September 21, 2024 / 6:30 p.m. CT
Website: Minneapolis
Stadium: Huntington Bank Stadium
Surface: FieldLawn
Capacity: 50,805
Series total: Minnesota leads 63-52-2
Series series: Minnesota won 1
Series at MINN: Minnesota leads 39-20-1
Streak at MINN: Minnesota lost 4
Last meeting: Minnesota won 12-10 in Iowa City (10/21/23)
TV: NBC // Noah Eagle (PXP), Todd Blackledge (analyst), Kathryn Tappen (reporter)
Gopher Radio: KFAN FM 100.3 | SiriusXM: 132 or 196; SXM app // Mike Grimm (PXP), Darrell Thompson (analyst), Justin Gaard (reporter), Tanner Hoops (host), Dan Rowbotham (technician)

FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
1. Minnesota (2-1) opens Big Ten play on Saturday as it hosts Iowa (2-1) in primetime. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m., with NBC televising. The game can also be heard nationally on the Gopher Radio Network. The game will take place on September 21, the earliest meeting between the two teams in the 133-year history of the rivalry. Previously, there have only been two September games in the series’ history, in 2012 (September 29) and 2013 (September 28).

2. Saturday will be the 118th meeting between Minnesota and Iowa and also the 90th contest for Floyd of Rosedale, a 15.5-inch-high, 21-inch-long bronze statue of a prized pig (see page 43 for a full history). The first game was in 1935 and the record for Floyd of Rosedale couldn’t be tighter, as the Hawkeyes hold a narrow lead at 44-43-2. ​​Minnesota is looking to even the series and keep Floyd for the first time since back-to-back wins in 2010 and 2011.

3. Minnesota has a record of 65-55-8 in Big Ten openers, 72-51-5 in conference openers at home and 3-4 overall in openers under PJ Fleck. The Gophers have won their last two conference openers, in 2022 against Michigan State and in 2023 with a win over Nebraska. On Saturday, Minnesota will open its conference with Iowa for the 16th time, going 12-3 in their previous meetings. They last opened with Iowa in 2012 and 2013, but before that it hadn’t happened since 1934. Aside from a 1-0 record against Nebraska, Minnesota’s .800 winning percentage against Iowa is the best against any school in Big Ten openers.

4. Minnesota has posted back-to-back shutouts, with wins over Rhode Island (48-0) on Sept. 7 and Nevada (27-0) on Sept. 14. This is the first time Minnesota has accomplished this feat since October 1962, and 1926 was the last time Minnesota managed back-to-back shutouts (122-0 against Iowa and Butler). Overall, Minnesota has gone eight quarters and 121:44 of game time without a single point since the season opener under new defensive coordinator Corey Heatherman. The 2006 season was the last time Minnesota had multiple shutouts in a season, and this season was also the last time the Gophers managed back-to-back shutouts in the first three games of the year. This season, Minnesota and Missouri are the only teams with back-to-back shutouts.

5. The 2024 season is the eighth for the head coach PJ Fleck at Minnesota, where his record is 52-35. He is fifth in program history for total wins, Big Ten wins (29) and games as coach (87). Fleck’s .598 winning percentage is the third-best among Minnesota coaches with at least 45 games under their stewardship, with only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, ’45-50) better. In his 12th overall season as a college head coach, Fleck is 82-57 (.590).

You can read Minnesota’s complete game notes here.