The Gophers’ season has already taken enough sharp turns to fill a month’s worth of highlight reels, and the latest one came in Bloomington, Ind., on Oct. 31.
Minnesota had a massive upset of defending national champion Indiana within reach when Luke Drzewiecki drilled a 60-yard field goal with 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Then the fourth-ranked Hoosiers answered with a 60-yarder of their own at the buzzer, and Minnesota eventually fell 23-16 in overtime.
Now the challenge shifts quickly. No.
5 UCLA comes to Huntington Bank Stadium at 11 a.m. Saturday, giving Minnesota another crack at a top-five upset just one week after the heartbreak against Indiana.
The Bruins arrive unbeaten at 8-0 and 5-0 in the Big Ten, sitting atop the conference while trying to pull off a turnaround under first-year coach Bob Chesney. UCLA was 3-9 in 2025 and went 8-16 across its first two seasons in the Big Ten before hiring Chesney, who had taken over James Madison after Curt Cignetti left for Indiana.
For Minnesota, the immediate task is clearing out the frustration from the Indiana loss and moving on fast.
“You put an arm around everybody - everybody on the defense, everybody on the team,” Gophers linebacker Maverick Baranowski said Saturday night. “We’re all in this together. It’s not a point-finger game, so put [an] arm around everybody and continue to do that tonight and do that the rest of the weekend.”
The Gophers’ offense will need a cleaner showing against a UCLA team that has been piling up points in league play. Minnesota managed just one touchdown against Indiana, coming on a flea-flicker from Drake Lindsey to freshman tight end Roman Voss. The Bruins, meanwhile, are averaging a Big Ten-best 33.6 points per game during conference play, while Minnesota sits 14th in the league at 17.8 points per game.
Lindsey said the team has handled the season’s swings without letting them spill over.
“The ups and downs have not affected this team, which is awesome, and that can definitely creep into locker rooms, and it hasn’t at all in this locker room,” Lindsey said. “That’s a testament to Coach Fleck, our coaches, and then all the players. We’re just going to keep being us and learn from this.”
There are still clear numbers hanging over Minnesota’s next stretch. The Gophers are one win away from bowl eligibility, needing six victories to get there.
After UCLA, they go to Penn State, host Northwestern and finish at Wisconsin. Those three opponents are a combined 23-9.
UCLA’s offense has had to adjust after losing starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava for the season on Oct. 11 with a leg injury against Oregon. Backup Ty Dieffenbach, who previously played at Pittsburgh and Cal Poly, finished the upset over Oregon and has since guided the Bruins to three more wins. He has thrown for 683 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
The Bruins also bring a dangerous run game. Wayne Knight, a transfer from James Madison, is averaging 91.8 rushing yards per Big Ten game, second in the conference behind Northwestern’s Caleb Komolafe at 95.8. Knight has 988 all-purpose yards this season, which trails only Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith’s 1,074.
One more wrinkle: the early kickoff. UCLA will be playing at 9 a.m.
Pacific time, and whether that affects the Bruins remains to be seen. Still, they already handled an early start once this season, beating Maryland 54-3 on Sept. 26 in a game that began at 10:30 a.m.
Pacific time.
Minnesota’s defense and special teams have been the team’s strongest units over the past two weeks, and that figures to matter again. The Gophers will need more from the offense, but they should have enough to make this one interesting.
In Other News...
Gophers Opened With A Rout Despite One Early Concern
Minnesotas season opener looked every bit like the kind of clean start a coach wants on the scoreboard, with the Gophers rolling past North Dakota 85-50 behind a balanced offensive effort. Bobby Durkin set the tone with 16 points and four 3-pointers, while Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, Isaac Asuma and Malick Kordel all joined him in double figures, giving the Gophers plenty of early signs that the scoring load can be spread around.
Still, the opener came with an undercurrent worth watching. Minnesota took the floor without three players, and the reasons behind those absences leave a few roster questions hanging as the season gets underway. The win was convincing enough to quiet any immediate concerns on the court, but the availability picture is something the Gophers will have to sort through quickly if they want this kind of depth to hold up. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Open Medveds Second Season With An Encouraging Early Sign
The first night of Niko Medveds second season on the Minnesota bench brought the kind of start coaches love to see: a lopsided 85-50 win over North Dakota that looked comfortable from the opening stretch. The Gophers shot well, controlled the game on both ends and put together a balanced effort with five players finishing in double figures, a sign that the offense had more than one reliable source right away.
Bobby Durkin paced Minnesota with 16 points, but the bigger takeaway was how many pieces fit together in the opener. For a program trying to build momentum under Medved, a 38-point margin is more than just a clean result against a nonconference opponent, it is the kind of early evidence that the rosters depth and structure may be ahead of schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Opened The Season Looking Better Than Anyone Expected
Minnesotas season opener offered an early glimpse of a team that looked sharper and more connected than expected, rolling past North Dakota 85-50 behind a balanced effort and a defense that set the tone from the start. Bobby Durkin provided the biggest scoring punch, giving the Gophers a reliable perimeter threat while the rest of the group helped turn the night into a comfortable first step.
The more encouraging part for Minnesota may have been how little room it gave North Dakota to breathe. The Gophers were disruptive on that end all night, forcing tough looks and keeping the visitors out of rhythm from deep, the kind of defensive start that can travel once the schedule gets tougher. If this opener is any indication, Minnesota may have more early-season substance than the outside expectations suggested. [Read more 🡒]