5 reasons for optimism heading into Minnesota's final bye week of 2025

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are a 6-3 football team. It hasn't been the cleanest road to get there, but Minnesota has done just enough to rattle off some wins, which should set up for a fun end to the season. Here are five reasons to be optimistic before the final three games of the regular season.

Overcoming injuries

Any college football coach across the country will tell you that rosters aren't as deep as they used to be due to the transfer portal rules. Minnesota's depth has been tested early and often, with star running back Darius Taylor missing three full games and playing minimally in two more. Highly-touted transfer A.J. Turner suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3, which has thrown their running back plans out of the window. Redshirt freshman Fame Ijeboi and Washington transfer Cam Davis have proven that they've recruited that position well.

Sep 6, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Darius Taylor (1) is looked at by training staff during the first quarter against the Northwestern State Demons at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The cornerback position was viewed as a potential weakness heading into the season, and the Gophers' depth has been tested more than they would've liked. John Nestor, Za'Quan Bryan and Mike Gerald have all missed games, which were likely their top three options coming into the year. Darius Green, Jai'Onte McMillan, Aidan Gousby and Garrison Monroe have also missed time, which has prompted the secondary to be something different on a week-to-week basis, seemingly.

One-score games

Minnesota was 3-4 in one-score games last season, which held back a 7-5 regular season from being much more. They've flipped the script this season with a perfect 3-0 record in one-score games. The overall outlook on a season often hinges on a team's success in one-score games, and Minnesota has routinely come up big in those moments this season.

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Drake Lindsey has looked promising

When Minnesota opted to deploy a redshirt freshman quarterback, there were immediately more questions than answers. Through nine weeks, it looks like the Gophers have their signal caller of the future. It hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows, but he has completed 62.2% of his passes for 1,743 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Youth

It's not just their quarterback; the Gophers are a young football team. They've had 19 players log more than 100 offensive snaps, and only eight of them are out of eligibility following the 2025 season. They've had 17 players log over 100 defensive snaps, and only six are playing their last year of college football. With an impressive 2026 recruiting class in the works, there's reason to believe Minnesota's roster could be even more talented next season.

Consistency

The Gophers have quietly become one of the most consistent programs in college football under P.J. Fleck. Already with six wins, they will be playing in a bowl game for the fifth consecutive season, which is not an easy thing to do in modern college football. It's inarguable that Fleck has raised the floor of this program to a level it hasn't been in quite some time.