So where we all at 3 games in?

[50PoundHead]

Like last year, it will depend on how we do in the close games. We managed to win a lot of one-score games last year with clutch plays on both offense and defense. Hard to get a read right now.

 

[imthewalrus]

Hoping for 5 or 6 B1G wins, fun match-up in a bowl game with a happy ending. So that could be 7-8 wins with a chance to win a bowl game too.

Win at least one trophy game and I would call that a pretty nice season!

Beat that team from Jersey, Gopher!

 

[Some guy]

Like last year, it will depend on how we do in the close games. We managed to win a lot of one-score games last year with clutch plays on both offense and defense. Hard to get a read right now.

Yup.

Wins:
Buffalo - W
NW State - W
Purdue
Northwestern
Wisconsin



Losses:
Ohio state
Oregon

The story of the season:
Cal - L
Rutgers -
Nebraska -
Iowa -
Michigan State -

 

[Ski-U-Ham]

Hoping for 5 or 6 B1G wins, fun match-up in a bowl game with a happy ending. So that could be 7-8 wins with a chance to win a bowl game too.

Win at least one trophy game and I would call that a pretty nice season!

Beat that team from Jersey, Gopher!

That would make the season enjoyable for all of us

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

That would make the season enjoyable for all of us

No no PJ, I think you're a great coach and all ... I'm just not into that exactly ...

 

[FredCoxRocks]

My preseason prognostication was 8-4 but I was secretly hoping for a 2019 style season where things go right for a 9-10 win season.

All that assumed a relatively easy win at Cal. Now more of those 50/50 games or even 60/40 games look like losses to me.

You should never overreact to a single bad loss. But that is YOU. I am different, and special. This Cal loss has me reacting to lower my expectations from 8 wins to 6 - and another moral victory bowl in a place like Detroit, if the Gophers qualify for a bowl at all.

That, and aside from NW and Purdue, the other B1G teams we play have improved.
Edit: And Wisconsin...they suck balls.

 

[FanSinceTheFifties]

Before the season I expected 7-5. I still do.

 

[WorkingMyTailOff]

This is simply not accurate
The gophers played man to man off and on all night. They just didn’t play it very well.

I'm surprised by this because it looked like the secondary was spaced out and the Cal QB was throwing to receivers who often didn't have a Gopher dback within 5 feet. It was the worst pass defense I have seen in the Fleck and Kill era.

 

[Bayfield Gopher]

Before the season I expected 7-5. I still do.

Me the same. But now is have replaced "I expected" to with "I hope".

Three games in and the team has not met expectations. Especially from the guys we expected to make big plays; Koi, Taylor, Brown, Smith, JLR, Eastern, etc. With the BIG season upon us its time to step up, not just the players but the coaches. We will learn a lot about this squad on Saturday.

 

[mngg11]

Me the same. But now is have replaced "I expected" to with "I hope".

Three games in and the team has not met expectations. Especially from the guys we expected to make big plays; Koi, Taylor, Brown, Smith, JLR, Eastern, etc. With the BIG season upon us its time to step up, not just the players but the coaches. We will learn a lot about this squad on Saturday.

I think they come out strong and come Saturday night hope is renewed for a lot of the fanbase

 

[Otis]

I went with 7 or 8 wins.

BUT, we can still go 3-0 in the important games and sweep Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin! That my friends is a successful season!

GO GOPHERS!!

 

[Some guy]

I'm surprised by this because it looked like the secondary was spaced out and the Cal QB was throwing to receivers who often didn't have a Gopher dback within 5 feet. It was the worst pass defense I have seen in the Fleck and Kill era.

They were playing 2 man under a lot, got no pressure and did a terrible job in man to man.

I haven’t broken down the film but it was noticeable just casually watching

They did this more in the first quarter and late third/early fourth.
They played more zone in the second

 

[corcorangopher]

Cal was just one game. But….that one game instantly feels like another overall meh season where we need to find little bright spots.

 

[Bayfield Gopher]

Cal was just one game. But….that one game instantly feels like another overall meh season where we need to find little bright spots.

Thus far zero Gophers have earned Players of the Week. Its time that changes.

2025 Big Ten Football Players of the Week (presented by IFS.ai)
Sept. 1
O: Jayden Maiava, USC
O: Jonah Coleman, WASH
D: Preston Zachman, WIS
ST: Hank Beatty, ILL
F: Malik Washington, MD

Sept. 8
O: Aidan Chiles, MSU
O: Jonah Coleman, WASH
D: Jordan Hall, MSU
ST: Spencer Porath, PUR
F: Julian Sayin, OSU

Sept. 15
O: Omar Cooper Jr., IND
D: Jerry Mixon, ORE
ST: Kaden Wetjen, IOWA
F: Bryce Underwood, MICH

Sept. 22
O: Fernando Mendoza, IND
O: Demond Williams Jr., WASH
D: Daniel Wingate, MD
ST: Kaden Wetjen, IOWA
ST: Dominic Zvada, MICH
F: Malik Washington, MD

​

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[Gophergrandpa]

Thus far zero Gophers have earned Players of the Week. Its time that changes.

2025 Big Ten Football Players of the Week (presented by IFS.ai)
Sept. 1
O: Jayden Maiava, USC
O: Jonah Coleman, WASH
D: Preston Zachman, WIS
ST: Hank Beatty, ILL
F: Malik Washington, MD

Sept. 8
O: Aidan Chiles, MSU
O: Jonah Coleman, WASH
D: Jordan Hall, MSU
ST: Spencer Porath, PUR
F: Julian Sayin, OSU

Sept. 15
O: Omar Cooper Jr., IND
D: Jerry Mixon, ORE
ST: Kaden Wetjen, IOWA
F: Bryce Underwood, MICH

Sept. 22
O: Fernando Mendoza, IND
O: Demond Williams Jr., WASH
D: Daniel Wingate, MD
ST: Kaden Wetjen, IOWA
ST: Dominic Zvada, MICH
F: Malik Washington, MD

No Rutgers guys either. Both teams without star power ... so far.

 

[Gopher Ally]

I don’t know, Cal looks like a bad loss now. Offense has no explosive plays, back to plodding. We’ll know more about this team after Saturday

 

[Sparlimb]

I don’t know, Cal looks like a bad loss now. Offense has no explosive plays, back to plodding. We’ll know more about this team after Saturday

Breaking in a new qb, it was bound to start slow. That and most of our receivers actually can't catch. Which really isn't helping. We'll find our stride I think, but we're not shocking anyone with our offensive prowess.

 

[Gopher Ally]

Breaking in a new qb, it was bound to start slow. That and most of our receivers actually can't catch. Which really isn't helping. We'll find our stride I think, but we're not shocking anyone with our offensive prowess.

I like Lyndsey, he’s gonna end up being one of the best we’ve had here, however, doesn’t seem we have anyone to stretch the field for that big arm. I was hoping Coleman would be that guy but he can’t get on the field for some reason. Still very early though, looking forward to being at The Bank Saturday

 

[Gopher Ally]

We may have found a receiver in Smith who can stretch the field running under 50 yard lobs

 

[MNVCGUY]

We may have found a receiver in Smith who can stretch the field running under 50 yard lobs

They already knew Smith could do this but he just had to prove he could hang onto the ball. He did that yesterday, hopefully a sign of big things to come.

 

[Some guy]

Wins:
Buffalo - W
NW State - W
Purdue
Northwestern
Wisconsin



Losses:
Ohio state
Oregon

The story of the season:
Cal - L
Rutgers - W
Nebraska -
Iowa -
Michigan State -

Updated.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

We may have found a receiver in Smith who can stretch the field running under 50 yard lobs

He looked really good and natural catching those passes.