Most memorable Gophers football win?

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I have 3 in order:

1. 1999 win at Penn State. That win was SO massive for this program considering how downtrodden we had been the previous few decades. While Mason hit a ceiling here, that win broke through multiple ceilings as it was at the time and set the table for the following 5-7 years of raised expectations, which Kill built on and Fleck after that.

2. 2019 win vs Penn State. Everything about that day was magical. The crowd, the game, the impact to the program, the field rush, etc.

3. wisconsin 2021, again just an incredible win and atmosphere. Any time we beat uw it's huge, and that win still gives me chills.

Go Gophers!!
 



Imo....the 2018 is biggest MN win in last 20 yrs.

Yes, the 1999 Penn St game put us back in the same realm and the 2019 game gave Fleck some clout.

However, 15 yrs of losing to our archrival made us irrelevant. Until we did that, we had nothing to stand on.

It's also why flecks inability to beat Iowa is so glaring.
 

Penn State in 2019. Somebody said it here already. Magical.
 

BleedGopher said:
1. 1999 win at Penn State. That win was SO massive for this program considering how downtrodden we had been the previous few decades. While Mason hit a ceiling here, that win broke through multiple ceilings as it was at the time and set the table for the following 5-7 years of raised expectations, which Kill built on and Fleck after that.
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Interesting you describe it like that. Not trying to argue, but I was a student at the time and didn't even know the game was being played, and I wasn't even aware that we won it. IMO, apathy was huge at that point. We had like one guy in our fraternity that cared about Gopher football, but that was about it. Obviously you were more of a fan that me at the time, as you call it a "massive" win but had my one friend in the fraternity not mentioned it, I might still be oblivious to it lol.

That being said, growing up in Mpls during the 80's and 90's there wasn't much interest or concern for the Gophers, so it was easy to see students who didn't care. I really didn't care much until Brewster signed that top 25 class - then I thought we might be onto something and I've followed recruiting closely since.
 

Word said:
I think 2021 should be on the list. Jump around!
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That was awesome, I agree! Whoever thought that up...BRILLIANT. I remember hearing it start as the announcers were still talking on tv and I was like "f--- yeah".
 



Thomasthetank said:
Imo....the 2018 is biggest MN win in last 20 yrs.

15 yrs of losing to our archrival made us irrelevant. Until we did that, we had nothing to stand on.
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Interesting point. I have to admit, I didn't even see the game. I was so used to losing to WI that I went to a bar and watched the Iron Bowl. Found out later we won in Madison - wish I would have watched, but as an SEC fan, I wasn't going to miss the Iron Bowl just to watch the Gophers get beaten up.
 

Ummm, wrong!!!

1977 - 17-0 over Michigan. I believe the uniform combination for that game was…..FULL BANANA!!!!!

in recent history, I’d have to say the Penn State win from 2019 and the jump around Badger game are the top 2 for the PJ era, until this years victory over Iowa!

Who hates Iowa?
 

Thomasthetank said:
Imo....the 2018 is biggest MN win in last 20 yrs.

Yes, the 1999 Penn St game put us back in the same realm and the 2019 game gave Fleck some clout.

However, 15 yrs of losing to our archrival made us irrelevant. Until we did that, we had nothing to stand on.

It's also why flecks inability to beat Iowa is so glaring.
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Biggest or most memorable? Or are they the same for you?
 

Georgia Southern 2019


It was one of the first games you got a really good feeling that things were changing. Old gophers lose that game for sure.

But the crowd was really into it… instead of waiting in horror, the crowd seemed to just know they were going to make the plays.

Not a huge crowd, but the atmosphere was different, the team had clearly had an impact on the crowd's attitude.
 
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GopherTheJugular said:
That wasn't one of the choices. ; ) But I'd agree that it has to be Penn State 2019. PSU 1999 and tOSU 2000 were years where we weren't that good and just got lucky that day. 2019 was a turning point.
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the 1999 was a very good team that had four losses by a combined 15 points. It wasn't luck.
 

An honorable mention should go to the 51 unanswered points against Iowa during the Kill era. They just kept scoring!
 

noamfromm said:
the 1999 was a very good team that had four losses by a combined 15 points. It wasn't luck.
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I guess I stand corrected. I was totally unaware we were any good under Mason. Bleed's response about the game correlates with what you're saying, so I'll just admit I was wrong.
 


GopherTheJugular said:
Interesting point. I have to admit, I didn't even see the game. I was so used to losing to WI that I went to a bar and watched the Iron Bowl. Found out later we won in Madison - wish I would have watched, but as an SEC fan, I wasn't going to miss the Iron Bowl just to watch the Gophers get beaten up.
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About the :40 mark...
 



16-0 over Michigan in 1977.
59-56 over Purdue in 1993.
28-21 over Wisconsin in 1993.

The Michigan and Wisconsin games were the only Big Ten losses for those teams.
 

I really enjoyed the 2014 Nebraska game at Lincoln, being down 14 at the half.
 

I'm going all obscure games today!

Indiana 2018​


Not a big crowd, and the typical game that the old Gophers would loose. Big lead that vanished late.

But facing a typical 1st down and RUTM play call ... PJ reportedly asked Bateman in the huddle "You wanna win a football game?" Then they made this play:


That tiny crowd was loud, things were changing ...
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I'm going all obscure games today!

Indiana 2018​


Not a big crowd, and the typical game that the old Gophers would loose. Big lead that vanished late.

But facing a typical 1st down and RUTM play call ... PJ reportedly asked Bateman in the huddle "You wanna win a football game?" Then they made this play:


That tiny crowd was loud, things were changing ...
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Thought the story was Kirk asking PJ if he wanted to win the game right then and there.

Btw looked like about 48 yards in the air.
 


Word said:
Biggest or most memorable? Or are they the same for you?
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I feel like both.

Even tho both teams were not playing for anything that yr, I felt like until we beat our rival, we were nothing.

I watched that game on the edge of my seat, every second savoring it. Years of torture from relatives and friends disappeared.

The fact now that we have a winning 5 yr record vs WI is imperative for success.
 

Maguire said:
I really enjoyed the 2014 Nebraska game at Lincoln, being down 14 at the half.
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Absolute meltdown in the game thread after Nebraska blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown. So many people declared the game was over and they were shutting it off to go rake leaves or something. As apparently one of the only people who kept watching, I quite enjoyed the ending :)
 

GopherTheJugular said:
That wasn't one of the choices. ; ) But I'd agree that it has to be Penn State 2019. PSU 1999 and tOSU 2000 were years where we weren't that good and just got lucky that day. 2019 was a turning point.
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Good? Maybe. As deep? No.
 


2021 Gophs over Badgers. Stormed the field with my kid, that's a forever memory for me and hopefully it is for him. Playing jump around was so deliciously petty, and is the exact reason why this rivalry is so fking great.
 

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