Gophers football announced in March the replacement of its annual spring game with two spring practices, one open exclusively to members of Dinkytown Athletes, a NIL collective partnered with Minnesota’s athletics department.

The last time the Gophers opened their spring game at Huntington Bank Stadium to fans was in 2018.

Three of the last five spring games were played indoors. The 2020 game was canceled due to COVID-19 and the 2021 game was played under COVID-19 guidelines with a reduced crowd.

Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck said he decided to scrap the game for exclusive practices because he wants to keep operations in-house.

“I want to keep things inside the best I possibly can keep things inside,” Fleck said. “The way college football is changing, we’re going to have plenty of scrimmages, what we do and what we are allowed to, inside our walls.”

The Gophers hosted their Dinkytown Athletes members-only practice on March 23 and will hold their open-house practice on Thursday, April 11, at 4:30 p.m. in their indoor facility at Athlete’s Village.

Fleck urged fans during a March 20 press conference to join Dinkytown Athletes, adding that their contribution will give them access to future events with the team.

Travis Spaeth, a member of Dinkytown Athletes who attended the March 23 practice, was unfazed when asked about the status of this year’s spring game.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Spaeth said. “I follow enough of the 247 [Sports], so I get some information. Any time they did have a spring game, it was pretty vanilla offense.”

Spaeth added the information gathered by Ryan Burns of 247 Sports gave him more insight into the team than a public spring game.

Gophers linebacker Cody Lindenberg said seeing the support of the Dinkytown Athletes members showing up to the practice was “amazing.”

“I know it’s not the greatest weather, but they came out here and took time out of their day to come and watch us and support us, so we couldn’t be more grateful,” Lindenberg said.

In addition to the non-membered fans, the University of Minnesota’s Marching Band, labeled the “Pride of Minnesota,” also fell victim to the cancelation of the waning tradition.

The last time the Marching Band participated at a spring game was in 2021. Due to COVID-19 guidelines and a reduced crowd, only the seniors in the band were permitted to attend the game.

Senior alto saxophonist Colton Bauer said he did not have an opportunity to participate in a spring game throughout his enrollment at the University.“I’m really sad for my class because we’re never going to experience the spring game,” Bauer said. “I feel like [hosting a spring game] would get a lot more hype around the team.”

Bauer added witnessing an in-person preview of the upcoming football season is another benefit of hosting a spring game.

“Seeing what the team is going to look like next year,” Bauer said. “Getting a preview of next year, I think that’s cool to see in person.”

Graduate transfer quarterback Max Brosmer will be behind the center as Gophers football’s next quarterback. He brings three years of starting experience from the University of New Hampshire.

Heading into their bowl game, the Gophers saw Athan Kaliakmanis and Drew Viotto enter the transfer portal, leaving redshirt freshman Max Shikenjanski as the only eligible quarterback for the following season.

Redshirt senior quarterback Cole Kramer led the Gophers to a 30-24 win over Bowling Green in the 2023 Quick Lane Bowl. Brosmer joined the team on the trip to Detroit and participated as the scout team quarterback.

Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck said in a press conference on March 23 Brosmer has been exceptional in his transition to Minnesota and in acclimating to the team on and off the field.

Fleck said players voted for Brosmer to be named captain for next season, citing his leadership as a significant reason for their decision.

“[Brosmer’s] only been here two months,” Fleck said. “[He was] thrown into everything that [he needed] to be able to handle academically, athletically, socially, spiritually, serving and giving.”

Fleck added being quarterback and captain at Minnesota comes with expectations. Brosmer, following Fleck’s words, said joining the team, along with the expectation to be a veteran, has been a great experience.

Brosmer ranked near the top of every statistical category among quarterbacks in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) last season. He threw for 3,449 yards, 29 touchdowns, five interceptions and 313.6 yards per game in 2023. His performance helped mark the Wildcats as the fifth-highest-scoring offense in the FCS.

When asked about Brosmer, right tackle Quinn Carroll said the first thing that comes to his mind is not Brosmer’s statistics but his intangibles.

“He’s a clear leader,” Carroll said. “He showed up and was ready to lead vocally and with stuff that he had never done before.”

Carroll added Brosmer has gone full speed and taken command of the offense since his first day with the team.

Along with joining a new program, Brosmer will have to adapt to the addition of coach-to-player helmet communication technology.

Brosmer said the technology is an adjustment he and Gophers offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. are working through during practices.

“We’re having a blast, me and Coach Harbaugh are trying to find the ins and outs of how communication is best,” Brosmer said. “[We are figuring] out if I like to hear the plays better or read them from my wristband.”

The new rule allows communication between the player and coach until there are 15 seconds on the play clock or the ball is snapped. According to Brosmer, he and Harbaugh are learning how to work around this time frame during spring practices.

Brosmer said the Gophers’ “balanced offense” is a change from New Hampshire, where they threw the ball “50 times a game.” He expects the change will support his style of quarterbacking.

With New Hampshire and Minnesota having similar offenses and schemes, according to Brosmer, memorizing the language of a new playbook has been the most difficult part of his transition.

“You’re learning a whole new language,” Brosmer said. “It’s like learning a foreign language, and being able to communicate that effectively when things are flying around is difficult at times.”

After losing a series to Elon University, Gophers baseball recovered with a series win over San Francisco last weekend.

The Gophers are 10-10 heading into the Big Ten-laden portion of their schedule, a significant improvement from 2023 when they entered conference play with a 5-19 record.

Minnesota dropped the first two games against Elon by one run. They responded with a 9-7 win over the Phoenix on a go-ahead home run by junior second baseman Brady Counsell in the 10th inning.

Junior starting pitcher Tucker Novotny posted his best start of the season against Elon in the Game 1 loss. Novotny pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowed four hits and struck out two batters.

A weekend in San Francisco

The Gophers lost 6-4 in their first game of the San Francisco series. However, it was not for a lack of offense, as Minnesota out-hit the Dons 11 to five.

Redshirt sophomore catcher Sam Hunt has struggled at the plate this season, hitting a .194 batting average, but went 3 for 7 (.429) throughout the series. In addition, he tallied a home run –– his first of the season –– and three RBIs.

Minnesota’s offense was rolling again on Saturday, producing 18 hits in a 12-10 victory over the Dons. Senior outfielder Boston Merila had a career-high four hits in the win, one of which was a game-tying two-run double in the eighth inning.

Merila said he was seeing the ball well and finding pitches that he could handle.

“I wanted to take it one at-bat at a time and things were starting to click,” Merila said. “Just a good day at the park.”

Merila hit 7 for 13 (.538) with four RBIs and went the entire series without striking out. Counsell said Merila is one of the best contact hitters in the lineup and it was good to see him get into a rhythm.

The Gophers dominated the rubber match against San Francisco, winning 12-6. Minnesota added 15 more hits to its weekend total of 44 and scored eight or more runs for the eighth time in 2024.

On top of the offense, junior left-handed pitcher Connor Wietgrefe added a career-high 13 strikeouts. Wietgrefe earned his second win of the season, going six innings and allowing five runs on seven hits and walking just one on 118 pitches.

Wietgrefe said having an array of pitches aided him in recording a personal best strikeout total in a single game.

“First couple of starts I didn’t quite have all five working, so it made it easier on the hitter, but last few starts, I’ve had all five working,” Wietgrefe said.

Wietgrefe said having an offense that can score runs makes it easier on the pitcher, but the staff would like to keep opponents to fewer runs.

Counsell is the Gophers’ leadoff hitter and has hit his stride as of late, hitting 12 for 30 (.400) in the last two series.

Counsell said adjusting to the types of pitches he is receiving allows him to get hits no matter what the pitcher is throwing.

“It’s always just a game of adjustments,” Counsell said. “Last week, I hit fastballs away really well. This week, they came inside with fastballs and sliders away.”

The Gophers’ second baseman recorded his second three-hit game of the season against San Francisco. Counsell is hitting .287 on the season with five home runs, three of which came in the Elon series.

The Gophers take on the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday in Iowa City, looking to repeat last season’s first Big Ten series against Ohio State, where they took two of three games in Columbus.

The Gophers dropped four of five at the Garnet and Black Invitational in Columbia, South Carolina, with their lone win coming against North Carolina State.

Minnesota sits at 14-13, having played all 27 games either on the road or at a neutral site.

On the season, the Gophers are 2-7 against ranked teams, with their last ranked win coming on March 7 against No. 10 Clemson.

Sophomore shortstop Jess Oakland moved from her usual place in the lineup behind junior third baseman Kayla Chavez in the two-hole to hit leadoff in three of the five games. Oakland returned to the two-hole behind graduate center fielder Morgan DeBord in the other two games.

Gophers head coach Piper Ritter said the decision to move Oakland into the leadoff role was to get her more opportunities at the plate.

“If they’re going to pitch around her, might as well put her in early so we get to [her in] the lineup quicker,” Ritter said.

Oakland is tied with graduate second baseman Sydney Strelow for the team lead with 17 walks. The Gophers shortstop has only struck out eight times in 27 games played while leading the team with eight homers, 29 RBIs and a 1.239 OPS.

Ritter also experimented with DeBord at leadoff to start the Garnet and Black Invitational but reverted to placing her at the bottom of the order in the final three games.

DeBord is hitting .394 while providing an elite glove in the outfield. The center fielder has 40 put-outs and one outfield assist with no errors throughout the spring season.

DeBord said knowing that her coach has confidence in her defensive abilities helps fuel the highlight-reel catches she makes in the outfield.

The Loyola-Marymount transfer hit nine home runs in 2023 but has taken a different offensive role with Minnesota, focusing on her short game by observing the defense’s positioning and analyzing her teammates.

“I have a lot of tools that work for me, and I have that speed, too,” DeBord said. “One thing that helps me a lot in games is that I’m able to learn from other people’s at-bats.”

Junior Taylor Krapf finally found her power in South Carolina. After going without a home run for 24 games of the season, the Gophers catcher launched two homers against North Carolina State.

Krapf tied with Oakland for a team-high 14 home runs in 2023.

Oakland and Strelow occupied the middle infield together for the last two seasons and according to Oakland, the pair’s relationship continues to improve.

“It gets better every single day,” Oakland said. “We work on our feeds and communication. We’re really good up the middle and that connection is helpful during games.”

Strelow said their relationship is one of her favorites on and off the field and that Oakland uses her as a resource in aiding her development.

Heading into Big Ten play

Minnesota opens the Big Ten portion of the regular season on March 22 in College Park to take on the Maryland Terrapins.

The Gophers faced two different Big Ten opponents while in South Carolina, losing to Michigan State and Northwestern.

Oakland said the Big Ten is a whole different ball game and added that the team played well against its conference opponents but was unable to get the results it hoped for.

Strelow said the Big Ten season could not have come at a better time for the Gophers.

“I think we still have some more growing to do within the Big Ten season, but it’s the perfect time to clean slate it and make sure we’re doing the right things,” Strelow said.

Gophers football hosted its annual Pro Day in Athlete’s Village, which featured some of its best talent from coach P.J. Fleck’s tenure and representatives from all 32 NFL teams.

The participants included safety Tyler Nubin, tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford, wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell, long snapper Brady Weeks, wide receiver Corey Crooms Jr., running back Sean Tyler, defensive lineman Kyler Baugh, defensive lineman Chris Collins and cornerback Tre’Von Jones.

Nubin, the top-ranked prospect from the Gophers roster heading into the NFL Draft, did not disappoint the scouts. After only participating in drills at the NFL Combine, Nubin was a full participant at Pro Day.

“I got surgery after the regular season, meniscectomy in my lateral meniscus in my right knee,” Nubin said. “I accelerated the recovery process because I wanted to do everything at the combine. It kind of bit me in the butt a little bit.”

The Gophers’ all-time interceptions leader later participated in individual drills with Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel.

Spann-Ford limited his participation in the Pro Day, sticking with his 40-yard dash time of 4.77 seconds. He mainly focused on the cone and route running drills with passes being thrown by Max Brosmer, the Gophers’ new transfer quarterback from the University of New Hampshire.

Spann-Ford said three NFL teams have shown interest in him over the past week.

“I’ve met with three in the past week: the Jets, Broncos and Cowboys,” Spann-Ford said. “So, just continuing to do those visits, meetings and just improve my game along with that and working out.”

Autman-Bell showed off his speed in the 40-yard dash and his strength, repping 225 pounds on the bench press 18 times.

Autman-Bell said he heard multiple numbers from his 40-yard dash, but the consensus was around 4.5 seconds.

“I heard 4.4, so I’m going to run with my 4.4, but I heard it was 4.5, so that’s cool with me,” Autman-Bell said.

Autman-Bell trained in Florida before the Pro Day and hopes to be playing professionally, whether through the draft or making an NFL roster.

Baugh, weighing in at 302 pounds, showed off his explosiveness with a 33.5-inch vertical leap and 34 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, which was the highest mark of any player in attendance.

“I felt really good about today,” Baugh said. “All that hard work that I had for the past three months, I feel like it paid off today.”

Baugh added he never expected to be participating in a Pro Day. The former Gophers defensive lineman is from Talihina, a small town in Oklahoma, and spent his first three seasons in the FCS at Houston Baptist.

Weeks showed off his athleticism with a Gopher-high 34.5-inch vertical and repping 225 pounds 18 times.

Weeks said he expected his 34.5-inch vertical leap and wanted to show off that long snappers are athletes, too.

“I know I’m a little sneaky athlete,” Weeks said. “But it’s great to get out there and show everyone what I do have.”

Weeks has been snapping since eighth grade, and he attributes it to his time with his father. Kent Weeks, Brady’s father, played three different positions at Northwestern: running back, cornerback and punter.

Weeks, like eight of his Minnesota teammates who appeared in the Pro Day, concluded their Gopher careers by showcasing their skillsets to NFL scouts.

Gophers baseball spent spring break on the West Coast, and the bats were rolling as Minnesota averaged over seven-and-a-half runs per game.

Minnesota hit 13 home runs as a team on the seven-game road trip after hitting just two in the first seven games of the season.

Redshirt junior Ike Mezzenga was on fire for the Gophers, hitting .346 and driving in 11 runs. Mezzenga also hit four homers in the seven games, equaling his home run total from 2023.

In Minnesota’s comeback victory against Pacific on Mar. 4, the Gophers trailed 5-0 after the first inning. In the top of the sixth inning, trailing 5-1, sophomore Kris Hokenson hit a solo home run.

Mezzenga followed suit, hitting a homer in the following at-bat. The Gophers would bat around and Mezzenga would come up again with the bases loaded to deliver a grand slam, capping off a nine-run inning. Minnesota won 12-5.

Mezzenga said it was the first time he had ever hit two home runs in the same inning.

“Yeah, that was definitely a bucket list thing,” Mezzenga said.

Mezzenga spends most of his time as the designated hitter, which he said has taken some getting used to with free time during the innings.

The Gophers went 3-1 in California, winning both games against Pacific and splitting a two-game series with Sacramento State. Minnesota then traveled to Spokane, Wash., to take on Gonzaga in a series in which they dropped two out of the three games.

However, the lone win against Gonzaga marked Minnesota’s sixth win of the season. In 2023, it took the Gophers 25 games to reach the six-win mark.

Gophers head coach John Anderson said the team’s improvement in winning ball games is due to health and preparation in the fall.

“I think first and foremost, we’re healthy,” Anderson said. “I think number two, they’ve worked really, really hard and prepared really hard since last fall, and I think it shows in terms of the quality of play here early.”

One key injury the Gophers had before the season was the loss of junior left-handed pitcher Noah Rooney. As a result, Anderson expected Hokenson to step into a larger role on the staff. However, Justin Thorsteinson has been a revelation in the bullpen and taking on the bulk of the left-handed leverage innings.

Hokenson hit .455 and three home runs on the West Coast trip along with five extra-base hits and a 1.493 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage).

Hokenson said the trip to Sacramento was his first time visiting California.

“I’d never been to Cali, so it was a fun time being there for the first time,” Hokenson said.

Minnesota defeated the St Olaf Oles 5-1 in their home opener on Wednesday. The Gophers scored three first-inning runs and never looked back.

Redshirt freshman pitcher Nick Argento made his official Gophers debut after pitching in the exhibition game against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers. Argento went three scoreless innings, striking out three.

Freshman pitcher Will Whelan made his third appearance of the season, picking up his first collegiate win after two innings where he allowed one run and struck out four.

On offense, Jack Spanier notched his first career RBI in the game on a groundout with the bases loaded while Drew Berkland was the only Gopher with multiple hits.

The Gophers will travel to North Carolina to play Elon in a three-game series as they wind down their non-conference schedule.

Minnesota Gophers football dropped three of their last four games heading into the bye week and now sit at 3-3. The roster has seen notable players absent from key games and will lean on the two-week break for time.

Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck, during the post-game press conference, said the team has to learn from the first six games and improve in the last six.

“We’ve got to learn from those six games, draw a line in the sand, and play way better in the second half,” Fleck said. “But part of that is we got to get healthy … We’ve got to develop better.”

The Gophers looked lost against Michigan and were dominated in every facet of the game, leading to the 52-10 loss on national television.

Fleck said Michigan was the best football team he has faced in his 11 years of coaching. The depth head coach Jim Harbaugh brought into the program through years of recruiting at Michigan has paid off with a trip to the playoffs last season and a 7-0 record this season.

Minnesota sits at .500 heading into their bye week and will travel to Iowa to play against their bitter rivals for Floyd of Rosedale on Oct. 21.

The defense needs to improve

Currently, the Gophers defense sits at 70th in the country in total defense. A season ago, Minnesota ranked fourth, allowing less than 300 yards per game (ypg) and just 13.8 points per game (ppg).

In 2023, Minnesota’s defense is allowing 373.2 ypg and opponents are scoring 26.67 ppg, nearly double last season. Overall, the defense regressed after losing key pieces in Mariano Sori-Marin, Jordan Howden, Terell Smith and Cody Lindenberg, who has been injured.

The defensive line has struggled to get to the quarterback the last three weeks. After starting with nine sacks in three games to open the season, Minnesota only has two in the last three games.

During the post-game press conference, redshirt junior Jalen Logan-Redding said the team has the responsibility of making sure a loss like Michigan does not happen again.

“My takeaway [from the Michigan game] is that we, as players, coaching staff and culture, we have to be able to say this is where it is,” Logan-Redding said. “We got to respond to the facts. Obviously they’re a good team and obviously we didn’t execute.”

Reinforcements on the horizon

The Gophers have missed key players throughout the team during the first half of the season.

Two notable injuries to occur were freshman running back Darius Taylor and Lindenberg, who are both difference makers when healthy. Last season, Lindenberg ranked second on the team in tackles behind Sori-Marin.

Taylor broke out against Eastern Michigan and won three straight Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards. Taylor racked up 532 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns during the first half of the season.

Newly eligible defensive back Craig McDonald accumulated some in-game action and will make more of an impact after the bye week.

Receiver Christian Autman-Bell, who is without a catch this season, will wait two more weeks to get back to full strength as he looks to make an impact in his final season at Minnesota.

Next week’s challenge in Iowa City

The offense’s inability to execute against Michigan’s defense will prove to be a problem when they face Iowa on Saturday.

Minnesota has not won in Iowa City this century, their last win coming in 1999 in a 25-21 victory. Dual-threat quarterback Billy Cockerham led the Gophers to victory with 175 passing yards and a touchdown to go along with his 59 rushing yards.

Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, during the post-game press conference, said the offense is ready to face the challenge in Iowa and must play better as a team.

“We got Iowa coming up, we’re really excited to go in and watch the film,” Kaliakmanis said. “We got to play better as a unit on offense, defense too. We all know we can be better.”

Luckily for Minnesota, the Hawkeyes have been the worst offense in the country in terms of total offense. The Gophers will look to get their season back on track and avoid losing four out of five games.

Michigan obliterated Minnesota at home on prime-time television, leaving the Gophers searching for answers heading into the bye week.

One question lies with Athan Kaliakmanis: What do the Gophers have in the redshirt sophomore quarterback?

The Wolverines held Kaliakmanis to just 52 passing yards during the 52-10 route last Saturday. The Gophers quarterback only completed five passes the entire game with the exception of two that went to the other team for touchdowns.

“You can’t win games by giving them two pick-sixes,” said Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck in the post-game press conference. “The main difference was they were really efficient and we were off schedule and it felt like we were behind the chains the whole game.”

Handing Michigan, the No. 2 team in the country according to this week’s Associated Press poll, 14 points when they previously did not allow their opponent to score double digits in a game is not a winning recipe.

Kaliakmanis’ passing struggles

The Gophers are 127th in the nation in passing yards per game (132.8). They sit above three other teams: Iowa, Navy and Air Force. A caveat of this statistic is that the Air Force and Navy both have the top four rushing attacks in the country in total yards accumulated on the ground, whereas Minnesota is ranked 40th.

Rounding up his statistics, Kaliakmanis completed 55.9% of his passes in the first six games and holds a 1-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, good enough for a 55.9 QBR.

Minnesota has yet to surpass 200 passing yards in a game this season and completed 14 or fewer passing attempts in every game except for week one against Nebraska.

“We’re really excited to get going in the film room,” Kaliakmanis said after the loss to Michigan. “We’re just a hungry group of guys. Like I said … it’s the line of success: It goes [up] and then comes back down. We’re just ready to learn.”

Minnesota’s offense struggled to put the pieces together Saturday, only producing 169 yards of offense.

One key aspect where the Gophers fell short was third down. Minnesota converted 21.4 percent of their third down chances (3-14).

This has been a repeating theme for the offense all season. The Gophers have struggled to keep drives alive, posting a 39% conversion rate on third down throughout the first half of the season.

Passing out of these situations has proved to be difficult. Kaliakmanis, out of 114 qualified starters, ranks 108th in passing efficiency through the first six games of the season.

Comparing Kaliakmanis to Tanner Morgan

Through Athan Kaliakmanis’ first 11 starts in the regular season, he totaled 1,579 passing yards, nine passing touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Comparatively, former quarterback Tanner Morgan put up 2,398 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and 7 seven interceptions through his first 11 starts as a Gopher.

Morgan led the Gophers to an 11-2 record in his second season as the starter and a bowl victory over No. 14 Auburn in the Outback Bowl.

There is no shortage of weapons on this year’s offense with three solid running backs in Darius Taylor, Zach Evans and Sean Tyler. Also, the three receiving targets in Daniel Jackson, Christian Autman-Bell and Brevyn Spann-Ford who have played with both Morgan and Kaliakmanis.

The Gophers need more production from Kaliakmanis to reignite the offense and increase their odds of making a bowl game this season.

Hope for the future

Offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. said during a press conference on Oct. 4 Kaliakmanis’ preparation leveled up before the Louisiana game and moving into the Michigan game.

As Harbaugh spoke on Kaliakmanis’ growth this season through his preparation, one thing he mentioned was Kaliakmanis’ ability to adapt to new situations within a game.

“The thing I keep saying to him is by the time he gets to the game, he has played the game in his head,” Harbaugh said. “When you play the game in your head a number of times… and then you get to the game and you see [the defensive] look that number of times and they’ve thrown something a little bit different at you, it’s not something that throws you off.”

Kaliakmanis spoke earlier in the press conference about how his preparation has changed after the loss to North Carolina. The Gophers quarterback feels more prepared heading into games than he had prior to Louisiana and Michigan.

Minnesota’s offense will have their work cut out for them heading into Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 21, looking to beat the Hawkeyes on the road for the first time since 1999.

Minnesota faces No. 2 Michigan at home Saturday night and the Gophers secondary will have its hands full.

On the season, the Gophers secondary fills five out of the top seven tacklers on the defense. Michigan’s run-heavy offensive style will test the efficiency of Minnesota’s secondary and their ability to move into position to make tackles.

Michigan’s Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards make up one of the best running back tandems in college football. With the backfield receiving help up front from Pro Football Focus’s highest-ranked offensive line in the nation, the Gophers will need the extra run support from the defensive backs.

Safety Jack Henderson, a transfer from Southeastern Louisiana University, has filled the hole this season left by former Gopher Jordan Howden, a safety known for his speed and willingness to offer run support. Henderson currently sits second on the team with 30 total tackles and recently recorded his second interception of the season against University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

During the postgame press conference, Henderson said the interception was meaningful.

“Yes, it definitely meant a lot to me, especially seeing some friends and family from back home that came up to see me,” Henderson said. “I was just dropping into [my] zone and I believe our [defensive] line got heavy pressure on the quarterback. He kinda just threw it as he was going down and I was just in my zone and I was able to grab it.” 

Through great coverage and his ability to make tackles in space, Henderson has become a crucial part of the Minnesota defense and a serious factor in this week’s matchup.

Safety Tyler Nubin has been outstanding, recording his third interception of the season on Saturday, tied for fourth most in the country. Additionally, Minnesota has seen solid defensive performances by cornerbacks Tre’Von Jones and Justin Walley and safety Darius Green.

Not only will the secondary’s run support be tested on Saturday, but Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy will test them through the air as well. The Wolverines have not utilized his arm much this season, with their defense holding every opposing team to single-digit scoring totals.

Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck said during a press conference Monday morning McCarthy is a team-oriented quarterback.

“He is very consistent in what he does. He’s an overachiever, an ultimate competitor, but not only that, he connects the football team,” Fleck said. “Every time you watch J.J. McCarthy talk to the media, he’s talking about someone else, talking about his teammates.”

Minnesota’s ability to make Michigan one-dimensional starts up front on the defensive line.

The group will attempt to limit Michigan’s rushing attack by utilizing their stout front seven, which will allow for defensive backs like Nubin, Walley and Henderson to make plays downfield.

During Wednesday’s press conference, defensive lineman Danny Striggow said the line’s identity will not change against Michigan and playing as a unit will be key.

“Our keystone is stopping the run in this defense, so I wouldn’t say the approach is necessarily different,” Striggow said. “We just know they’re very good at running the ball, so the details are being harped on even more this week.”

Minnesota’s strength on defense will be tested by a great offense this Saturday and players will have to make big-time plays to stick with an undefeated Michigan Wolverines squad.

A heartbreaking loss to Northwestern Saturday night left Minnesota fans speechless, with Gophers football falling to 2-2 on the season without having faced the toughest part of the schedule.

The game in Evanston, Illinois went into overtime after the Gophers allowed a touchdown with just two seconds left. A crucial play in overtime came on fourth-and-goal at the two-yard line and head coach P.J. Fleck had a decision to make: kick a field goal or go for the touchdown.

During a press conference Monday morning, Fleck said the decision to kick the field goal was a mixture of poor offensive execution and trusting the defense.

“If we come away with nothing, all they have to do is set up and kick a field goal, and I never gave our team a chance to respond,” Fleck said. “Now, maybe if it was on the one-yard line, maybe a little different.”

Fleck’s point is valid in how a field goal would give his team a better chance to win. For context, Minnesota’s defense had been struggling, allowing 21 straight points in the fourth quarter alone. Northwestern would be starting their first offensive opportunity in overtime at the 25-yard line.

Minnesota’s defense surrendered a touchdown to Northwestern on their first play via a wide-open tight end Charlie Mangieri. The pass pushed the Wildcats to 400 total passing yards on the evening.

One piece looking to shore up the Gophers’ secondary is Craig McDonald. McDonald practiced with the team throughout the first four weeks of the season and now looks to earn a role within the backfield’s rotation.

The NCAA approved his waiver to play in the 2023 season earlier this week, making him eligible to play this Saturday against the University of Louisiana Lafayette, according to the Pioneer Press.

Joe Rossi, Minnesota’s defensive coordinator, said while McDonald has been practicing, his lack of in-game reps may limit his usage this weekend.

Defensive back Tyler Nubin spoke to the media at a press conference on Wednesday about McDonald’s eligibility and the impact it has on the defense.

“Huge, man. He’s a ball player, he’s a playmaker, just like every other guy we have on our defense, he loves to play,” Nubin said. “He loves to learn, he’s really smart, he plays hard, so he’s another tool that we can use on the field.”

On the other side of the ball, play caller Greg Harbaugh Jr. told the media on Wednesday that quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis is getting more comfortable as the season progresses.

“You see what he can handle and then as he executes and, as he gets better, you put more on his plate,” Harbaugh said. “Every good offense is centered around the playmakers, but you have to center it around what the quarterback can handle. He’s done an excellent job … learning from the last week and adding it to his repertoire the next week.”

Minnesota’s loss to Northwestern hurt their postseason chances and with Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa and Wisconsin still on the schedule, it seems unlikely they will rebound. Already having a conference loss before playing the big four sets them at a major disadvantage.

In the best-case scenario, the Gophers come out .500 in those four games and, on top of winning the other conference games scheduled, contend for first place in the Big Ten West.

Fleck called the schedule opportunistic before the season’s first game. Although that may still ring true, Minnesota needs to quickly respond to its devastating loss to Northwestern.

Their next game will be Saturday at 11 a.m. against Louisiana, a must-win to keep their Big Ten Championship and bowl game hopes alive.