Minnesota’s rare meeting with Mississippi State turned into a long afternoon for the Gophers, who were beaten 38-13 on Saturday in a Big Ten-SEC matchup at Huntington Stadium.
The Bulldogs, who came in at 2-0 after winning just one SEC game last season, looked nothing like a one-point underdog. They scored on each of their first four possessions and seized control early, building a 14-3 lead by the end of the first quarter and never letting the game get back to even.
For P.J. Fleck, the loss marked a third straight regular-season defeat against Power Four competition, following setbacks to California in 2025 and North Carolina in 2023-24.
Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor was the engine. He threw for three touchdowns and added 70 rushing yards on 12 carries, repeatedly turning broken plays into chunk gains when Minnesota couldn’t corral him. The Bulldogs’ first touchdown came on the opening drive, when Taylor found Zion Ragins for a 22-yard score after what appeared to be a communication breakdown between defensive backs John Nestor and Aidan Gousby.
Minnesota’s defense never settled in. The Gophers gave up several explosive passes and piled up 11 penalties for 112 yards, the most in Fleck’s tenure. That lack of discipline helped Mississippi State keep the pressure on while the home crowd watched the game slip away.
The one burst of life for Minnesota came early in the third quarter. With the Bulldogs threatening at the 4-yard line, linebacker Joey Gerlach forced Taylor into a backward pass, and cornerback Aydan West scooped it up in the end zone for a defensive touchdown that cut the deficit to 28-13.
But the momentum didn’t last. At the end of the third quarter, the Gophers moved the ball again and reached Mississippi State’s 4-yard line, only to come away empty when Drake Lindsey threw short of the sticks and Javon Tracy was stopped for no gain on a turnover on downs.
Minnesota finished with five punts and two field goals, both from Luke Drzewiecki. The New Mexico transfer connected from 44 and 41 yards.
The Gophers also got little from Darius Taylor. Their top running back looked limited, carrying six times for 15 yards in the first half and then adding only one catch for five yards after halftime.
By the time Mississippi State pushed the margin to 38-13 with 12 minutes remaining, the exits had already started to fill.
The game was the first all-time matchup between Minnesota and Mississippi State, and it also marked the first home game against an SEC opponent since Vanderbilt visited Memorial Stadium in 1959.
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