Gophers overcome early deficit, beat Rutgers in thrilling Big Ten opener

It wasn't easy by any means, but the Gophers are 1-0 in Big Ten play in the Drake Lindsey era.

Lindsey was outstanding, the defense did just enough, and Minnesota (3-1) rallied from an early two-touchdown deficit in a thrilling 31-28 victory over Rutgers (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) at Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday.

A back-and-forth affair came down to one final Rutgers possession. They moved the ball into field goal range and had time to inch closer or perhaps strike for a go-ahead touchdown. But with less than a minute on the clock, former Gophers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis wasn't ready for a shotgun snap that sailed between his legs and turned into a 15-yard loss. One play later, the Scarlet Knights faced a long fourth down and elected to try a game-tying 56-yard field goal, which sailed wide right to give Minnesota the victory.

So much happened in this game, but Lindsey's play stood out most. The Gophers' redshirt freshman quarterback completed 31 of 41 pass attempts for 324 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions. That included a game-tying TD pass to Jalen Smith in the third quarter and a go-ahead connection with Javon Tracy in the fourth. Playing without star running back Darius Taylor, P.J. Fleck put this game in the hands of his quarterback. The Gophers had 41 dropbacks and just 15 handoffs, and Lindsey rewarded that approach with the best game of his young career.

Kaliakmanis was on fire early in his return to Minneapolis, but Rutgers' offense largely dried up after a great start. The Gophers got a big interception in the second quarter, recorded seven sacks, and won the second half 17-7.

Things got off to a rough start for the Gophers after their two-week layoff. Kaliakmanis and Rutgers tore up their defense on three consecutive drives to begin the game, while Minnesota's offense sputtered early and punted twice. The Scarlet Knights went up 14-0 early in the second quarter, and they could've led by 17 or 21 if not for a defensive stand and blocked field goal on the game's opening possession.

That's when Lindsey and the Gophers came to life, which in turn sparked a turnaround from the defense. The big play that got Minnesota back in the game was a 78-yard strike from Lindsey to Smith, which set up a short rushing touchdown from Fame Ijeboi. Kerry Brown then picked off Kaliakmanis, which led to a Lindsey touchdown pass to Le'Meke Brockington to tie the game at 14.

The Gophers were driving with a chance to take the lead in the second quarter, but a run on 4th and 1 got stuffed for a turnover on downs. Rutgers scored on the ensuing possession and took a 21-14 lead into the break after the Gophers missed a 50-yard field goal in the final seconds.

The third quarter was all Minnesota. Lindsey led two long, time-consuming scoring drives. The first resulted in a touchdown reception by Smith. The second stalled out in the red zone and ended in a field goal that gave the Gophers their first lead of the game. Minnesota out-gained Rutgers 160 to 7 in the third quarter.

It all came down to which team was going to execute better in the fourth quarter. Rutgers took a 28-24 lead on the first possession of the quarter, but after a punt from each team, the Gophers put together an impressive go-ahead drive to take back their three-point lead. From there, they held on for the victory.

Next up for Minnesota is a daunting trip to Ohio State next week to take on the No. 1 Buckeyes.

Sep 27, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Koi Perich (3) celebrates his sack of Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) as teammates look on during the second quarter at Huntington Bank Stadium. | Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

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