Gophers host Iowa Saturday: P.J. Fleck vs Kirk Ferentz for Floyd of Rosedale
Gophers battle Iowa for Floyd of Rosedale Saturday
The University of Minnesota football team is back from its bye week, and the Gophers host Iowa on Saturday in the annual battle for Floyd of Rosedale. P.J. Fleck is 1-8 at Minnesota against the Hawkeyes, and he spoke about the game at his Monday news conference.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The University of Minnesota football team is back from its bye week, and the Gophers have a rivalry game on Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium.
Minnesota hosts Iowa at 2:30 p.m., a game that will be aired on Fox Sports 1. The Gophers are 4-2 and coming off a 41-13 loss at Purdue two weeks ago. The Hawkeyes are 5-1, also coming off their bye week and won at Washington two weeks ago.
Daunting last six games
Why you should care:
The Gophers have six regular season games left, and need at least two wins to become bowl eligible. Their last six games are either for rivalry trophies, against ranked opponents, or both.
That starts Saturday against the No. 15-ranked Hawkeyes, as the two teams battle for the Floyd of Rosedale. Iowa is also seeking to stay in the College Football Playoff conversation.
The remainder of Minnesota’s schedule includes a trip to top-10 Indiana, hosting No. 9-ranekd UCLA, traveling to Penn State for the Governor’s Bell, hosting currently No. 24-ranked Northwestern and facing Wisconsin at Camp Randall for Paul Bunyan’s Axe.
"We brought this up way back in the spring, talking about the schedule we’re going to have. You have no idea who’s going to be ranked, who’s not. But we do know we’re going to play four rivalry games, all four trophies are up for grabs. We’ve got one of them, we’ve got three left," Gophers’ coach P.J. Fleck said Monday. "You’re going to play at least 7-8 ranked teams, that’s just the Big Ten."
RTB = Run the Ball
What we know:
If the Gophers are going to have a successful last six games, they need to be more consistent running the ball. Since scoring three first half touchdowns in Week 1 against Eastern Illinois, Darius Taylor has 50 carries for 98 yards.
Taylor is clearly playing through some type of injury that’s not being disclosed. The Gophers are also 17th of 18 teams in the Big Ten in rushing, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry.
"I don’t know if it’s clicking or not clicking, it’s just going back to that word consistency. The more he practices and he’s able to practice the way he can practice, the better he’s going to be," Fleck said. "We need him at his absolute best."
What we don't know:
How effective Taylor can be the rest of the season. If he struggles or is injured, it's up to T.J. Thomas, A.J. Turner and Xavier Ford to take on more carries.
Fleck praises Kirk Ferentz
What they're saying:
Saturday’s game features the two longest-tenured coaches in the Big Ten. Fleck is in his 10th year at Minnesota, while Kirk Ferentz is in his 28th season. Fleck is 1-8 in the series, and has yet to win at home.
Ferentz’s 209 wins at Iowa are the most all time. He’s led the Hawkeyes to nine-win seasons 10 times, including at least eight wins in nine of the last 10 seasons, and two appearances in the Big Ten title game.
Ferentz doesn’t run a flashy program, but they’re consistent and they win.
"I think he’s arguably one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, you can make an argument for that. The consistency he has won with, he’s been doing it for so long. People always ask is it harder to build it or sustain it? I think it’s both," Fleck said. "When you’re sustaining it for 28 years, and the consistency of what you pour out of that program, that’s why I think it’s one of the greatest feats. He is one of the greatest coaches of all time."
Indiana kick time announced
Timeline:
The Gophers announced Monday their Oct. 31 game at Indiana, the 2025 defending national champions, is set for 2:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. The game will air on CBS.