THE ESSENTIALS
Date/Time: Sept. 21, 2024 / 6:30 p.m. CT
Site: Minneapolis
Stadium: Huntington Bank Stadium
Surface: FieldTurf
Capacity: 50,805
Series Overall: Minnesota leads 63-52-2
Series Streak: Minnesota won 1
Series at MINN: Minnesota leads 39-20-1
Streak at MINN: Minnesota lost 4
Last Meeting: Minnesota won 12-10 in Iowa City (10/21/23)
Television: NBC // Noah Eagle (PXP), Todd Blackledge (Analyst), Kathryn Tappen (Reporter)
Gopher Radio: GOPHER RADIO NETWORK 100.3 | SiriusXM: 132 or 196; SXM App // Mike Grimm (PXP), Darrell Thompson (Analyst), Justin Gaard (Reporter), Tanner Hoops (Host), Dan Rowbotham (Engineer)
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. Minnesota (2-1) opens up Big Ten play Saturday as it hosts Iowa (2-1) in primetime. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. with NBC providing television coverage. The game can also be heard statewide on the Gopher Radio Network. With the game taking place on Sept. 21, this is the earliest in the season that the two teams have ever met in the 133-year history of the rivalry. Previously, there had only been two September games in the series history with those taking place in 2012 (9/29) and 2013 (9/28).
2. Saturday marks the 118th all-time matchup between Minnesota and Iowa, and it’s also the 90th battle for Floyd of Rosedale, a 15.5-inch high, 21-inch long bronze statue of a prized hog (a full history of which can be found on Page 43). First played for in 1935, the all-time series record for Floyd of Rosedale could not be much closer as the Hawkeyes hold a slight lead at 44-43-2. Minnesota is looking to even the series and retain Floyd for the first time since winning back-to-back games in 2010 and 2011.
3. Minnesota is 65-55-8 all-time in Big Ten openers, 72-51-5 in conference openers at home and 3-4 overall in openers under P.J. Fleck. The Gophers have won their past two conference openers, winning at Michigan State in 2022 and opening 2023 with a victory over Nebraska. Saturday will be the 16th time that Minnesota opens its conference slate with Iowa, going 12-3 in the previous meetings. They most recently opened with Iowa in both 2012 and 2013, but before then it had not happened since 1934. Aside from a 1-0 record against Nebraska, Minnesota’s .800 win percentage versus Iowa is its best against any school in Big Ten openers.
4. Minnesota is coming off two consecutive shutouts, defeating Rhode Island, 48-0, on Sept. 7 and Nevada, 27-0, on Sept. 14. It’s the first time Minnesota has accomplished the feat since October of 1962, and 1926 is the last time Minnesota had bigger back-to-back shutouts (122-0 over Iowa and Butler). All told, under new defensive coordinator Corey Heatherman, Minnesota has gone eight quarters and 121:44 of game time without allowing a point dating to the season opener. The 2006 season marked the last time Minnesota had multiple shutouts in a season, and that season was also the last time the Gophers posted two shutouts within the first three games of the year. This season, Minnesota and Missouri are the only teams with two shutouts.
5. The 2024 campaign is the eighth for head coach P.J. Fleck at Minnesota, where his record stands at 52-35. He is fifth in program history for overall wins, Big Ten wins (29) and games coached (87). Fleck’s .598 win percentage is third best among Minnesota coaches with at least 45 games under their helm behind only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, ’45-50). In his 12th season overall as a college head coach, Fleck is 82-57 (.590).
TONY TALKS
Gopher offensive lineman Tony Nelson of Tracy spoke with MNN sports director Mike Grimm:
Tony Nelson
(info and photos courtesy of Gopher Sports)
