Mohamed Ibrahim had 30 rushes for 224 yards and four touchdowns, but it was Rashod Bateman who set the tone early, when the Gophers showed that this weekend would be different from the past two.
The financial hits have been onerous and TV ratings plunged, but how have the sports entities handled holding competition at a time when the biggest foe has been the coronavirus.
Treyson Potts had rushed three times for 49 yards, including a 36-yard gain and his 9-yard score before being carted off the sideline in the second quarter with a lower-leg injury.
Minnesota college sports goes well beyond the Gophers. Here's a guide to the conferences that include the state's Division II and Division III programs.
Minnesota will be without defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, who tested positive for COVID-19, plus tackle Keonte Schad, who is out because of undisclosed reasons.
The Gophers enter Saturday's matchup at Illinois averaging a Big Ten-worst 578 allowed offensive yards per game. Communication, plus lack of experience and leadership, have so far been lacking.
The Gophers' conference-worst defense meets Illinois, the conference's lowest-scoring offense. Meanwhile, COVID-19 has dramatically impacted both, making this outcome a real tossup.
Gophers center and Drake transfer Liam Robbins was named Friday to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award watch list. The award is given to the top center in college basketball.
Indiana and Northwestern are unbeaten. The Gophers, Penn State and Iowa are winless. Wisconsin, because of COVID-19, has only played once. This is the new normal.
Champaign News-Gazette reporter Bob Asmussen gives his perspective on the Gophers' upcoming opponent, including a quarterback situation that has been front and center.
The conference begins play in a week, and the Gophers men start Nov. 19. Though the schedule is heavy on weekday games, the Big Ten can make that a positive thing, according to coach Bob Motzko.
Joe Rossi received the positive test result this week while undergoing the rapid-results testing per Big Ten policy. A following PCR test confirmed, and Rossi has been isolating at home and working remotely.
He's caught only one pass so far. But true freshman Daniel Jackson could become the next big name for Gophers fans in a program that has shown itself capable of developing some of the nation's best pass catchers.
The Friendship and Solidarity Competition will be Japan's first international sporting event of the pandemic, with the Olympics slated for Tokyo next summer.
