Run the North | Golden Gophers football

[ShireNiner]

no fernando no good

Their D was good….. offense sucked though.

MICHIGAN

Sark has them rolling.

just makes the Nebraska game even bigger. If you call to the Huskers kiss a 3rd straight B1G CCG goodbye

I thought the same and Bobo is starting for us..

thanks twin

still hurt

I got you. I feel the pain as well. Every time I see a stupid Cig meme

[Caesar]

Dare I say that this team might be better than last year’s with less of a focus on Turner?

[ShireNiner]

Dare I say that this team might be better than last year’s with less of a focus on Turner?

I think you're right. If the QB play was consistent, this team would be great. The defense is much better than I thought it would be, and the receivers are better than last season. Brand needs to stop getting hurt, the QB issue is what is holding us back.

[ShireNiner]

Week 9 Preview: No. 5 Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) at No. 12 Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten)

By: Aiden “AJ” Wexler | October 29, 2027
Minnesota Golden Gopher Reporter

When: Saturday, October 30, 2027
Time: 3:00 pm EST
Broadcast:
Where: Memorial Stadium


Lincoln— The biggest game of the Gopher season is coming up this weekend in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Number 5 Golden Gophers will face the Number 12 and undefeated Nebraska Cornhuskers at the ‘Sea of Red’ stadium. To add to the excitement, Minnesota will be starting third-string quarterback, freshman Josh Bobo.

How these two compare -

Nebraska is the number three offense in the Big Ten. Averaging 41.1 points per game with 436.6 yards per game (266 in the air, 170.6 on the ground), while Minnesota is close in yardage (414 per game) but only converting that to 27.8 points per game.

On defense, Nebraska are even better. Number one in the Big Ten, allowing 15.3 points per game compared to Minnesota’s 21.9 (7th best). The way to attack Nebraska is through the air. They give up 237.4 yards in the air, compared to only 79.3 on the ground, and only have 11 sacks as a team.

Not great news for a Gopher team that is planning to run the ball and limit the chances for Bobo to turn the ball over.

In a game with margins this close, 3rd down conversions and turnovers can decide the game. Nebraska is number one in the Big Ten in both. Converting 60% of their third downs and creating a turnover difference of +13. Minnesota is lower half in conversions at 38% and dead last in turnover difference with -4.

Big Ten Impact

Nebraska is undefeated in Big Ten play and Minnesota has one loss. With five teams at one loss or less, a Nebraska win will leave Minnesota’s chances very slim to get back to the Championship game for the third straight year.

Injury updates -

Minnesota will be happy to see wide receiver Jalen Smith (14 rec, 144 yds) and linebacker Ethan Stendal back but they will be without tight end Mac Markway (13 rec, 123 yds, 3 TDs) and quarterback AJ Band for this one. Backup QB Dylan Wittke is questionable to come off the bench.

Dylan Raiola - 157/214, 73%, 1,862 yds, 19 TDs, 2 INTs, sacked 7 times
Kwinten Ives - 135 atts, 635 yds, 4.7 avg, 7 TDs, 299 YAC
Cortez Mills, Jr - 43 rec, 594 yds, 8 TDs, 180 YAC
Quinn Clark - 48 rec, 599 yds, 4 TDs, 181 YAC
Morgan Bullitt - 33 tlks, 1 TFL, 2 DEFL, 1 FFUMB
Williams Nwaneri - 17 tlks, 5 TFL, 3.5 sacks
Zion Tracy - 24 tlks, 4 INTs, 1 DEFL

Josh Bobo, 14/21, 66%, 91 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT in 3 appearances
Fame Ijeboi - 112 atts, 726 yds, 6.6 avg, 6 TDs, 193 YAC
Connor Malik - 52 rec, 470 yds, 4 TDs, 164 YAC
Kenric Lanier II - 25 rec, 311 yds, 3 TDs, 174 YAC
Mitch Horan - 58 tlks, 5 TFL, 1 INT, 1 FFUMB
Emmanuel Karmo - 17 tlks, 6 TFL, 3 sacks
Vernon Woodward III - 36 tlks, 3 TFL, 4 INTs, 10 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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Comments

[The JZA]

Gotta Talley a strike in their losing column

[Soapy]

Bobo, the haters think you suck and that you will lose this game

i am the haters

prove me wrong

you won't

[ShireNiner]

Gotta Talley a strike in their losing column

We got em

Bobo, the haters think you suck and that you will lose this game

i am the haters

prove me wrong

you won't

Look away, Bobo just clowned ya

[ShireNiner]

Bobo goes off, Makes Soapy Look a Fool


Josh Bobo celebrates after throwing his 4th touchdown of the day (ShireNiner PS5 images)

By: Bill Connelly | October 30, 2027
Writer, CFB/NFL

Lincoln— Coming into Saturday, No. 12 Nebraska was the last team standing of perfection in a chaotic Big Ten conference. But on a cold afternoon at Memorial Stadium, the Golden Gophers proved that records do not mean everything. Behind a masterful performance from freshman quarterback Josh Bobo and a defense that specialized in momentum-shifting takeaways, No. 5 Minnesota handed the Huskers their first loss of the season, winning a 45-31 shootout.

With the quarterback room decimated by injuries in previous weeks, freshman Josh Bobo earned his second start and played with no hesitation. The first pass of the game from Bobo was an interception. After that, Bobo was nearly flawless, completing 84% of his passes (21-of-25) for 238 yards and four touchdowns.

Bobo’s favorite target was returning receiver Jalen Smith. Minnesota missed the speed that Smith provides over the last three games, as he was out with an injury, but they quickly worked him back into the offense, including a 54-yard screen pass for a touchdown in the first quarter.

Smith’s second touchdown was the turning point.

With Minnesota leading 7-3, Nebraska was driving into the Gopher endzone when Dylan Raiola took a shot for a touchdown. One of Raiola’s few mistakes on the afternoon was trying to attack Vernon Woodward III, who came up with his fourth interception of the season.

Minnesota turned the interception into a 96-yard touchdown drive, going up 14-3.

The second defining moment for the young signal-caller came in the final seconds of the first half. After Dylan Raiola scrambled for a 1-yard touchdown to cut the Gophers' lead to 21-10 with just 46 seconds remaining, Bobo responded with surgical precision. He went 5-for-5 on a 32-second drive, culminating in a 19-yard touchdown strike to Connor Malik just before the half. It was a back-breaking response that sent Minnesota into the locker room with a 28-10 lead and all the momentum.

“That answer for a touchdown changed the game.” Mick Smith said after the win. “If we go into halftime 21-10, they had momentum after the score and were getting the ball to start the second half. Who knows how the game plays out then? Two moments in that first half changed the game. The endzone pick and that Bobo drive.”

The second half was a game of Minnesota controlling the ball and tempo while Nebraska tried answering with quick scores. Two fourth-quarter touchdowns by Nebraska against Minnesota’s backups on defense made the score closer than the game felt as Minnesota left Lincoln with the dominating win.

For Nebraska, it raises questions about how good they really are. With a 7-1 record, their best win was getting by four-loss Ohio State; the rest of their opponents combined for eight games under .500.

For Minnesota, this was the toughest test on paper left in the schedule. If they can take care of business and have a few results go their way, they will be back in the title game in Indy.

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Scoring Summary
1st quarter
Joh Hohl, 52 Yd FG, 8:17
Jalen Smith 54 Yd pass from Josh Bobo, 5:54
Jalen Smith 9 Yd pass from Josh Bobo, 1:06

2nd quarter
Xavier Ford, 2 Yd run, 5:22
Dylan Raiola 1 Yd run, 0:46
Connor Malik, 19 Yd pass from Josh Bobo, 0:14

3rd quarter
Fame Ijeboi 27 Yd run, 7:06
Quinn Clark 10 Yd pass from Dylan Raiola, 3:57

4th quarter
Manuel Valles, 28 Yd FG, 9:29
Kwinten Ives, 10 Yd run, 5:32
Alan Soukup, 5 Yd pass from Josh Bobo, 1:56
Kwinten Ives, 50 Yd pass from Dylan Raiola, 1:03

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Soapys' Box Score

Passing
Josh Bobo - 21/25, 84%, 238 yds, 4 TDs, 1 Int, 13 rush yds
Dylan Raiola - 24/34, 70%, 321 yds, 2 TDs, 1 Int, 1 rush TD

Rushing
Fame Ijeboi - 16 atts, 101 yds, 6.3 avg, 1 TD
Xavier Ford - 6 atts, 42 yds, 7.0 avg, 1 TD
LiAngelo Provo - 11 atts, 80 yds, 7.2 avg
Kwinten Ives - 10 atts, 79 yds, 7.9 avg, 1 TD, 67 rec yds, 1 rec TD

Receiving
Connor Malik - 3 rec, 27 yds, 1 TD, 11 YAC
Jalen Smith - 6 rec, 93 yds, 2 TDs, 83 YAC
Alan Soukup - 4 rec, 31 yds, 1 TD, 4 YAC
Quinn Clark - 6 rec, 82 yds, 1 TD, 13 YAC
Tanner Terch - 5 rec, 81 yds, 24 YAC

Defense
Mitch Horan - 10 tlks, 1 TFL
Vernon Woodward III - 4 tlks, 2 DEFL, 1 INT
Emmanuel Karmo - 4 tlks, 3 TFL, 1 sack

Zion Tracy - 14 tlks
Morgan Bullit - 11 tlks, 1 TFL
Williams Nwaneri - 6 tlks, 1 TFL, 0.5 sack

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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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Comments

[ShireNiner]

Minnesota snags first recruit of 2027 season (ShireNiner PS5 images.)

Hometown Hero: Top-Ranked Sammy Majette Commits to the Gophers

By: Aiden “AJ” Wexler | October 31, 2027
Minnesota Golden Gopher Reporter

MINNEAPOLIS — Beating Nebraska was just the start of Minnesota's great weekend.

In a move that sent cheers through the Twin Cities on Friday, Sammy Majette, the consensus No. 1 prospect in the state of Minnesota, announced his commitment to the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Roosevelt High School standout chose to stay home and play for Coach Mick Smith, giving the Gophers their number one target of the 2027 cycle.

Majette brings a rare combination of length and fluidity that has made him a nightmare for high school coordinators across the metro area. Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 183 pounds, he fits the physical profile that Big Ten coaches covet in a boundary corner.

Name: Sammy Majette
Position: Cornerback
Measurables: 6-2 / 183 lbs
High School: Roosevelt (Minneapolis, MN)
Ratings: (National No. 514, POS No. 51, State No. 1)

Majette is more than just a size-speed specimen. On tape, his ball skills are what jump out most. He plays with the aggression of a safety but has the hip fluidity to stick with twitchy slot receivers. His wingspan allows him to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage effectively, a staple of the Gophers' defensive identity. Majette excels in "off-man" coverage, showing an elite ability to click-and-close on short-to-intermediate routes.

As the top-ranked player in Minnesota, he has dominated his local competition, proving he can handle the "CB1" role against any scheme. The arrival of Majette comes to an already growing defense for Minnesota that is starting to make a name for itself with big moment turnovers and game-changing plays.

For Coach Mick Smith, this isn't just a win on the depth chart; it’s a win for the program's culture. Smith has made a point in recruiting the top players from the state, including four-star linebacker Mitch Horan, who has quickly become the defensive captain in only his second season, and standout EDGE Emmanuel Karmo.

Majette’s ceiling is incredibly high. While he’s currently a high three-star, his physical frame and instincts suggest he could push for a fourth star by the time the final rankings for 2026 are released. If he can add 10–15 pounds of muscle in the Gophers' strength program, he has the tools to be a multi-year starter and an eventual NFL Draft prospect.

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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Comments

[Captain Canada]

Bobo fucking cooked

Nice reward with being to do well in-state for recruiting. All around good week.