Gophers Face Pivotal Clash Against Iowa For Bowl Eligibility

It sort of sounds like a broken record, but I’ll say it again anyway. This week’s game for the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team is one that carries a lot of weight with it. A win for Coach PJ Fleck’s team and a few things will become reality. 

First, the Gophers will be going to a bowl game with their 6th win of the year. For a team that finished 5-4 in league play last year, getting the 6th win with still four games remaining is a nice accomplishment. Including this week’s game, Minnesota is on the road for three of the last five games of the year, so taking the pressure of being bowl eligible would be a nice treat.  

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Secondly, The Gophers will stay on pace in a tie for second place in the conference. Heading to this week, there are seven teams that have a 3-1 record in Big 10 play. After Saturday, as many as six teams could be 4-1 with wins or a loss by Indiana, so staying in the pack for the upper tier of the league is very important for the Gophers postseason aspirations. 

Third, Minnesota would pick up momentum with a big road win. The Gophers are at Iowa this Saturday at 2:30 on CBS. The Hawkeyes have won two games in a row and are currently riding a two-game winning streak. Iowa has only lost once at home season and is always a very tough place to play.  

Lastly, a win over Iowa will only be the second time Coach Fleck’s Minnesota team has beaten the Hawkeyes. The program holds the overall record against the Hawkeyes, 63-53-2, but since Coach Fleck took the reins in Dinkytown, The Gophers are 1-7 against Iowa and Coach Fleck is 1-8 in his career against them.  

A win on Saturday helps the team cross another hurdle in becoming a team that is taken more seriously in the Big 10. So, yeah, there’s a lot riding on this week’s game. Can Minnesota recreate the magic from last Friday night against Nebraska? Let’s hope so.