The Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-3) became bowl-eligible Saturday with one of the ugliest wins you’ll ever see, edging the Michigan State Spartans (3-6) in overtime, 23-20, at Huntington Bank Stadium.
The Elite
Drake
Lindsey stiff-arming Spartan linebacker Darius Snow on his way to the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. Calling for a naked bootleg on third down with your statue-esque quarterback?
Gutsy.
Seven sacks. After a one-week absence — and against a much worse offensive line than they faced a week ago — the Minnesota pass rush returned with a vengeance, recording seven sacks in the game. Six of those came in the first half, so the pass rush was less effective after halftime, but that’s the way things seem to go with this defense.
Fame Ijeboi. Even while running behind one of the worst offensive lines in the Big Ten, the redshirt freshman running back racked up 108 rushing yards on 17 carries, with a rushing touchdown. Ijeboi provided a much-needed spark on the Gophers’ first touchdown drive of the game, breaking loose for a 49-yard gain.
Penalties. Minnesota only had two penalties compared to the 10 penalties called against Michigan State. The Spartans did themselves no favors, especially late. After taking the lead with 1:52 left in the game, Michigan State’s kickoff went out of bounds, gifting the Gophers starting field position at the 35-yard line. Then on the first play of the drive, linebacker Jordan Hall was called for a facemask penalty. On 2nd & 1 at the 8-yard line with 33 seconds left, defensive back Malik Spencer knocked down tight end Jameson Geers before he could make a play on a pass in the end zone, drawing a defensive pass interference penalty to set up a touchdown on the very next play. In overtime, cornerback Malcolm Bell got beat in the end zone by Le’Meke Brockington and grabbed him to prevent a touchdown, drawing another DPI penalty and a fresh set of downs for Minnesota.
The Meh
The Gopher defense. Is this defense good? Is this defense bad? The answer seems to change from one play to the next. Good defenses don’t typically give up 467 yards of total offense. But allowing only 17 points in regulation? That is good defense, in my opinion. I don’t know what to make of Danny Collins’ feast-or-famine unit. Maverick Baranowski sacked Spartan quarterback Alessio Milivojevic on the first play of a second quarterback drive, only for the defense to give up completions of 12 and 15 yards the next two plays. A bust in pass coverage by Koi Perich in the fourth quarter allowed Spartan wide receiver Nick Marsh to get behind the defense and haul in an underthrown pass for 48 yards at the Minnesota 4-yard line. But the defense refused to break on each of the following three plays, forcing a 23-yard field goal attempt that was missed.
Drake Lindsey. If you were hoping for a bounce-back performance from the Gophers’ redshirt freshman quarterback after he threw three interceptions in Iowa City a week ago, this… was not it. Lindsey did not turn the ball over, but he was only 26-of-39 (67%) for 197 passing yards. His decision-making was very questionable at times, and too many of his touch passes were off the mark. He has gotten far too reliant on his check-down passes, but it’s difficult to know how much of that can be attributed to wide receivers not getting open down the field. To his credit, Lindsey did have two rushing touchdowns, including the game-winner.
Brady Denaburg. Here we go again. The Gophers’ kicker has been unreliable from 40 yards or beyond, but this time he missed a 33-yarder before halftime. If only there was another kicker on the roster…
The Ugly
Greg Harbaugh. We need to talk about Greg.
Since Harbaugh was promoted from tight ends coach to offensive coordinator three years ago, here is how the Minnesota offense has ranked nationally in each of his three seasons as play-caller:
2023
Rushing Offense: 65th (157.5 rushing yards per game)
Passing Offense: 123rd (143.4 passing yards per game)
Scoring Offense: 108th (20.9 points per game)
2024
Rushing Offense: 109th (115.6 YPG)
Passing Offense: 76th (222.2 YPG)
Scoring Offense: 80th (26.2 PPG)
2025
Rushing Offense: 118th (110.5 YPG)
Passing Offense: 95th (204.1 YPG)
Scoring Offense: 95th (23.9 PPG)
These are not the marks of a good offensive coordinator. The ground game — once considered the one constant of a P.J. Fleck offense — has declined each of the last three seasons, even with Darius Taylor in the backfield. The presence of Max Brosmer under center last season was a boost for the passing game, but a 76th-ranked passing offense is nothing to celebrate. And Minnesota hasn’t even come close to averaging 30 points per game.
Facing a Michigan State defense that came into the game ranked 84th nationally in total defense and 117th in scoring defense, Harbaugh’s game plan appeared to be written in crayon. Knowing that Michigan State defensive coordinator Joe Rossi likes to play zone coverage, Harbaugh made the baffling decision to dial up screen pass after screen pass, all of which got blown up at or behind the line of scrimmage. The Gophers were 6-for-15 on third down, as Drake Lindsey frequently checked down to receivers running routes short of the line to gain.
At no point did it ever feel like Harbaugh was attacking the weaknesses of the opposing defense. If anything, it felt like he was magnifying the shortcomings of his own offense. You can point the finger at the offensive line or the wide receivers or even the quarterback, but we’ve cycled through a number players these last three seasons. There have only been two constants: Harbaugh, and an offense that ranks near the bottom of the Big Ten.
Enough is enough. This season needs to be Harbaugh’s last as offensive coordinator.
The black uniforms. Okay, commenters. You win. I never want to see them again.
