Gophers can't overcome mistakes in late-night loss at Cal

Many mistakes and questionable decisions were too much for Minnesota to overcome on Saturday night in Berkeley.

Sep 13, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck watches his team take on the California Golden Bears during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

There were too many mistakes for the Gophers to overcome in their first road game of the season, which resulted in their first loss of the season, 27-14, at California.

Minnesota traveled all the way to Berkeley, California, for its final nonconference game of the season, and things didn't kick off until 9:30 p.m. CT. They looked like a team with significant travel disadvantages, as they started slowly.

Cal struck first with a touchdown drive late in the first quarter. A handful of questionable coaching decisions and odd offensive play-calling resulted in a sloppy first half, but Minnesota got on the board with less than a minute in the first half, and Washington transfer Cam Davis found the endzone.

The Golden Bears caught the Gophers' defense sleeping and stole a field goal at the end of the first half, which resulted in a 10-7 halftime lead.

Drake Lindsey coughed up the first turnover of the game on Minnesota's first offensive drive of the second half. The Gophers' defense responded and forced a three-and-out. Lindsey led the offense on a nine-play, 64-yard touchdown drive, and Jameson Geers gave the Gophers their first lead of the night.

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Star Cal QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele looked clinical on the next Golden Bears' offensive drive. He led his team on a nine-play, 75-yard drive of their own, and they regained a 17-14 lead. Minnesota's second-half defensive adjustments seemed to fall out the window.

Right when it looked like the Gophers' defense came up with a big stop, Koi Perich made his second punt-returning mistake of the night. A muffed punt set up another Cal touchdown and Minnesota was never able to recover, losing 27-14.

MUFFED PUNT 😱 Cal pounces on it, and a few plays later JKS finds Jordan King for his 3rd passing TD of the night to put the Bears up 10!@CalFootball | @CalFootball | #GoBears pic.twitter.com/5fwG1qtRjL

— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) September 14, 2025

Sagapolutele lived up to the hype as one of the best young quarterbacks in the country, completing 24 of his 38 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns, while Lindsey was only 205 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Redshirt freshman Fame Ijeboi led the Gophers with 16 carries for 85 yards with Darius Taylor out, and a career-high, eight-catch, 106-yard performance from Le'Meke Brockington will be forgotten in a frustrating loss.

Minnesota will have a bye week before its Big Ten opener in Week 5 at Huntington Bank Stadium against former Gophers QB Athan Kaliakmanis and Rutgers on September 27.