Minnesota finished off its non-conference slate in emphatic fashion on Saturday, rolling past Akron 41-7 at Huntington Bank Stadium to move to 2-1. The Golden Gophers leaned on a defense that smothered the Zips for three quarters, got real production from the passing game, and finally saw signs of life from a run game that had spent most of the afternoon stuck in neutral.
The defense set the tone from the start and barely let Akron breathe. Danny Collins’ group held the Zips to 142 total yards before the backups allowed 75 more on Akron’s fourth-quarter touchdown drive.
Joey Gerlach stepped into the lineup with Matt Kingsbury sidelined after getting banged up against Mississippi State and made the most of the opportunity, finishing with a team-high eight total tackles, including six solo stops, while also forcing a fumble on Akron’s opening possession to give Minnesota its first takeaway. Zack Harden also continued to make his presence felt at safety, showing solid instincts, dependable tackling, and enough coverage ability to handle himself downfield.
Minnesota’s special teams were just as sharp. Kicker Luke Drzewiecki went 2-for-2 on field goals, including a 43-yarder before halftime.
Punter Tom Weston averaged 48.6 yards on five punts, and three of them were pinned inside the 20. The return game kept producing too, with Javon Tracy ripping off a 64-yard punt return and Quayd Hendryx adding a 42-yard kickoff return.
The punt unit also recovered a muffed punt in the third quarter, though that came more from a baffling decision by the Akron returner than anything else.
There was also a welcome reappearance of the RPO. The Run-Pass Option had been a staple during the Kirk Ciarrocca era but has shown up far less often in Greg Harbaugh Jr.’s more pro-style offense.
Against Akron, though, Minnesota used it early and often, and it worked. Whether that was just a wrinkle for this matchup or a sign of something bigger in the offense remains to be seen.
Noah Jennings turned in his best game yet in maroon and gold. The Cincinnati transfer caught five passes for 72 yards and a touchdown, and he announced himself immediately with a 30-yard grab on the first play of the game that helped set up the opening touchdown drive.
His six-yard scoring catch in the second quarter mattered even more after Javon Tracy’s punt return miscue wiped out a potential special teams touchdown and threatened to leave Minnesota settling for three. Roman Voss also got in on the action, with the highly regarded true freshman tight end from Jackson grabbing his first career touchdown on a 16-yard catch to cap the opening drive.
Drake Lindsey’s day was harder to pin down. The second-year quarterback finished 17-of-31 for 204 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, and the weather may have played a role in the uneven rhythm.
The pick wasn’t entirely on him, since it bounced off Jalen Smith in a contested-catch situation and landed in the hands of an Akron defender, but the throw still had to fit into a tight window. At his best, Lindsey looked sharp, especially on touchdown throws to Jennings and Smith.
At other times, it was all boom-or-bust, with just 54.8 percent completions but eight completions of 15 yards or more, including four of at least 20.
The biggest concern remained the ground game, at least for most of the afternoon. Minnesota had only 13 rushing yards at halftime before P.J.
Fleck and Harbaugh doubled down on the run in the second half. Late in the third quarter, the Gophers ran the ball 11 straight times and gained 70 yards, finishing the sequence with a four-yard touchdown from A.J.
Turner. On the next possession, Elon transfer T.J.
Thomas broke free for a 71-yard touchdown run.
That late surge gave the final rushing numbers a boost, but it’s fair to wonder how much of it came from Minnesota finally unlocking something and how much came from Akron wearing down. Still, it was the first real burst of momentum on the ground all season, and the Gophers will take it.
One other missed opportunity stood out: Tracy’s sideline awareness on his punt return. He was seven yards away from his third punt return touchdown of the season in the second quarter, but with open field ahead of him, he drifted toward the sideline while glancing back at the defenders and stepped out of bounds at the 64-yard mark. A score was there, and he left it on the field.
In Other News...
Former Gopher Tyler Johnson Just Landed In A Familiar NFL Spot
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For Minnesota fans, Johnsons move is another reminder of how many former Gophers are carving out roles on Sundays, with several others turning in noteworthy week two performances across the league. From snaps to specific assignments to production in game action, the second weekend offered another snapshot of just how wide that alumni footprint has become. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Enter Big Ten Opener With One Huge Question Still Looming
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The biggest lingering question, though, is the status of running back Darius Taylor. He sat out against Akron because of an injury, and the next injury report should offer a clearer picture of whether Minnesota will have one of its most important offensive pieces available when league play begins. After bouncing back strongly from a previous loss, the Gophers now have to wait on Taylors availability before their opener becomes fully defined. [Read more 🡒]
Minnesotas 2026 Commits Are Making Serious Noise On Friday Nights
Friday nights have started looking like a recruiting update for Minnesota, with the Gophers 2026 commitments turning in a string of eye-catching performances across multiple states on Sept. 18. The latest roundup tracked 29 pledged high school players, and the list was heavy on the kind of production college staffs like to see this early: catches, yards, touchdowns, tackles and wins that keep programs rolling deep into the fall.
David Mack, Roy Price and Greg Hargrow were among the prospects who stood out, each making meaningful impact in his own way while the rest of the class showed similar signs of progress. For Minnesota, the appeal is obvious - these are not just future names on a commitment board, but teenagers already showing they can affect games on both sides of the ball, which makes every Friday night a little more worth watching from a distance. [Read more 🡒]