Gophers beat Buffalo 23-10 in 2025 opener behind Drake Lindsey, dominant defense
![P.J. Fleck reacts after Gophers beat Buffalo, 23-10 [FULL]](https://static-media.fox.com/fmcv3/prod/fts/A-843425/x474m1pqdgo4bcv4.jpg)
P.J. Fleck reacts after Gophers beat Buffalo, 23-10 [FULL]
University of Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck spoke with reporters after Thursday night's 23-10 win over Buffalo at Huntington Bank Stadium to open the 2025 regular season.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - It wasn’t the prettiest game you’ll ever see, but the University of Minnesota football team is 1-0 after a 23-10 win over Buffalo Thursday night in the season-opener at Huntington Bank Stadium.
The 47,774 fans in attendance saw Drake Lindsey have a big night in his debut as a starting quarterback. The Gophers’ defense also stepped up to the challenge until the offense could find its rhythm. The Bulls are a preseason top-3 team in the MAC.
"You’re talking about Game 1, finding out a lot about the character of your football team, that’s what Game 1 is about. I saw a lot of character with our football team tonight. I’ve played in the league, I’ve coached in that league, this is their Super Bowl," Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said after the win.
![Gophers players react after 23-10 win over Buffalo [FULL]](https://static-media.fox.com/fmcv3/prod/fts/xtv1bdt2nza4ntte/utvpm2zgnxm041nm.jpg)
Gophers players react after 23-10 win over Buffalo [FULL]
Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey and defensive linemen Deven Eastern and Anthony Smith spoke with reporters after Thursday night's 23-10 win over Buffalo at Huntington Bank Stadium to open the 2025 regular season.
The big play
How it happened:
The Gophers finally got separation from Buffalo early in the fourth quarter, leading 16-10.
The big play came from their redshirt freshman quarterback, making his first college start. Lindsey rolled out and hit a wide open Jalen Smith, also a redshirt freshman, for a 60-yard touchdown.
It gave Minnesota a 23-10 lead with 10:52 to play in a game that had otherwise been too close for comfort.
Drake Lindsey’s first start
By the numbers:
P.J. Fleck and the Gophers have put a lot of Lindsey’s plate since January. He’s assumed the starting quarterback role since spring football, represented the team at Big Ten Media Days and was publicly named the starter in fall camp, something Fleck has rarely done at Minnesota. Lindsey 19-of-35 for 290 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Lindsey had several passes dropped.
"It didn’t surprise me at all. He is a cool customer," Fleck said.
His first touchdown as a starter came on a dime to Jameson Geers from nine yards out to give the Gophers a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter.
His only turnover of the game was a bit of a fluke. Trying to throw the ball away, it bounded off Geers’ foot and landed in the hands of a Buffalo defender, who took it 54 yards. It set up a Bulls’ field goal in the second quarter.
"A win is a win. We played well, but the execution has to be better. It’s a good first taste of college football," Lindsey said.
A busy night for Darius Taylor
Dig deeper:
Gophers’ star tailback Darius Taylor didn’t see the end zone, but he had a busy night. He had 30 carries for 141 yards, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. He also had four catches for 36 yards. That’s 34 total touches for 177 yards.
The Gophers will lean on their star running back until the wide receivers can make plays consistently. His best play of the night might have been racing to make the tackle after Lindsey's interception. It saved a touchdown.
Defense dominates
Why you should care:
Danny Collins made his debut as Minnesota’s defensive coordinator, and the unit was fast and physical. The Gophers forced Buffalo into six 3-and-outs, 151 total yards and the Bulls were just 1-for-11 on third down. Devon Williams had a sack, and Jalen Logan-Redding and Anthony Smith each had a half sack.
They tackled well as Buffalo struggled to move the ball most of the night. Maverick Baranowski led the Gophers with 10 tackles, 1.5 for loss.
"We went into the game looking to play 60 minutes of violent football," defensive lineman Deven Eastern said.
"That’ s our DNA. Sixty minutes of hell," Smith said.
New kicker has a big night
The backstory:
The Dragan Kesich era is over for the Gophers. The new kicker is Brady Denaberg, and he didn’t disappoint Thursday. In his first game, Denaberg made both of his extra points, and converted field goals from 38, 29 and 25 yards. It’s exactly what the Gophers needed with the offense struggling to find the end zone.
Denaberg was one piece of an overall solid night for special teams.
Northwestern State next
What's next:
The Gophers host FCS Northwestern State to close out their home non-conference schedule. It’s an 11 a.m. kickoff on Sept. 6 at Huntington Bank Stadium.