Run the North | Golden Gophers football

[ShireNiner]

Bobo out there long bombing in 360p, nice job securing the W

CJ & Tavien in Washington? Audric gone eat regardless who's throwing. This should be interesting

So CJ was unstoppable...that was fun.

[ShireNiner]

Missed Tackles, Missed Chances Cost Minnesota in 41-38 Loss to Washington


Josh Bobo’s deflected pass was intercepted, ending the comeback attempt (ShireNiner PS5 images)

By: Bill Connelly | November 14, 2027
Writer, CFB/NFL

Minneapolis— Minnesota spent Saturday night searching for answers and rarely finding them.

Missed tackles. Dropped passes. A tipped-ball interception here, a blown block there. It all piled up into a 41-38 loss to Washington that felt heavier than the margin suggested.

The tone was set immediately. After the Gophers struck first on a Jalen Smith touchdown, Washington answered in one snap — a 65-yard strike to Quaid Carr, who broke four tackles on his way to the end zone. It was a preview of a long night for Minnesota’s defense.

Missed tackles became the story. Quarterback CJ Carr shrugged off five would-be tacklers. Quaid Carr broke eight. Rashid Williams slipped through four. Adam Harris broke six tackles on just five catches. What should have been routine completions repeatedly turned into extended plays, forcing Minnesota to swarm just to get ball carriers on the ground.

The Gophers, usually among the Big Ten’s most reliable defenses, surrendered 389 passing yards — 219 of them after the catch. Quaid Carr added 65 rushing yards, with nearly half coming after first contact.

“It was a dog fight, and unfortunately, we were the little dogs today,” Minnesota coach Mick Smith said. “We were off defensively in every way. Even balls we usually turn into interceptions didn’t bounce our way. The only reason we had a chance late was when they leaned on the run in the fourth quarter.”

With the defense struggling, Minnesota’s offense couldn’t compensate for most of the night. Quarterback Josh Bobo was under constant pressure, sacked five times and rarely afforded a clean pocket. Fame Ijeboi provided an early spark, rushing for 146 yards on 17 carries, but 74 of those yards came on the opening drive.

Ijeboi’s most pivotal moment came late, and didn’t go Minnesota’s way. A wide-open swing pass slipped through his hands in the fourth quarter, a drop that likely would have gone for a touchdown. Instead, it led to a turnover on downs.

“It hurts knowing we beat ourselves,” Ijeboi said. “Those drops are on me, and they could have changed the game. But everything we want is still out there. If we win our next two, we’re still in.”

The loss was just Smith’s second at home in the past three seasons, the other coming earlier this year against Ohio State. Minnesota falls to third in the Big Ten standings and will need help — either a Michigan or Oregon loss — along with winning out to reach Indianapolis.

Even without a conference title appearance, the path remains clear: win the final two games, and Minnesota will still punch its ticket to the playoffs.

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Scoring Summary
1st quarter
Jalen Smith 1 yd pass from Josh Bobo, 7:21
Quaid Carr 65 yd pass from CJ Carr, 7:06

2nd quarter
CJ Carr 4 yd run, 10:36
Xavier Ford, 4 yd run, 2:37
Rashid Williams, 7 yd pass from CJ Carr, 1:13
Quaid Carr 26 yd pass from CJ Carr, 0:40

3rd quarter
Manuel Valles, 35 Yd FG, 8:18
Quaid Carr 4 yd run, 3:50
Quaid Carr 16 yd run, 0:00

4th quarter
Connor Malik 8 Yd pass from Josh Bobo (2pt good), 10:45
Kenric Lanier II 7 yd pass from Josh Bobo (2pt failed), 8:18
Dylan Wittke, 2 yd run, 0:20

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Soapys' Box Score

Passing
Josh Bobo - 33/61, 54%, 242 yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT, QBR 100.3
CJ Carr - 26/37, 70%, 389 yds, 3 TDs, 1 rush TD, QBR 185.3

Rushing
Fame Ijeboi - 17 atts, 146 yds, 8.5 avg
Xavier Ford - 8 atts, 40 yds, 5.0 avg, 1 TD
Quaid Carr - 16 atts, 65 yds, 4.0 avg, 2 TDs, 125 rec yards, 2 rec TDs

Receiving
Connor Malik - 5 rec, 85 yds, 1 TD
Jalen Smith - 12 rec, 75 yds, 1 TD
Rashid Williams, 6 rec, 84 yds, 1 TD

Defense
Mitch Horan - 6 tlks, 3 TFL, 1 sack
Tyson Ford- 4 tlks, 2 TFL
Trevon Howard - 7 tlks, 1 TFL

Zaydrius Rainey-Sale - 19 tlks, 1 TFL, 0.5 sacks
Ramonz Adams - 10 tlks, 1 TFL, 1 INT
Vincent Holmes - 11 tlks, 2 TFL

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Bill Connelly is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering post-game news for College Football and Premier League Soccer. He previously worked at ESPN covering College Football, Tennis, and Soccer.

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[ShireNiner]

Week 12 Playoff Picture

By: Bruce Felderman | November 15, 2027
Senior Writer, CFB

CFP Standings
1. Michigan (9-1)
2. Tennessee (9-1)
3. Clemson (9-1)
4. Oregon (9-1)
5. Texas (9-1) dropped from 4th
6. Miami (9-1)
7. Boston College (9-1)
8. Pitt (8-2)
9. Georgia (8-2)
10. Minnesota (8-2) dropped from 3rd
11. LSU (8-2)
12. Florida State (7-3)
13. North Texas (10-0)
14. Okalahoma (7-3)
15. North Carolina (8-2)
16. Kansas State (8-2)
17. SMU (7-3) dropped from 8th
18. Penn State (8-2)
19. South Carolina (7-3)
20. Texas Tech (7-3)
21. UCLA (7-3)
22. Florida (7-3)
23. Southern Miss (9-1)
24. Tulane (8-2)
25. Alabama (7-3) dropped from 10th


Big Ten Standings
1. Michigan (9-1, 7-0)
2. Oregon (9-1, 6-1)
3. Minnesota (8-2, 5-2)
4. Nebraska (8-2, 5-2)
5. Penn State (8-2, 5-2)
6. UCLA (7-3, 4-3)
7. Washington (6-4, 4-3)
8. Michigan State (6-4, 4-3)
9. Indiana (6-4, 4-3)
10. Ohio State (5-5, 4-3)
11. USC (5-5, 3-4)
12. Illinois (5-5, 3-4)
13. Northwestern (5-5, 3-4)
14. Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5)
15. Maryland (5-5, 3-5)
16. Iowa (2-8, 1-6)
17. Purdue (1-9, 0-7)
18. Rutgers (1-9, 0-7)

What did you think of this story?

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Bruce Felderman is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering NCAA Football. Bruce previously wrote for ESPN, The Telegraph, and The Athletic before we paid way more money and he came to us.

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Comments

[Count]

damn, Washington caught you in the trap game

[redsox907]

fuck Quaid Carr

he bodied us the same day. He was on Fresno when I lost to them too

[Chillcavern]

Finally, some realism



I kid, I kid - tough loss. Already kicking myself for not following this sooner

[Soapy]

61 drop backs and didn't touch 250

[ShireNiner]

damn, Washington caught you in the trap game

They were unreal. Made Ohio St look like an easy game.

fuck Quaid Carr

he bodied us the same day. He was on Fresno when I lost to them too

Washington is just coded to beat me, I'm convinced. Last year was the same.

Finally, some realism



I kid, I kid - tough loss. Already kicking myself for not following this sooner

haha I agree actually. I'm on Heisman with the sliders others use on here but we started winning earlier than I wanted in this career. But when it comes to playing the good teams, I keep losing. Washington was my first loss against a team with a bad record, but I also have only 3 wins in 3 years against teams that finish top 15 in the final standings. I think we are a comfortable 12-15 ranked team in the country tbh.

61 drop backs and didn't touch 250

Mamba mentality. Shooters shoot. Also probably 10 of those passes were getitng hit and went straight down. Pass rush was insane.

[ShireNiner]

Week 12 Preview: Illinois Fighting Illini (5-5, 3-4) at No. 10 Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-2, 5-1)

By: Aiden “AJ” Wexler | November 19, 2027
Minnesota Golden Gopher Reporter

When: Saturday, November 20, 2027
Time: 12:00 pm EST
Broadcast:
Where: Huntington Bank Stadium


Minneapolis— Minnesota tries to bounce back after last week's loss. The Gophers know they must win out and have some help to get back to the Big Ten championship game. Illinois comes in as a team on the ropes. One win away from a bowl birth, but with two ranked teams left, it is an uphill task for Bret Bielema.

Key to the Game
The big question this week is what Minnesota will show up? The one that went on a six-game winning streak and played shut-down defense, or the one Washington ran through at will last week? For the first time since week 3, Minnesota comes into this game fully healthy and with no injuries. The perfect time to get healthy for the final stretch of the season.


Key Players
Trey Petty - 188/310, 60%, 2,206 yds, 14 TDs, 8 INT
Jerrick Gibson - 109 atts, 698 yds, 6.4 avg, 2 YD, 323 YAC
Sire Gaines - 78 atts, 381 yds, 4.9 avg, 9 TDs, 152 YAC
Nathan Hardesty - 41 rec, 622 yds, 2 TD, 116 YAC
Collin Dixon - 35 rec, 496 yds, 1 TD, 193 YAC
Nick Samuel - 77 tlks, 2 TFL, 1 INT
Isaih White - 29 tlks, 10 TFL, 6.5 sacks
Tywan Cox - 42 tlks, 2 INTs

Josh Bobo, 96/148, 64%, 867 yds, 11 TDs, 3 INTs
AJ Brand, 119/201, 59%, 1155 yds, 9 TDs, 9 INTs
Fame Ijeboi - 164 atts, 1,088 yds, 6.6 avg, 7 TDs, 306 YAC
Xavier Ford - 74 atts, 388 yds, 5.2 avg, 3 TDs, 129 YAC
Connor Malik - 65 rec, 617 yds, 6 TDs, 236 YAC
Jalen Smith - 43 rec, 478 yds, 5 TDs, 273 YAC
Mitch Horan - 83 tlks, 8 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 1 INT
Jaxon Howard - 26 tlks, 13 TFL, 8.5 sacks
Vernon Woodward III - 46 tlks, 3 TFL, 5 INTs, 12 DEFLs, 1 FFUMB

What did you think of this story?

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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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[ShireNiner]

AJ Brand is back healthy, but will he start this week for Minnesota? (ShireNiner PS5 images.)

Brand or Bobo? What quarterback will Minnesota roll with in week 12.

By: Aiden “AJ” Wexler | November 19, 2027
Minnesota Golden Gopher Reporter

MINNEAPOLIS — As No. 10 Minnesota prepares for its Week 12 clash against Illinois, the conversation inside the Larson Football Performance Center isn't about the opponent—it’s about the signal-caller.

For the first time since mid-October, AJ Brand is fully healthy. But while the preseason starter is back at 100%, he returns to a team that has been fundamentally transformed by the "Next Man Up" magic of true freshman Josh Bobo. Coach Mick Smith now faces the ultimate "good problem": do you return to your seasoned veteran, or do you stick with the hot hand that just dismantled Nebraska and Maryland?

AJ Brand
Record as Starter - 5-2
Completion % - 59%
Yards - 1,155
TD/INT Ratio - 9 / 9
Success Rate - 44.2%

Josh Bobo
Record as Starter - 3-1
Completion % - 64%
Yards - 867
TD/INT Ratio - 11 / 3
Success Rate - 51.8%

Since taking over in the second quarter against Indiana, Bobo has been a consistent rock for Minnesota. Most freshman quarterbacks struggle with turnovers. Bobo has thrived on avoiding it. His 11/3 TD-to-INT ratio is the primary reason Minnesota survived the middle of their schedule. Bobo has proven he can make the big play, such as his 89-yard bomb to Jalen Smith against Maryland in the final minutes.

But the negative is Bobo lacks the scrambling ability that Brand brings and is not as accurate with medium-range passing, something Minnesota uses often.

Before his injury, Brand was the heartbeat of this offense. While his 9 interceptions are a glaring concern, they often came in high-variance situations where he was asked to carry the team (see the Ohio State loss). Brand offers a level of rushing threat and veteran leadership to stay composed that Bobo is still developing.

While Coach Smith has remained non-committal, before last week, fans were saying Bobo is the guy. Then Washington came to town and brought reality back to the fans that a freshman quarterback still has a lot of growing pains to endure. With the playoffs on the line and the team set to make a run, can you really hand the reins to a freshman, or do you go back to the player who won two playoff games last season and had you two minutes away from a national championship?

My money is on Brand to start, but there is an old saying from a Mexican-Alaskan-Russian guy that if you have two quarterbacks, you don't have a quarterback. Was he drunk on cheap vodka and speaking nonsense, or were his words of wisdom a warning sign for the Gophers' future?

What did you think of this story?

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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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