MINNEAPOLIS – In a game that came down to the wire, the Minnesota Golden Gophers fell just short against Iowa, losing 28-26 in a tough Big Ten showdown. Despite a valiant effort, Minnesota was unable to overcome the Hawkeyes’ dominant rushing attack and fell in a game that tested their resilience.
Head Coach Maurice Allen expressed pride in his team’s fight but emphasized that improvement is necessary to reach the next level.
“We lost a tough one, we battled to the wire, and I’m proud of our kids,” Coach Allen said postgame. “But in order to be the best, we’ve got to beat the best. Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades – we’ve got to be able to stop the run and run the ball, and tonight we didn’t do that.”
Run Game Struggles Cost Minnesota
Minnesota’s inability to establish the run and stop Iowa’s ground game proved to be the difference. The Hawkeyes rushed for 258 yards and four touchdowns, averaging an impressive 7.0 yards per carry. Meanwhile, the Gophers managed just 62 rushing yards on 18 attempts, averaging 3.4 yards per carry.
Darius Taylor led Minnesota with 33 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, but the Gophers failed to generate consistent movement on the ground. Quarterback Max Brosmer added 31 yards on five carries but was unable to extend drives in key moments.
Strong Passing Performance Not Enough
Despite the struggles on the ground, Brosmer put together a solid passing performance, completing 14 of 21 passes for 257 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. He consistently found his targets and helped keep the Gophers in the game, but it wasn’t enough to compensate for the deficiencies in the run game.
Third Down Woes
Minnesota’s struggles extended to third down, converting just one of seven attempts (14%), while Iowa thrived, converting six of eight (75%). This disparity allowed the Hawkeyes to control the clock and dictate the tempo, making it difficult for Minnesota to mount a sustained comeback.
Looking Ahead
Coach Allen knows his team must regroup quickly and address their shortcomings in the trenches.
“This one hurts, but we’ve got to learn from it. We’re close, but close isn’t good enough. We’ve got to execute at a higher level and find a way to finish,” Allen stated.
The Gophers will look to bounce back next week as they aim to correct their mistakes and get back in the win column. With the season still ahead of them, Minnesota has the talent to compete—but as Coach Allen made clear, execution in the run game will be the key to turning close losses into statement victories.
Iowa found themselves in a duel from start to finish at Minnesota tonight.
After getting a stop on 4th down when Minnesota tried a fake punt, Iowa got the ball inside the 20 and threw an uncharacteristic interception. Iowa was able to score a TD on their next possession and take a 7-3 after 1 quarter.
Iowa would again outscore the Gophers 7-3 in the 2nd quarter to go to half with a 14-6 lead. The Hawkeyes would take the opening kick and drive down and score a TD and go up 21-6.
The Hawkeyes would keep the score between 9 and 15 points the rest of the way until 3 min left in the game, when Coach Wildes decided to audible to a rpo. It was very predictable, and even though QB McNamara saw the LB get usered he still decided to throw it. There's a reason East Tenn St was at the game scouting McNamara.
Anyways, Iowa would get back to their basics, completing a couple of passes, and several runs to burn out the clock and win by 2
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