THE ESSENTIALS
Date/Time: Nov. 1, 2025 / 2:30 p.m.
Site: Minneapolis
Stadium: Huntington Bank Stadium
Surface: FieldTurf
Capacity: 50,805
Series Overall: Minnesota trails 19-30
Streak Overall: Minnesota won 2
Series in MN: Minnesota trails 12-13
Streak in MN: Minnesota won 1
First Meeting: Minnesota lost 27-0 in East Lansing (11/11/1950)
Last Meeting: Minnesota won 27-12 in Minneapolis (10/28/2023)
BECKER PREVIEW
Gopher defensive tackle Nate Becker of Maple Grove spoke with MNN sports director Mike Grimm:
Nate Becker
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. Winners of five straight at home, which is tied for the second longest active home winning streak in the Big Ten, Minnesota (5-3, 3-2 B1G) returns to Huntington Bank Stadium Saturday to face the Michigan State Spartans (3-5, 0-5). Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network and the Gopher Radio Network.
2. As noted above, Minnesota has won all five home games this season. That winning streak at Huntington Bank Stadium is the team’s longest since winning the first six games there in 2019. The last time the Gophers won their first five home games in a season was also in 2019 when they started the year 6-0 in Minneapolis. This season marks the seventh time since Huntington Bank Stadium opened in 2009 that the Gophers have won at least five games there in a season. They’ve won six home games three times (2014, 2016, 2019) but are looking for their first undefeated season at home, in any venue, since going 6-0 at Memorial Stadium in 1967.
3. The Golden Gophers enter the contest with a 5-3 record overall. That marks six straight seasons where the team has a record of 5-3 or better at the eight-game mark. Minnesota has been 5-3 at this point of the season in each of the last four years after getting to a 6-2 mark in 2021 and an 8-0 record in 2019. They’re looking to improve to 6-3 or better at the nine-game mark for the second straight season and fifth time in the last six years.
4. Redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey is having a solid debut season as the starter in the Maroon and Gold. He’s 145-of-236 (61.4 percent) for 1,546 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions, good for an efficiency rating of 125.4. Among FBS freshmen with at least 100 pass attempts this year, Lindsey is sixth in pass attempts and completions, seventh in passing touchdowns, ninth in passing yards, and 10th in completion percentage and touchdown percentage (4.2). Lindsey has already established himself as one of the top freshman QBs in Minnesota history as he’s second all-time among Gopher freshmen for passing yards and is tied for second in passing touchdowns. Adam Weber holds both records with 2,895 passing yards and 24 touchdowns thrown. More on Lindsey can be found on Page 5 of the Notes.
5. The 2025 campaign is the ninth for P.J. Fleck at Minnesota. He is the fifth-longest tenured coach in program history and the second-longest active tenured coach in the Big Ten. Fleck’s record stands at 63-42, putting him fifth in program history in overall wins and games coached (105), in addition to ranking fourth in Big Ten wins (37). One more victory will tie Fleck with Glen Mason (1997-06) for fourth in program history. Fleck’s overall win percentage of .600 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 13th season overall as a college head coach, Fleck is 93-64 (.592).
(info and photos courtesy of Gopher Sports)
