Trap Game Alert: Can the Gophers Stay Focused Before the Buckeyes? (ShireNiner PS5 images.)
Week 3 Preview: Ball State Cardinals (1-1, 0-0 MAC) at No. 6 Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
By: Aiden “AJ” Wexler | September 3, 2027
Minnesota Golden Gopher Reporter
Minnesota Golden Gopher Reporter
When: Saturday, September 18, 2027
Time: 6:00 pm EST
Broadcast:
Where: Huffington Bank Stadium
Minneapolis— On paper, the Week 3 matchup between No. 7 Minnesota and Ball State looks like a scheduled victory—a traditional "tune-up" before the Big Ten gauntlet begins. But for those watching the tape, the Cardinals aren't arriving in the Twin Cities to collect a paycheck; they’re arriving to collect an upset.
Coming off a grind-it-out win at Texas A&M, the Gophers now face a Ball State team that is playing with house shoes and house money.
Do not let the 1-1 record fool you. Ball State is a play away from being an undefeated Top 25 darling.
In Week 1, they statistically dismantled Iowa, only to lose by a single point in the final minutes. They followed that up by hungrily devouring Western Kentucky in a 61-17 blowout. The engine of this chaos is sophomore sensation Landyn Locke. With a staggering 127.0 QBR, four touchdowns, and 621 yards through two weeks, Locke is playing with a "perfect" efficiency that few Big Ten starters have matched thus far.
Locke isn't alone. The ground game is fueled by Kansas State transfer Peyton Lewis, a physical runner averaging 5.5 yards per carry with three touchdowns. If Minnesota’s defensive front—which has shown flashes of brilliance but occasional lapses in gap discipline—can't contain Lewis, Locke will have all the play-action time he needs to pick apart the Gophers' thin secondary.
The best news for Gopher fans? The training room is finally empty. After the goal-line scare in week 1 and a heavy workload in College Station, AJ Brand has been given a "full bill of health." Expect the Gophers to let him air it out to Connor Malik early to build a lead. On defense, Emmanuel Karmo returns from his Week 1 shoulder injury. His presence is vital to rattling Locke, who has yet to face a pass rusher with Karmo's 12.5-sack pedigree.
The biggest opponent on Saturday might not even be playing in the game; it might be the Ohio State Buckeyes looming in Week 4.
“The focus is on Ball State,” Mick Smith told reporters during his weekly presser, shutting down questions about Columbus. “I know you guys want to talk about Ohio State in a week, but our focus is on the Cardinals and stopping Landyn Locke.”
The Matchup to Watch
WR Connor Malik vs. CB Rae’mon Mosby
Mosby, the Louisville transfer, has been a ball-hawk with three interceptions in just two games. He is the exact kind of veteran corner who can bait a young quarterback like AJ Brand into a mistake. If Malik can win this "strength-on-strength" battle on the outside, it opens up the entire field for the Gopher run game.
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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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