Gopher football continued to roll Saturday as they took down the Maryland Terrapins at Huntington Bank Stadium. The game marked homecoming weekend for Gopher fans, leaving the seats full of students and alumni. Even with seemingly less and less support for the weekends events, it still marks peak school pride for the university. The win brought the Gophers to a 5-3 record with a middle of the pack 3-2 record in the Big Ten. However, the team’s three game winning streak is awfully exciting after some disappointment early on in the year.
Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer was at the center of the excitement again as he threw back to back touchdowns to open up the game. Daniel Jackson and Elijah Spencer were on the receiving end of the scores. Then as it felt like the first quarter couldn’t have gone better for the Gophers, Justin Walley picked off Maryland quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., taking it to the house for six more Gopher points.
With the 21-0 lead, Minnesota gained full control of the game and was able to extend the lead to 34-10 at the half. In the second half it was more of the same for the Gophers. Brosmer threw another strike to Elijah Spencer bringing Brosmer’s touchdown total to four on the day while the defense continued to make stops. Then ole reliable Darius Taylor took a 50 yard run to the house for the Gophers to add an exclamation on the great offensive day. After a couple of garbage time touchdowns for the Terrapins the Gophers ended up taking the win 48-23.
Brosmer finished with 320 yard passing along with his four touchdowns and Daniel Jackson led all receivers with his 117 yards and two touchdowns. Other notable stat lines included Darius Taylor’s touchdown and 81 rushing yards, along with Koi Parish grabbing his Big Ten leading 5th interception of the season.
It appears that the recipe has become more clear for Gopher football. The team now feels as if they have talent in each part of the game. Brosmer and Jackson have seemed to click in later weeks, and running back Darius Taylor has not missed a step since coming back from an early season injury. Furthermore, the Gopher defense continues to shine as freshman Koi Parish hopes to follow in the footsteps of Gopher safety alumni Tyler Nubin and Antoine Winfield Jr. who are making a difference in the NFL.
Looking ahead, the Gophers are faced with four games to play, two of which against top 25 opponents. This weekend they go on the road to #24 Illinois followed by another road game against Rutgers. With two wins, Minnesota would be set for a prime matchup at home against the #3 ranked Penn St. Nittany Lions on November 23. The Gophers then finish the year off in Madison against an unranked Badger team.
Winning out could set up the Gophers for a prime bowl game after the lackluster start. However, even three wins and a 9-4 season would turn eyes in the Big Ten after the team went below .500 in the 2023 season. In my mind the season has turned into a what if after suffering close losses to North Carolina and Michigan in the years early going. But at the end of the day the November 29th border battle will still make or break the feeling of success for Gopher fans.
