Where does Iowa debacle rank among worst Gophers losses under P.J. Fleck?

Minnesota's performance on Saturday was historically bad.

Iowa Hawkeyes defensive lineman Aaron Graves (95) sacks Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey (5) Oct. 25, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's year nine for P.J. Fleck at Minnesota, and Saturday's loss to the Hawkeyes will stand out as one of the worst losses for his program since 2017.

The severity of a loss is quite subjective. The sheer point difference always plays a big role, but the context of Minnesota getting steamrolled against a rival makes this year's loss to the Hawkeyes stick out like a sore thumb.

It's hard to compare a blowout loss on the road as an 8.5-point underdog to a loss at home to Bowling Green as a 31-point favorite, but for the sake of this argument, we're going to. Minnesota obviously overlooked the Falcons in 2021. Being unprepared for a rivalry game in the middle of the season is concerning for a lot of different reasons.

Subscribe: Sign up to receive the free Gophers On SI newsletter

1. 2021: 14-10 vs. Bowling Green

With the hope of not being a prisoner of the moment, it's going to be hard to top Minnesota's shocking home loss to Bowling Green. The Falcons were one of the worst FBS programs in the country at the time, and losing to a Mid-American Conference (MAC) team at home is never defensible.

Sep 25, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Bowling Green Falcons tight end Griffin Little (9) reacts after a game ending play during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Harrison Barden-Imagn Images | Harrison Barden-Imagn Images

2. 2025: 41-3 @ Iowa

The only thing holding today's loss from getting the No. 1 spot on this list is the fact that Iowa is a good football team. Minnesota's performance might be the most disappointing under Fleck. It was a huge moment and game for the 2025 football team, and they didn't even show up.

Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Mark Gronowski (11) carries the ball against the Minnesota Golden Gophers Oct. 25, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3. 2023: 37-34 @ Northwestern (OT)

Minnesota was beating Northwestern 24-7 at halftime of their 2023 matchup in Evanston. The Wildcats stormed all the way back to win 37-34 in overtime under then-interim head coach David Braun. The collapse was one that Gophers fans would like to forget.

Sep 23, 2023; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats tight end Charlie Mangieri (89) celebrates his game winning touchdown in overtime against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the second half at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Honorable mentions

• 2019: 38-17 vs. Wisconsin
• 2022: 20-10 vs. Purdue
• 2024: 26-19 @ Rutgers

It's easy to overreact after a performance like we saw on Saturday from the Gophers, but it's hard to argue that it wasn't one of the most alarming games we've seen from a Fleck-led team. Minnesota has only one win over Iowa in the last decade. College football teams will and should be judged for their performance against rivals. Minnesota has gotten the best of Wisconsin, but it still has a long way to go before catching up to the Hawkeyes.