Run the North | Golden Gophers football

[redsox907]

expected a bigger win, but with Turner hampered I get it. Hows his W&T looking for the QF?

Without him at least keeping the defense honest, hard to see ya'll geting around Tech

[djp73]

Got the (ugly) W, moving on
guessing TTU will be a bit more of a task

[ShireNiner]

Ugly performance from the offense, but it's about surviving and advancing in the playoffs so we move!

Time to give the keys to AJ Brand and open the offense up. This is two games in a row the run has been shut down.

Congrats on the win.. Having Turner hurt for the playoffs is a big blow but hopefully the team can continue to rally around him.. Need to keep getting those big plays on special teams.

I definitely screwed us by running Turner into the ground. Lesson learned.

[ShireNiner]

expected a bigger win, but with Turner hampered I get it. Hows his W&T looking for the QF?

Without him at least keeping the defense honest, hard to see ya'll geting around Tech

He’s dead. Severe status. When he runs he’s so slow and terrible with cuts now. I only used him last game to get 2,000 yards at home for his last game.

Got the (ugly) W, moving on
guessing TTU will be a bit more of a task

Tech is by far the best team we have faced so far on paper. I’m putting the stats together now but they are top five and top ten in nearly everything.

[djp73]

Got the (ugly) W, moving on
guessing TTU will be a bit more of a task

Tech is by far the best team we have faced so far on paper. I’m putting the stats together now but they are top five and top ten in nearly everything.

[Captain Canada]

That punt return touchdown must have been electric

Glad you managed to get Turner to 2,000 before the W&T demon got him.

[ShireNiner]

That punt return touchdown must have been electric

Glad you managed to get Turner to 2,000 before the W&T demon got him.

The punt return was actually pretty lame. Caught it at the 50, went straight down the sideline. Great blocking and the kicker being slow made it easy but Smith has had some really good ones that he was caught by the last man after a return of 20-30 yards so it was nice to finally break one.

[ShireNiner]

AJ Turner's Historic Season - Gophers Record, Doak Walker Award and 2,000 Yards

By: Aiden “AJ” Wexler | December 20, 2026
@AidensFake


MINNEAPOLIS— As the clock hit zero at Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday, AJ Turner didn’t sprint to the locker room. He lingered. He walked slowly toward the tunnel, his breath visible in the biting December air, pausing to look back at the "M" emblazoned at midfield. The student section still full of fans celebrating the win over BYU, and his teammates slowly walking off around him.

He had just finished his final home game—a gritty 27-17 playoff victory over BYU, but the win was only half the story. On his final carry of the first quarter, a 12-yard burst through the left tackle, Turner officially crossed the 2,000-yard rushing mark for the season. In doing so, he became the first Golden Gopher in history to reach that plateau, officially cementing the greatest individual season in the program's 144-year history.

Turner’s performance against BYU was a microcosm of a season that had many calling him "The North Star." Despite being on a limited snap count due to a lingering injury, he maximized every touch. By the time he walked off the field, the record books had been completely rewritten.

The record-breaking night served as the perfect victory lap for the week's earlier news: Turner was officially named the 2026 Doak Walker Award winner, honoring him as the best running back in college football.

He is the second Minnesota player to ever receive the award (behind his teammate Taylor last season, who won in 2025). For a program that prides itself on "Power North" football—a school that produced legends like Bruce Smith, Darrell Thompson, and Marion Barber III—it was the ultimate validation of Mick Smith’s offensive vision.

"I didn't come here for the records," Turner said during a post-game interview on the field, his jersey stained with grass and dirt. "I came here to win games with these guys. The 2,000 yards, that’s for the five guys up front who paved the way. I’m just glad we get one more week together."

Turner spent three seasons - including a redshirt year - at Marshall, where he played in 22 games and rushed 127 times for 984 yards and six touchdowns. His first season at Minnesota, Turner started the year third on the depth chart and was limited in carries behind a Doak Walker winner and a freshman who looked to be the future.

Then one declared for the NFL draft, and one went into the transfer portal. Suddenly, the 2026 season was on the shoulders of Turner to take it and run. From his 200-yard masterclass against Michigan to his game-sealing runs in the upset over Notre Dame, Turner not only took his chance, but he excelled in it.

"AJ is who we want all our players to look at and copy. He came here, knowing the running back room was filled, and he fought for his chance." Mick Smith said when talking about his Doak Walker winner. "He could have transferred last season when he was behind other backs. Instead, he stayed and worked his butt off until given the chance. Then he ran with it."

While Turner eventually fell short in his Heisman quest, his season was far from a failure. Turner set the Minnesota record with 2,005 yards and the rushing touchdown record with 21. His team is in the second round of the playoffs and is only two wins away from playing for a National Championship.

Next season, Turner might be in the NFL, or he might be back as a running back coach with his alma mater, both options he has been weighing, but for now, the focus is on Friday and winning one more game at a time.

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Aiden “AJ” Wexler is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering Minnesota Gophers Football. He previously covered local high schools in the Minneapolis area. He is based in Minneapolis, MN. Follow AJ on Twitter @AidensFake.

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