Midweek Review: Minnesota 23-16 Wisconsin

1. For the first time since 1994, Minnesota has won two straight over Wisconsin.

2. A fourth-quarter Minnesota surge, plus cascading Wisconsin errors, decided the game.

The third quarter belonged to Wisconsin. Minnesota followed a half-opening field goal with three punts, having gained 12 yards on 10 plays. The hosts' first three drives of the second half, though, produced 10 points, with Chimere Dike giving his team the lead with a 9-yard touchdown off a reverse. The Gophers' run game was stymied, their defense gave up ground thanks to a lack of pressure and a few incremental breaks against the run. The Badgers had seemingly gained the edge, while the Gophers faded.

And then the fourth quarter happened.

It started with a couple of underneath passes that the Gophers' receivers turned into decent gains. Athan Kaliakmanis, whose first half was excellent but who had faced too much pressure in the second, re-found his footing, delivering one pass on target to Brevyn Spann-Ford while getting walloped. He also got help from Daniel Jackson.

It was Minnesota's catch of the year, but a younger wideout made the most important play of the game.

We Are Maroon and Gold Episode 214

Minnesota lost to Iowa. Again.

Plus, previewing Wisconsin.

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Midweek Review: Iowa 13-10 Minnesota

1. The Gophers' despair against the Hawkeyes continues.

In the 21st century, Minnesota is 4-18 against Iowa. Though Iowa has held the upper hand in this rivalry since hiring Hayden Fry in 1979, it's become as bad as ever for the Gophers since Kirk Ferentz replaced him. The Hawkeyes' current eight-game winning streak is the program's longest in the series. Previously, Iowa had never won more than five in a row.

What's more tormenting: The Gophers are coming up short in close games unlike in any period in this series. In the first 33 games between Iowa and Minnesota that were decided by 8 points or fewer, Minnesota went 17-14-2. In their current eight-game losing streak, they've lost six games by a single score.

The games are closer than at any other point in the history of the rivalry. The average margin of victory over the last eight years is 9.5 points. That is the lowest eight-game average margin in series history, regardless of victor. The closest any other eight-year stretch comes: Between 1961 and 1968, the average margin was 9.6 points. (Minnesota won six of those eight games.)

Entering the current millennium, Minnesota had won about 62 percent of the games between these two schools. The U of M's winning percentage against Iowa is currently 53 percent. It will take even more prolonged misfortune for Iowa to claim the series lead for the first time ever, but with each successive Minnesota loss, that comes closer and closer to reality.

This has been, in several ways, a historically agonizing run for Gopher fans. The closest thing to solace they can take is that we've seen the Gophers end a run like this in the recent past. But for now, they can only circle October 21, 2023 in their calendars and hope that that is the day Floyd of Rosedale returns to Minneapolis.

We Are Maroon and Gold Episode 213

The Gophers' dominant win over Northwestern and the upcoming glacier fight against Iowa.

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Midweek Review: Northwestern 3-31 Minnesota

1. The Minnesota ground attack pummeled Northwestern.

It wasn't immediate. The Gophers went three-and-out on their first two drives, with both of Mohamed Ibrahim's two carries getting stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage. But then, it all broke open:

From their third drive until the end of the game, the Gophers had no problem running the ball. On that possession, they ran seven times for 69 yards, closing with the first of Ibrahim's three touchdowns. Across the board, Minnesota's offensive line and tight ends were dominant.

In their previous game, the Gophers had to de-emphasize outside zone. Nebraska's lighter linemen and linebackers were quick enough to avoid getting reach-blocked, and to close on the ballcarrier as plays stretched to the flat.

Northwestern's front didn't have such success. Minnesota's blockers got off the line well and held their blocks. As a result, the Gophers ran outside without any problems...

...and they ran inside without any problems.

We Are Maroon and Gold Episode 212

Minnesota's win over Rutgers and their upcoming matchup with Nebraska.

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Midweek Review: Rutgers 0-31 Minnesota

1. The Gophers played a painfully reductive game of football that ultimately worked.

If you decide my opinions are worth your time, then I believe you deserve my honesty. So I'll be honest: The Gophers can be dreadfully boring on offense. They are not creative, they move more slowly than the continents, and as 2022 continues, they become increasingly reliant on one player's ability to pick up 4 or 5 yards at a time. It's brutalist football. I came to love college football watching the late-2000s Big 12. I need some passing, at least occasional bursts of higher tempo, and most of all big plays.

We didn't get any of that on Saturday. Instead, Minnesota repeatedly hit Rutgers in the head with a hammer, and they kept going even after the body stopped moving. Despite facing one of the Big Ten's strongest run defenses, and despite the return of Tanner Morgan to the lineup, the Gophers ran the ball 53 times and generated just four explosive plays.

But while the Gophers were a minimal threat to the Rutgers safeties, they mostly advanced the ball. Their first drive spanned 99 yards over 10-and-a-half minutes, with just two plays gaining double-digit yardage. Over the whole game, Minnesota averaged 33 seconds of possession per play. That this game somehow took more than 3 hours is an argument against advertising as an institution.

The key to Minnesota's success, of course, was Mohamed Ibrahim. The offensive line gave a much-needed bounceback performance, but Ibrahim was outstanding. His vision, his agility, and his capacity to punish those who try and tackle him were all on display.

Ibrahim's 36 carries were the second-most in his college career, behind only the 2020 Maryland game, and his 159-yard rushing total was his sixth-greatest. The Gophers asked a lot of him, and he delivered.

Minnesota won the battle at the line of scrimmage, avoiding negative runs and dominating short-yardage situations. This wasn't supposed to happen against Rutgers of all teams, but Ibrahim and his line made it happen.

You can find explanations for each stat here.
Line yards and success rate are via
collegefootballdata.com.