushed the Golden Gophers to an 11-2 record and a peak ranking of No. 7 with his “Row The Boat” message. Minnesota hasn’t been able to sustain that level since, and the program has not been in the AP Top 25 since the 2022 season. But after two straight statement wins, that drought feels a lot less permanent.
The latest one came at home, where Minnesota beat Michigan 20-14 in a tight defensive battle. The win followed last week’s trip West, where the Gophers knocked off Washington, and it gave Minnesota back-to-back victories that stand out as some of its biggest in a while.
It was a particularly notable result for the Gophers against Michigan. Minnesota had not beaten the Wolverines since 2014, and hadn’t taken one from them at home since 1977. This time, the defense did the heavy lifting, keeping Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood below a 50% completion rate and forcing two interceptions.
Now comes a stretch that will say plenty about how far this team can go.
Minnesota heads to Purdue next week, a game it should win before its Week 7 bye. After that, the schedule turns sharply.
The Gophers will face three straight ranked opponents in Weeks 8-10: No. 14 Iowa at home, No.
6 Indiana on the road, and No. 23 UCLA back in Minneapolis.
That three-game run will go a long way toward deciding whether Minnesota stays in the thick of Big 10 Championship talk or gets pushed out of the picture entirely. After what it just did against Washington and Michigan, though, this group has every reason to believe it can make some noise in that stretch, and maybe more than a little of it.
In Other News...
Jordan Marshalls Frustration Says Everything About Michigan Right Now
Jordan Marshalls postgame frustration after Michigans loss to Minnesota said plenty about where the Wolverines are right now. The running back didnt sugarcoat the mess on the field, pointing to the mistakes and the lack of cohesion that have made this stretch so hard to watch, and he made it clear the team cant afford to keep drifting through games without sharper execution or better accountability.
Marshall also framed the upcoming bye week as a chance for the roster to look inward and tighten things up. He said the players need to own their part, get more connected and play with more purpose, while also expressing trust that the coaching staff can make the necessary adjustments. For a Michigan team searching for answers, that blend of frustration and faith may be the clearest sign of how much work still remains. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan's Offense Has A Bigger Problem Than Fans Wanted To Admit
Michigans 20-14 loss to Minnesota dropped the Wolverines to 3-2 and reopened a conversation the program would rather avoid this early in the season. The defense did enough to keep the game within reach, but the issues on the other side of the ball were harder to ignore, especially with head coach Kyle Whittinghams timeout management and offensive coordinator Jason Becks scheme drawing scrutiny as the night wore on.
Bryce Underwoods performance only sharpened the concern, with two interceptions and a few missed opportunities leaving Michigan stuck without enough answers when it mattered most. For a team trying to steady itself after another frustrating result, the bigger problem looks less like one bad evening and more like an offense that has yet to find a reliable identity. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Fans Have A Bigger Worry After Herbstreits Warning Sign
Kirk Herbstreit was the only College GameDay analyst to pick Minnesota over Michigan, and the call landed with extra weight because his son is playing quarterback for the Wolverines. The prediction ended up looking sharper than most expected, but for Michigan fans, the bigger concern was not one broadcasters take. It was the way the game exposed a team still searching for answers.
Coach Whittingham acknowledged the problems after the loss, pointing first to issues on defense and then to a longer list of deficiencies the staff is trying to clean up. He said the situation ranks among the biggest challenges of his career, a blunt assessment that matches the mood around the program. The warning sign now is less about one upset than about whether Michigan can fix enough before the season slips further from reach. [Read more 🡒]