The Gophers are the very proud owners of three rivalry trophies after knocking off previously 15th-ranked Iowa last Saturday. In addition to that prized pig, the Gophers currently have the Little Brown Jug after beating Michigan earlier this year, and Paul Bunyan's Axe after beating Wisconsin to end last year's finale. Minnesota secured possession of all three of its major traditional rivalry trophies at the same time for the first time since 1978.
Now, all Golden Gopher eyes turn to Bloomington, Indiana for a game that doesn't have any hardware at stake, but will definitely challenge coach PJ Fleck's maroon and gold: the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers.
First, however, Fleck talked through the importance of those trophy games to the program. Especially that special porker, Floyd of Rosedale, which has seen very little time in Dinkytown recently. It's just the second time Minnesota has defeated Iowa since taking three of five games from the Hawkeyes between 2010 and 2014.
Fleck says rivalry games and big wins are why many football players choose to come to Minnesota. The Gophers are tied with Notre Dame and Missouri for the most rivalry trophy games in college football.
"I get off the field pretty quick, but when you're standing in that tunnel, Heather and I stand in the tunnel under the overhang, and we just look back and watch people," Fleck told Vineeta Sawkar on the WCCO Morning News this week. "I mean, you got grown adults acting like children. You have grandfathers and grandmothers acting like children. You have children acting as children. It's a sport's about, it brings the best out in us at times, it brings that pain and that heartache out in us."
For Fleck, seeing all three of those trophies displayed on campus at the same time, almost five decades since it was last possible, is special.
"It's pretty cool when you walk by that and you see the tradition that you're responsible for as players and coaches," he says. "And to see all three of them in there, it's good for now."
For now being the key word, because a Big Ten schedule doesn't give the Gophers much of a break. They close with four of five games against currently ranked opponents, and the one game that isn't against a ranked team happens to be at Penn State, no easy place to play in the best of circumstances. It should be noted that Minnesota needs one more win in these last five games to become bowl-eligible, and they will likely be underdogs in all five.
The challenge begins this Saturday in a big way. But, while the Indiana Hoosiers might be one of the nation's top teams again in 2026, it's not as rosy as it was last year when they steamrolled their way to a championship. The last few weeks, the Hoosier offense has suddenly stalled.
At Nebraska, a stagnant ground game produced only 65 yards. Against Ohio State, the inability to finish drives with touchdowns resulted in a 19-15 loss. And last week, at Michigan, Josh Hoover completed just eight passes for 81 yards before running for a 4-yard touchdown in overtime to the give Hoosiers a 13-6 victory.
So with a November run looming and the defending national champs hoping to make a third straight playoff appearance, the fourth-ranked Hoosiers want to find a solution Saturday when they face Minnesota and coach Fleck, who sees few flaws in his next foe.
“They’re two of the best (receivers) in the country on one team," Fleck said. "That’s a luxury that they have, that they use, and they’re very good in the run game, too, which I don’t think they get enough credit for — how well and how hard (the receivers) block on the perimeter, which allows all their dynamic backs to come shooting out on the second level and finish runs.”
There are plenty of explanations for Indiana's recent struggles.
Hoover injured his right arm in the loss to Ohio State and played through the pain against Michigan. The weary Hoosiers certainly can use next week's bye after playing nine straight weeks, and perhaps fans have come to expect more from the typically high-scoring Hoosiers (7-1, 5-1 Big Ten) after the past two seasons.
But Indiana's last three opponents also rely on strong, physical defenses, capable of making opponents one dimensional. Two-time Associated Press Coach of the Year Curt Cignetti believes Minnesota's defense can play the same way.
“They get to the ball, they can play man, they can play zone, they can load the box on you if they have to," Cignetti said. "They’ve got five-man pressures and six-man pressures, that's where they try to keep you off balance. So they’re really good, and you've got to earn every yard, and you've got to earn every score.”
The result: Surprising Minnesota (5-2, 3-1) has won four of its last five and has already beaten three ranked foes this season. Can the Gophers produce similar results against Hoover — who Cignetti believes will be healthier and better this week — and against a foe looking for a midseason jump start?
“I think tempo, picking up the pace as fast as we can, really eliminating mistakes, eliminating the clutter so we can play at full speed out there and be fully decisive on the field,” Indiana offensive lineman Bray Lynch said, explaining what still needs to improve. “I think from Week 1 to now, you definitely see improvement there — even though we still need to make improvements (in those areas).”
Trophy season
The Gophers beat No. 15 Iowa last week, giving them simultaneous possession of rivalry trophies with the Hawkeyes, Michigan and Wisconsin for the first time since 1978.
“Just seeing the joy of all the fans, it was one of the best environments I’ve seen since I’ve been here," quarterback Drake Lindsey said. “It was rocking. Just bringing home Floyd for the state of Minnesota and all the fans, it was an awesome feeling.”
Minnesota doesn’t have time to revel in the victory, though. In addition to Indiana, the Gophers host No. 7 UCLA and still have November matchups with No. 20 Northwestern and No. 25 Wisconsin, plus a trip to Penn State.
Numbers game
Indiana managed to avoid the first back-to-back losses of Cignetti's three-year tenure by winning at Michigan for the first time since 1967. Now they return home where they came within a foot of extending their home winning streak to 20 against the Buckeyes.
Ohio State remains the only Big Ten team to beat Cignetti's Hoosiers. Can the Gophers change that storyline in their first contest against Indiana since 2021 and just the third since 2008? Perhaps.
Holding the line
The key to last week's win was the defense forcing four turnovers and an excellent performance by the defensive line against Iowa's usually stout offensive line. Defensive end Anthony Smith, one of the team’s top NFL prospects, had his best game of the season, according to Fleck.
“I thought they got after it," Fleck said. “When our d-line’s at their best, they’re active, they’re strong, they’re dominating their gap, they’re violent, disengaging, making plays, and then freeing up those backers. We’re going to need that this week.”
Series notes
The Gophers and Hoosiers have a long history together, having played games since 1906. Both have been in the conference since before the turn of the 20th century. But the two haven't played that often in recent years. The last matchup was in Bloomington in 2021, a runaway 35-14 win for the Gophers.
Indiana was a far cry then, from what they are now under Cignetti. They have been nearly unbeatable overall, and that's especially true at home, under Cignetti. Before a loss against Ohio State earlier this season, the last time Indiana lost a home game at Memorial Stadium was on Saturday, November 18, 2023, when they fell 24–21 to the Michigan State Spartans.
They were undefeated at home in both 2024 and 2025.
Prior to 2021, the Gophers and Hoosiers played in 2018 and 2013, following games every season 2003 and 2008. It's been a series dominated by Minnesota. They've won four straight, and six of the last seven meetings. Indiana's lone win in the last two-plus decades was in 2007.
Minnesota holds a 40-26 margin in the series that has also seen three ties.
Associated Press reporters Michael Marot and Dave Campbell contributed to this story.
