In two season opening wins the Golden Gophers have yet to face a Power Four team but that will change next Saturday night when they play in Berkeley against the California Golden Bears. The game will be another test for redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey who has already impressed big time including yesterday when he completed eight of 9 passes, and had a 45-yard touchdown throw in a 66-0 romp over FCS Northwestern State.
In six quarters this season he has completed 61.4 percent of his passes and thrown for three touchdown passes in his starting debut. But he has caught the attention of many observers for more than his statistics, including former Gopher QB Tanner Morgan.
Morgan sees a possibility of Lindsey being a coveted NFL Draft choice, perhaps as soon as the end of next season. By then Lindsey will be draft eligible. “I am really excited about him and what he can become,” Morgan said yesterday.
The Gopher passing record book prominently features Morgan and Adam Weber in many categories. Morgan, who played from 2018-2022, is the season leader in passing yards, passing yards per game, completion percentage and touchdown passes. Weber (2007-2010) holds career records in passing yards, passing yards per game, passing yards attempts, completions and TD passes.
Morgan said: “I wouldn’t be shocked if in two to three years you look up and every record is Drake Lindsey. It’s not Adam Weber or Tanner Morgan. It’s No. 5 Drake Lindsey. He has that talent and has proven to be aggressive with it. …
“Now we don’t want to put too many high expectations on him as a young player, but the potential is there and he’s a worker. He’s very calm, very cool (and) collected but loves football and that’s very evident.”
Arm strength is one of the most obvious traits an NFL quarterback must have, and Morgan offers more praise. “He has a hose. He has NFL level arm talent. …He’s not a one pitch thrower. He’s not just a fast ball guy. He has multiple pitches in his bag. He can throw a curve.
“What I mean by that is anticipation throwing to guys into windows. When you have that it allows you to do a lot of things offensively.”
Worth Noting
Wendell Avery, the former Gopher quarterback who lettered from 1977-1979, is the wide receivers coach for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. His son Quincy Avery is a renowned quarterback trainer who posted on X he believes Minnesota QB Drake Lindsey will one day be an NFL first-round draft choice.
The Gophers Greg Johnson, who played center last season, made a successful debut at left guard in the season opening game August 28 against Buffalo. He was Pro Football Focus’s top Minnesota lineman in all five rating categories.
Joe Buck and Troy Aikman have the call on ESPN for Monday night’s opener between the Vikings and Bears from Chicago. Minnesota has won seven of the last eight games and is favored by about a point.
Based on yesterday’s practice report, it looks like the Vikings may play without starters Harrison Smith (safety) and Christian Darrisaw (offensive tackle). Smith, dealing with an undisclosed illness, was listed as doubtful, while Darrisaw, with a knee issue, was questionable.
Wide receiver Adam Thielen at 35 years old could come up big for the Vikings in the game which marks his return to the franchise after two seasons with the Panthers. He ranks third in club history for receptions (534) and receiving touchdowns (55). He’s fifth in receiving yards, 6,682.
A vote by The Athletic’s staff had the Vikings near the top in a survey of which NFL team will be the biggest disappointment in 2025. The Steelers topped the list by one ahead of the Vikings and Cowboys. Jimmy Durkin of The Athletic wrote he could “definitely” see the Vikings with first-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy finishing at 8-9, or 9-8.
That kind of record probably leaves the Vikings out of the playoffs. Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com is predicting Minnesota will miss the postseason. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45934298/2025-nfl-season-14-playoff-teams-chances-return-super-bowl
The way it looks now the Vikings play in the NFC’s most powerful division featuring the Packers and Lions. Those two, plus the Eagles who the Vikings also play this season, comprise the conference’s big three.
A consensus of authorities likely ranks the Vikings between seven and 14 among the NFL’s 32 teams going into the season.
Jon Gruden showed his knowledge of Gopher football in a recent video while opening gifts from Fleck that included the coach’s signature on a RTB oar. While sorting through the bounty, Gruden referenced a long list of former Minnesota players from Bud Wilkinson to Daniel Faalele, from Bronko Nagurski to Blake Cashman, and from Tony Dungy to Antoine Winfield Jr. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1MQXmZYyYF/?mibextid=wwXIfr
The former NFL head coach, now a social media influencer, said recently “I’d die to coach in the SEC.” If that happens, it should be a relief to Big Ten programs who wouldn’t have to compete against the savvy and tenacious former Super Bowl winner.
Long-time Minnesota sports personality Dick Jonckowski will emcee the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame gathering for the 42nd time on September 20 in St. Cloud. Jonckowski, the former Gophers public address announcer for multiple sports, was inducted into the hall in 2024. He’s a member of 10 halls of fame.
Inductees of the 2025 class are: Marlin “Mandy” Helget, Dallas Jelmberg, Dale “Lumber” Lindmeier, Kyle Messner, and Tom Niehaus. The event will be held at the River’s Edge Convention Center. https://www.mnbaseballhof.com/
Hi David, yes a nice performance by Gophers and Drake Lindsey. However, St. Thomas would have made a much more competitive and certainly more watchable opponent. Northwestern State was worse than a cupcake, they were jello! Shame on Fleck and Coyle for scheduling them.