After completing the 2021 season with an emphatic win over Wisconsin, Action Network’s Brett McMurphy first reported that the 8-4 Golden Gophers will be traveling to Phoenix, Ariz. to take on 6-6 West Virginia in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

The Guaranteed Rate Bowl has been played in Arizona since the 1989 season. It has previously been named the Copper Bowl, the Insight.com Bowl, the Insight Bowl, the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, the Cactus Bowl, and the Cheez-It Bowl. 2021 will be its first season under the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

After Big Ten teams Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State and Iowa were placed in their respective bowl games, the Gophers finally had their turn.

Fellow Big Ten West teams Wisconsin and Purdue will both be playing on Dec. 30 in the Las Vegas Bowl and Music City Bowl respectively, while 7-5 Penn State will be playing on Jan. 1 in the Outback Bowl.

Bowl selection is a subjective process, but it seems as if Minnesota was deemed to be next in line, accepting an invitation to the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Dec. 28.

After losing seven consecutive bowl games from the 2005 to the 2015 season, the Gophers have two consecutive bowl games under head coach P.J. Fleck.

This season’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl will be the Gophers first since Jan. 1 2020 when they defeated Auburn 31-24 in the Outback Bowl.

After two seasons, Minnesota announced its plans to move on from Mike Sanford Jr. as the team’s offensive coordinator on Monday. It did not take long to find his replacement, with reports announcing the return of Kirk Ciarrocca coming out Thursday afternoon.

Kirk Ciarrocca was Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck’s offensive coordinator for seven combined seasons between Western Michigan and Minnesota. Following the Gophers’ historic 2019 campaign which saw them finish 11-2, Ciarrocca opted to take the same position at Penn State.

Penn State would move on from Ciarrocca after only one disappointing season and he spent 2021 as an offensive analyst for West Virginia.

After averaging 34.1 points per game and 432 total yards of offense back in 2019 with the Gophers, his return to the program makes sense, as quarterback Tanner Morgan is now planning to return for a sixth season.

Morgan totaled a career-high 3,253 passing yards and 30 touchdowns in 2019, and he now hopes to find that same success again with Ciarrocca.

After finishing the 2021 season 8-4, there is no indication whether or not Ciarrocca will join the Gophers for their bowl game, which will be announced in the coming weeks.

A career-high 23 points from freshman Alanna Micheaux wasn’t enough for the Gophers who came up short at home against North Carolina.

After picking up two home victories over the weekend against Bradley and UTSA, the Gophers welcomed a 6-0 North Carolina team to Williams Arena in the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Head coach Lindsay Whalen opted to deploy a different starting lineup. Sophomore Alexia Smith replaced second-leading scorer (13 PPG) Jasmine Powell at point guard. She was accompanied by Sara Scalia, Deja Winters, Kadi Sissoko and Bailey Helgren.

It didn’t take long for Powell to check into the game. Less than four minutes into the game, she joined Minnesota’s lineup.

The early change resulted in an evenly matched first quarter. The Gophers and Tar Heels were tied at 17 after 10 minutes of play. Senior guard Gadivia Hubbard led Minnesota with six points.

Redshirt junior forward Kadi Sissoko came up big for the Gophers in the second quarter with a team-high eight points, bringing her first-half total to 10. That was about all of the production Minnesota could find offensively, as freshman Alanna Micheaux was the only other Gophers’ player to record a point, with four in the quarter.

After failing to make a single field goal in the last 4:15 of the second quarter, Minnesota was outscored 12-22 in the quarter, and North Carolina made five of its last seven, taking a 39-29 lead into the half.

Graduate student guard Deja Winters led the Gophers to a hot start out of the locker room. Her two threes in the quarter brought her to three for the game and brought the Maroon & Gold right back into the game.

Six more points from both Powell and Micheaux helped Minnesota storm back in a big way, trailing 55-58 after a last-second North Carolina three-pointer.

North Carolina carried its momentum into the fourth quarter. After the Tar Heels went on a 9-2 run, the Gophers found themselves trailing by 10 points once again.

Minnesota responded with an 8-0 run of its own, making for a back-and-forth finish to the game.

True freshman Alanna Micheaux’s career night went well into the final quarter of play. The 6-foot-2-inch forward finished with a career-best 23 points on a remarkable 8-10 shooting from the field.

It wasn’t enough for the Gophers, losing 46-41 in the rebounding total, and 40-30 in points in the paint. The Tar Heels ultimately came out on top of the scoreboard 82-76.

It was a balanced performance from North Carolina with six different players scoring in double figures, as Minnesota now moves to 6-4 on the season.

The Gophers will now have a five-day break — their longest since tipping off the 2021-22 season, until hosting Nebraska on Dec. 6 in their first Big Ten matchup of the season.

According to a report from Football Scoop’s Zach Barnett, Minnesota is going in a different direction at offensive coordinator and Mike Sanford Jr. is not expected to return after two seasons with the team.

Before joining P.J. Fleck’s staff in 2020, Sanford Jr. served as the offensive coordinator at Boise State and Notre Dame, until being named head coach of Western Kentucky and made his final stop as offensive coordinator at Utah State.

Since taking over at the position from Kirk Ciarrocca in 2020, the Gophers offense averaged 27.3 points per game in 2020 and 26.1 points this season with Mike Sanford Jr. as offensive coordinator and quarterback’s coach.

Quarterback Tanner Morgan told the Pioneer Press on Sunday that he plans to return to the Gophers for a sixth season. Under Sanford Jr. Morgan’s 250.2 passing yards per game and 30 touchdowns in 2019 dropped to 196.3 yards per game and seven touchdowns in 2020 and 161.3 yards per game and 10 touchdowns this season.

With current wide receivers coach Matt Simon, who is also listed as co-offensive coordinator, still on the Gophers’ staff, there is no indication on who the team plans to hire as Sanford Jr. ‘s replacement.

After earning a program-best 26th win as a starting quarterback in 2021, Tanner Morgan has opted to return for one final season with the Maroon & Gold.

Tanner Morgan has a 26-12 record as a starting quarterback for the Gophers. He has completed 546 passes (third-most in school history) of 890 attempts (fifth-most in school history) for 7,963 yards (second-most in school history). His career completion percentage of .613 ranks first in school history and his 56 career touchdown passes ranks second.

Following the Gophers upset victory over Wisconsin on Saturday afternoon, Morgan became the first Gophers quarterback to defeat the Badgers twice since Asad Abdul-Khaliq did so in 2001 and 2003.

Morgan joins star running back Mohamed Ibrahim as fifth-year players that have announced their intention to return to the Gophers next season. Other fifth-year players with the option to return such as Boye Mafe, Chris Autman-Bell, Esezi Otomewo, Blaise Andries and John Michael Schmitz all partook in senior day festivities against the Badgers, but have yet to announce their plans for the 2022 season.

With the return of Morgan, the Gophers’ quarterback room will look crowded. Redshirt-junior Zack Annexstad, redshirt-sophomores Cole Kramer and Jacob Clark, freshman Athan Kaliakmanis and incoming freshman Jacob Knuth makes six scholarship players at the position next season.

The Gophers traveled to Paradise Island, Bahamas for the first-ever women’s Battle 4 Atlantis, competing in a loaded field. After an opening-round loss, they won one game and lost another taking home sixth place.

Saturday, Nov. 20: Gophers fall to No. 2 UConn 88-58 in first-round matchup

It was a true David v. Goliath matchup when the Gophers were matched up with No. 2 UConn in their opening-round contest.

Minnesota seemed out-classed early, falling down 10-0 in the blink of an eye. Senior Huskies’ guard Christyn Williams had 10 points in the first quarter, but the Gophers were able to settle in trailing by only six points heading into the second quarter.

Five first-half three-pointers from Gophers junior guard Sara Scalia brought her team as close as one point behind the daunting Huskies, but Minnesota tripped up late, trailing 47-35 heading into the halftime break.

The Gophers struggled to start the second half, failing to score until about midway through the third quarter. UConn took advantage, outscoring the Maroon & Gold 25-8 in the quarter.

11-24 (45.8%) three-point shooting from the Gophers was not enough, as UConn proved to be too much to handle coming out on top 88-58, thanks to 31 points on 12-14 shooting from Christyn Williams. Scalia led Minnesota with 17 points.

“We’re honored to be here and compete with a team, a program like UConn,” said Gophers head coach Lindsay Whalen. “I thought there were moments where we hung in and played tough.”

Sunday, Nov. 21: Kadi Sissoko’s big day leads Gophers over her former team Syracuse 70-63

After Syracuse suffered an opening round defeat to South Florida, it was matched up with the Gophers in the next round of the consolation bracket.

Minnesota opted to deploy a different starting lineup for the first time this season. NC A&T transfer guard Deja Winters replaced Gadiva Hubbard in the Gophers’ lineup for the first time this season.

The change paid off for the Gophers, jumping out to a 17-14 lead after the end of the first quarter. After recording 10 total turnovers in the first half, Minnesota trailed 31-29 heading into halftime.

A back and forth contest continued into the second half resulting in 10 different lead changes and three ties. A big third quarter from redshirt junior forward Kadi Sissoko and Winters helped the Gophers take an eight-point lead heading into the final quarter.

After transferring from Syracuse following the 2018-19 season, Sissoko performed very well against her former team. Her game-high 23 points and 13 rebounds put Minnesota on top 70-63. Sara Scalia and Deja Winters added 17 and 16 points respectively.

“Obviously, it was a weird feeling to play against Syracuse, but I was just trying to focus on my game, stick to the game plan and have fun with my teammates on the court,” said Sissoko

Monday, Nov. 22: Gophers lose 88-69 in final round against Oklahoma

Every team competing in the Battle 4 Atlantis was guaranteed at least three games, and the Gophers’ third and final game came against Oklahoma for fifth place honors.

Graduate student guard Deja Winters started for the second consecutive day and took advantage of the opportunity. After she recorded only two points in the first quarter the Gophers dug themselves a massive 27-14 hole on the scoreboard.

Minnesota responded in the second quarter, outscoring the Sooners 16-14 led by a team-high seven points from Winters, but the Gophers still trailed by 11.

Coming out of the halftime break, Minnesota played well tying up Oklahoma in the third quarter, but the deficit was ultimately too much to pull itself out of.

A team-high 18 points from both Jasmine Powell and Deja Winters was not enough, and the Gophers fell 88-69 earning sixth place at the competition.

The Gophers now move to 4-3 on the season and will host Bradley at Williams Arena this Friday at 3:00 p.m. in hopes of getting back on track.

Minnesota traveled to Bloomington, Indiana for a late-season matchup with the Indiana Hoosiers. They left happy with a 35-14 win.

The Gophers’ offense came out of the locker room strong, and it seemed like they were going to go down the field and put some points on the board.

An 8:19 opening drive led by a strong start from Ky Thomas came to an abrupt halt after failing to convert a 4th & one deep in Indiana territory.

The Hoosiers took advantage of the momentum. With 12 total runs for 85 yards, their true freshman quarterback Donaven McCulley led the way with seven carries for 56 yards. McCulley’s touchdown is what ultimately put Indiana on top 7-0.

After exchanging punts to open the second quarter, Minnesota’s offense responded with another time-consuming 6:04 drive. This time the Gophers were able to punch in a touchdown from Ky Thomas, evening the game at seven.

The Gophers defense quickly made their slow start look like ancient history, forcing a third consecutive Indiana punt. The offense took advantage once again.

Senior tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford got open for a 48-yard reception down the sideline, setting up Ky Thomas’ second touchdown of the day, which gave the Gophers a 14-7 lead.

Indiana’s offense continued to struggle, this time giving the ball right back to Minnesota, as Tyler Nubin reeled in an interception.

Minnesota’s offensive momentum rolled on. A beautiful drive to end the half was finished on a spectacular Chris Autman-Bell touchdown reception, which gave the Gophers a 21-7 lead heading into the locker room.

The game started very slowly out of halftime, with three consecutive punts. Minnesota finally opened up the scoring with another patented long offensive drive. Chris Autman-Bell brought in his second touchdown of the day, extending Minnesota’s lead to 28-7.

Indiana’s offense continued to struggle, throwing another interception this time to senior Jordan Howden. The Gophers were not able to take advantage this time, as offense was hard to come by as three consecutive punts preceded the turnover.

Freshman running back Mar’Keise ‘Bucko’ Irving was able to get in the scoring column with a touchdown on the Gophers final substantial offensive drive, giving them a 35-7 lead.
After a slow start to the game, Minnesota’s defense made terrific adjustments giving Indiana serious problems. After recording 92 total yards on the opening drive of the game, the Hoosiers were able to only find 126 for the rest of the game.

After handling Indiana, Minnesota will shift its focus to a big matchup with arch-rival Wisconsin in the final week of the season at Huntington Bank Stadium.

The Golden Gophers welcomed American University to Williams Arena Wednesday, coming out on top 73-56, moving to 3-1 on the season.

Much like Minnesota, American entered Wednesday’s contest with a two-game win streak and a 2-1 record on the season. The Eagles were voted to finish fourth in the Patriot League this season.

It was a slow start for the Gophers out of the locker room, falling down 4-8 quickly. They turned it on to close the quarter, going on a 17-4 run, they led 21-12 after 10 minutes of play. Jasmine Powell led the way with five points and four assists, with seven different players scoring.

Head coach Lindsay Whalen opted to play 11 different players in the first quarter, giving her team plenty of rest for the remainder of the game.

“I think it’s a factor in how we were able to have the third quarter we had. I think we were able to break it up, get open a little bit, and I think our depth is significant,” Whalen said. “Laura, Rose, Deja — I thought those guys gave some really good minutes.”

It took until nearly midway through the second quarter for leading-scorer Sara Scalia (17.3 PPG) to attempt her first shot of the game, let alone score one. Her made three on her first attempt was all she could find, shooting 1-4 from the field in the first half.

Minnesota was able to find success without Scalia, leaving the first half with a 35-28 lead. Powell led the team with eight points, four rebounds and four assists. As a team, the Gophers’ 11 more shot attempts in the half helped them carry a lead into the locker room.

It was all Kadi Sissoko in the third quarter for the Gophers. Donning an all-black face mask due to a recent facial injury, the redshirt-junior forward added six points in the quarter, which led all players. Minnesota extended its lead by six, pulling ahead 54-41 going into the final 10 minutes.

“It was very weird, but I was actually fine. I went to shoot around with it [the mask] to get used to it,” Sissoko said.

Sissoko carried her momentum into the final quarter of play. Seven more points brought her game total to a team-high 17. The Gophers balanced attack continued to find success wearing down American more and more every quarter. A 19-point final quarter gave Minnesota a 73-56 victory.

“American is a tough team, they’re very well-coached,” coach Whalen said. “They put you in different situations, that if you’re not on it and crisp, next thing you know they have a layup. Give our guys credit for responding, especially after the first few possessions.”

The Gophers balanced approach led to a 34-26 difference in the rebounding total and 22 more attempted shots than their opposition.

Kadi Sissoko’s team-high 17 points paired with Jasmine Powell’s 12 gave the duo 26% of the Gophers’ scoring. Powell led the team with six rebounds and eight assists.

The Gophers will now travel to Paradise Island, Bahamas to compete in the first-ever women’s Battle 4 Atlantis competition. In the first round on Saturday, Minnesota will take on No. 2 ranked UConn, and Hopkins, Minn. native guard Paige Bueckers at 11:00 a.m. (CST).

After a shocking season-opening upset loss to Jacksonville to begin their season, the Gophers responded with a pair of impressive wins over Arizona State and George Washington.

Friday, Nov. 12: Gophers knock off Arizona State 66-59 in overtime road win

Minnesota traveled to Tempe, Arizona for their first road game of the season against an Arizona State team that went 12-12 a season ago.

After deploying the same starting lineup, as they did to open the season, the Gophers found success from some familiar faces.

Junior point guard Jasmine Powell led the team with 21 points on 9-22 shooting to go along with a team-high nine rebounds and five assists.

Redshirt junior forward Kadi Sissoko added 14 points, while junior guard Sara Scalia netted 13 points, after a team-high 25 point performance against Jacksonville. The Stillwater, Minnesota native’s double-digit scoring streak is now at 15 games.

The Gophers defense was able to force the Sun Devils into tricky situations all game, resulting in a 33.3% shooting performance as a team. Winning the rebound margin 53-45 was the cherry on top of a physical performance for the Gophers, ultimately leaving with a 66-59 victory.

Sunday, Nov. 14: Gophers defense shuts down George Washington 48-32 in first home win of season

A busy start to the 2021 season continued, as the Gophers welcomed a George Washington team that went 9-14 a season ago to Williams Arena for their third game in six days.

Points were tough to come by for both the Gophers and Colonials in a mid-afternoon Sunday matchup. A combined 28-109 shooting performance between both teams made for a defensive battle.

NC A&T transfer graduate student Deja Winters led the way with 17 points, her most in a Minnesota uniform. Her 6-13 shooting performance with eight rebounds gave the Gophers some much-needed production.

“Her familiarity with our system and what we do has just gotten better,” Gophers head coach Lindsay Whalen said. “Just getting more comfortable and fluent with the stuff we run, what we’re trying to do and getting more comfortable with her teammates, it’s a process.”

Sara Scalia continued to find offensive success with 14 points for the game, but Minnesota was able to only find 17 more points outside of Winters and Scalia.

George Washington’s 19.2% shooting performance was a Minnesota school record for an opposing team. The Gophers were able to take advantage and come out of the sloppy game with a 48-32 victory.

“This performance says a lot about our team’s toughness after the travel we’ve had this week,” Whalen said. “The win is what we are focused on today. To bounce back this week has been really fun, and just getting back to being us and performing this way.”

The Gophers’ abnormally busy start to the season continues Wednesday with a home matchup with American at 7:00 p.m. It will be their fourth game in eight days to start the season.