Minnesota gets its next big test on Saturday, and the matchup comes with a familiar question: can the Gophers finally snap out of their recent skid against Power 4 opponents?
This is the fifth straight season Minnesota has lined up a Power 4/5 team, and the last three non-conference games against that level have gone the wrong way. The Gophers beat Colorado in 2021 and 2022, then dropped three in a row against North Carolina twice and Cal. Now they get an SEC opponent in Mississippi State with a chance to move to 2-0.
Mississippi State arrives after a Week 1 hammering of Louisiana-Monroe, a Group of Five team expected to land near the bottom of the Sun Belt. The Bulldogs rolled to 62 points and 762 yards of offense, a total that ranks as the ninth-most yards in SEC history. The obvious problem for Minnesota is figuring out whether that production was just a sign of what Mississippi State can do, or simply what happens against a much lighter opponent.
The biggest name to track is quarterback Kamario Taylor. He has emerged as the Bulldogs’ clear No. 1 after starting the last two games of 2025, and he showed why against UL-Monroe.
Taylor threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns, then added 59 rushing yards and another score. For Minnesota, the challenge is keeping him in check without losing discipline in the front or the back end.
That discipline is the first key. No matter the opponent, 762 yards is an eye-popping number, and the Gophers have to be sharper in contain and in coverage if they want to slow Taylor and the Mississippi State offense.
Turnovers are the next big swing factor. That’s always a central part of the script, but it feels especially important here with both quarterbacks in the spotlight. If Minnesota’s defense can force Taylor into a mistake or two while Drake Lindsey keeps things clean, that could tilt the whole afternoon.
The third key is the simplest one: build off last week, but improve. Minnesota’s opener produced the kind of result the team wanted, yet it still left room for growth.
The offensive line can be better. The secondary can be better.
Really, just about everybody can take a step forward, and early in the season those small gains can turn into a major difference.
There are also a couple of individual matchups worth watching. Taylor is the obvious headliner at quarterback, dangerous both throwing and running, and he should be one of the more entertaining players on the field.
On the other side, Mississippi State corner Kelley Jones will be a serious test for Minnesota’s receivers. Jones was a 3rd Team All-SEC selection last season and is viewed as a potential first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
As for the pick, Minnesota gets the nod. The case is straightforward: the Gophers have had two extra days since game one, they’re at home, and this is a team expected to finish in the 8-11 range of the Big Ten facing an SEC opponent projected to land 15th in the SEC.
Both rosters have talent, and both are full of athletes who are used to big games. Still, the confidence here is on Minnesota.
In Other News...
Gophers Finally Have A Real Shot To Challenge The Big Ten Elite
Minnesotas recruiting profile has taken a noticeable step forward under P.J. Fleck, and the numbers around the Gophers next few classes suggest this is no longer just a program trying to hold steady in the Big Ten. The 2026 class is ranked 28th nationally, the best of Flecks tenure, and the early outlook for 2027 is encouraging as well. Add in a better job of keeping key players from leaving, landing top in-state talent and finding useful help through the FCS transfer market, and there is a clearer sense of upward momentum than this program has had in a while.
Minnesota still has to prove it can turn that foundation into real damage against the leagues heavyweights. Since 2019, the Gophers have had a tough time against top-10 teams, even as theyve pulled off a few eye-catching upsets against ranked opponents along the way. That mix is what makes this moment so interesting: the roster-building has started to look more like that of a contender, but the next step is showing that the Gophers can carry that progress into the games that define the Big Ten hierarchy. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Face A Costly New Question About The Programs Future
The financial pressure around college sports keeps landing closer to home for Minnesota, and Mark Coyle said the Gophers athletics department is now projecting an approximately $9 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2027. It is the kind of number that has become increasingly familiar across the sport, but for Minnesota it underscores how quickly the House vs. NCAA settlement is reshaping the business side of running a major program.
Coyle said the department expects to lean on a reserve fund to bridge the gap, while also looking for new money through ideas such as jersey patch sponsorships and naming rights deals. The challenge is bigger than covering one shortfall, because the payments to student-athletes mandated by the settlement appear likely to keep squeezing athletic departments like Minnesotas as they try to maintain competitive footing and manage the future at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Suddenly Have A Minutes Squeeze Fans Will Be Watching
Minnesotas rotation already had a few moving parts after last season, when Bobby Durkin gave the Gophers a lift from beyond the arc, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson reached career highs before his injury ended his year early, and Isaac Asuma became a steady all-around starter. Add in the arrival of guard Kyan Evans from North Carolina through the transfer portal, and there is suddenly a lot more talent competing for the same court time.
For a program trying to build momentum under coach Medved, that is a good problem to have, but it also makes the next stretch worth monitoring closely. The Gophers now have proven returners, an important transfer and a coach who knows Evans well, and the way those pieces fit together will determine who keeps their roles and who sees their minutes trimmed. [Read more 🡒]