Gophers Outclassed, Outcoached in Brutal Defeat at Iowa
Following a 41-3 loss to the Hawkeyes and losing the Floyd of Rosedale trophy on Saturday, Minnesota is left searching for answers as the season hangs in the balance.
By Randy Johnson
The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 26, 2025 at 2:00 PM
It’s back to the drawing boards for P. J. Fleck and the Gophers after Minnesota turned in its worst performance of the season in Saturday’s 38-point defeat at rival Iowa.
(Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
IOWA CITY
As black-and-gold-clad Iowa fans filtered through the concourse at Kinnick Stadium and onto the street on this crisp autumn night, the sounds of disbelieving laughter stood out. The Hawkeyes’ faithful were celebrating their team’s 41-3 dismantling of the Gophers in front of 69,250 fans on Saturday with an aura of, “Can you believe we beat them that bad?”
A pair of teams entered the game with identical 5-2 overall records and 3-1 marks in the Big Ten. One left with ownership of the Floyd of Rosedale Trophy. The other left wondering how it could be so thoroughly dominated by a rival.
Yes, it was a blowout. But the final score might not do it justice. This stat sums it up best: through Minnesota’s first four possessions, the Gophers had just 1 yard of offense. The Hawkeyes had scored 31 points.
“They absolutely dominated the football game from start to finish,” Gophers coach P. J. Fleck said. “I told our football team that those were three hours of not very good football. We did not play our best when we needed to play our absolute best.”
A Gophers team that eight days earlier played a complete game in a 24-6 thumping of Nebraska at Huntington Bank Stadium suddenly looked shell-shocked.
About the author: Randy Johnson covers University of Minnesota football and college football for the Minnesota Star Tribune, along with Gophers hockey and the Wild.
https://www.startribune.com/gophers-outclassed-outcoached-in-brutal-defeat-at-iowa/601492063