BleedGopher
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per Randy:
Maxx Williams extended his 6-4 frame, grabbed the football and kept his left toe dragging as he dived out of bounds. The tight end's spectacular catch was the signature moment of the Gophers' 51-14 drubbing of Iowa in 2014, a game in which Minnesota players frolicked to the end, then celebrated with Floyd of Rosedale.
Since Williams' catch, the Gophers have watched Iowa hoist that bronze hog statue seven straight times, including after a 35-7 pounding in 2020, when Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz called three timeouts in a row after Gophers coach P.J. Fleck used one with 19 seconds in hopes of avoiding a shutout. "We figured we'd take Floyd with us and leave the timeouts here,'' Ferentz said afterward.
Payback, as the saying goes, can be a … difficult experience.
On Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium, the Gophers will try to end Iowa's seven-year headlock on Floyd in a game with Big Ten West title implications. Seven times since 2014, the Gophers have tried to grab the pig, and seven times they have failed, sometimes in excruciating fashion, other times in blowouts.
The Gophers (7-3) and Hawkeyes (6-4) are two of four teams tied for first in the West with 4-3 Big Ten records, along with Purdue and Illinois. For Minnesota, there's a path to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship Game: Beat Iowa and Wisconsin, and have Purdue and Illinois each lose a game.
For the Hawkeyes, the route to Indy has fewer potholes: Beat the Gophers and Nebraska, and have Illinois, which plays No. 3 Michigan on Saturday, lose a game.
"Our players know how important this game is, what this game means to our program, what this means to our state,'' said Fleck, who is 0-5 against Iowa.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
Maxx Williams extended his 6-4 frame, grabbed the football and kept his left toe dragging as he dived out of bounds. The tight end's spectacular catch was the signature moment of the Gophers' 51-14 drubbing of Iowa in 2014, a game in which Minnesota players frolicked to the end, then celebrated with Floyd of Rosedale.
Since Williams' catch, the Gophers have watched Iowa hoist that bronze hog statue seven straight times, including after a 35-7 pounding in 2020, when Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz called three timeouts in a row after Gophers coach P.J. Fleck used one with 19 seconds in hopes of avoiding a shutout. "We figured we'd take Floyd with us and leave the timeouts here,'' Ferentz said afterward.
Payback, as the saying goes, can be a … difficult experience.
On Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium, the Gophers will try to end Iowa's seven-year headlock on Floyd in a game with Big Ten West title implications. Seven times since 2014, the Gophers have tried to grab the pig, and seven times they have failed, sometimes in excruciating fashion, other times in blowouts.
The Gophers (7-3) and Hawkeyes (6-4) are two of four teams tied for first in the West with 4-3 Big Ten records, along with Purdue and Illinois. For Minnesota, there's a path to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship Game: Beat Iowa and Wisconsin, and have Purdue and Illinois each lose a game.
For the Hawkeyes, the route to Indy has fewer potholes: Beat the Gophers and Nebraska, and have Illinois, which plays No. 3 Michigan on Saturday, lose a game.
"Our players know how important this game is, what this game means to our program, what this means to our state,'' said Fleck, who is 0-5 against Iowa.
P.J. Fleck's quest: Can the Gophers coach finally beat Iowa and bring home Floyd of Rosedale?
Iowa has claimed the Floyd of Rosedale trophy seven consecutive times. Here's how the Gophers can end that streak Saturday.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
