Minnesota didn’t need long to make Saturday’s matchup feel out of reach, and the Gophers didn’t need their running game early to do it. With Darius Taylor sidelined, they leaned on Drake Lindsey and a steady stream of special-teams sparks on the way to a 41-7 win over Akron at Huntington Bank Stadium.
The Gophers improved to 2-1 and bounced back from last week’s 38-13 loss to Mississippi State. Now they head into next weekend’s Big Ten opener at Washington after handling a Mid-American Conference opponent that came in allowing 8.2 yards per pass attempt, 117th in the nation.
Minnesota was content to throw for most of the afternoon, going to the pass on 70% of its plays - 31 passes to 13 runs - until late in the third quarter. Then the script flipped fast.
The Gophers ripped off 11 straight runs for 70 yards on one drive, finished by AJ Turner’s 5-yard touchdown run. Not long after, TJ Thomas broke loose on an outside zone for a 71-yard touchdown, the fourth-longest run of P.J.
Fleck’s tenure.
Lindsey kept the offense humming in the air, finishing 17 of 31 for 204 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. His day started with a burst.
Quayd Hendryx took the opening kickoff 42 yards, and Lindsey capped the short field with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Roman Voss. It was the four-star freshman tight end’s first career touchdown and Minnesota’s first TD drive against an FBS opponent to open a game since Penn State in November 2024.
Special teams kept giving Minnesota more chances. Javon Tracy returned a punt 55 yards to the Akron 8, and Lindsey found Noah Jennings for a 6-yard touchdown despite tight coverage. Later, after Akron returner Sean Patrick muffed a punt in the third quarter, the Gophers turned the takeaway into another score when Lindsey delivered a back-shoulder throw to Jalen Smith for an 18-yard touchdown.
Lindsey also reached a notable personal mark in the first half, extending his program record for pass attempts without an interception to 232. He had just broken Max Brosmer’s previous mark of 206, set in 2024, last week.
His lone turnover came on a throw high to Smith that was tipped and intercepted by Akron defensive end Omari Abor, a former top 100 recruit who started his career at Ohio State.
Minnesota’s defense also forced its share of problems. In the first half, linebacker Joey Gerlach, starting in place of the injured Matt Kingsbury, forced a fumble, and defensive end JT Bush recovered it.
Akron’s own quarterback situation unraveled as Sebastian Broughton left in the first half with an apparent knee injury. Brayden Roggow took over for a stretch, and Semaj Beals finished the game.
In Other News...
Tori McKinney Just Gave Gophers Fans Another Reason To Believe
Tori McKinney left the 2026 Womens Under-23 3x3 FIBA World Cup with gold around her neck, helping Team USA beat Canada 15-10 in the title game. Entering the event as the fourth seed, the Americans pushed through pool play and the bracket with McKinney playing a central role on both ends, a strong sign for a Minnesota program that has been looking for more reasons to feel good about whats coming next.
For Gophers fans, the bigger takeaway is not just the medal, but the way McKinney carried herself in a pressure-filled international setting. She was a key defensive and offensive contributor throughout the tournament, and performances like that tend to travel well back home. It is the kind of offseason boost that can sharpen expectations, even if there is still plenty left to prove once she returns to the college game. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Suddenly Face A Darius Taylor Concern They Can't Ignore
Darius Taylors availability has become a real concern for Minnesota after the running back was ruled out for the Akron game because of a lower-body injury he was dealing with before and during the recent trip to Mississippi State. Taylor was limited in that game and is now listed as day-to-day by coach P.J. Fleck, which puts the Gophers in a spot they did not expect this early in the season.
With Taylor and freshman Ryan Estrada both unavailable, Minnesota will have to lean on A.J. Turner and T.J. Thomas to handle the workload against Akron. It is the kind of backfield shuffle that can be manageable for a week, but it also underscores how important Taylor is to the offense if this lingers beyond Saturday. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Got The Bounce-Back They Needed Before Big Ten Play
Minnesota got the kind of tune-up it wanted before Big Ten play, shaking off any lingering disappointment with a convincing 41-7 win over Akron. The Gophers looked sharp on both sides of the ball, with Lindsey throwing for 204 yards and three touchdowns while the offense found balance behind 191 rushing yards.
TJ Thomas added the burst-play element with a 71-yard touchdown run, and the game never really resembled much of a contest after Akron starting quarterback Cibastian Broughton left injured early in the second quarter and did not return. For Minnesota, the bigger takeaway was less about the opponent and more about entering conference action with some rhythm and a cleaner feel after a needed bounce-back. [Read more 🡒]