Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis #8 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers celebrates with teammates as they take the Floyd of Rosedale trophy after their match-up against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium on October 21, 2023 in Iowa City, Iowa. - Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
Minnesota Gophers fans were apprehensive about their team’s chances against Iowa last Saturday. First, in his seven seasons at Minnesota, Gophers’ coach P.J. Fleck’s teams had never defeated the Hawkeyes. And the Gophers had not been victorious in Iowa City since the 1999 season.
But everything changed that day as Minnesota walked away with a hard-fought 12-10 win. They thus took possession of Floyd of Rosedale for the first time since 2014. More on the history of this iconic trophy later in the story.
Gophers Win Without Scoring a Touchdown
The Gophers seized victory without scoring an offensive touchdown. This is the first time that they have accomplished this since they defeated South Dakota State in 2009. The path to victory was paved by four Dragan Kesich field goals and a tenacious defense.
The Gophers’ defense was so domineering that they held Iowa to 11 yards rushing on 28 attempts. Not accounting for sacks, they stopped Hawkeye backs for zero yards on eight rushes and net losses on three other carries. This after surrendering 191 rushing yards to Michigan in their last game two weeks prior.
Fleck Talks About Improvements on Defense
When asked about this at his weekly press conference, Fleck stressed the point that their tackling had to improve after the Michigan game. He went on to say that tackling improvement was a major focus of their practices leading up to the Iowa game.
He also spoke about the improvements made by middle linebackers Devon Wiliams (Red-Shirt Sophomore) and Maverick Baranowski (Red-Shirt Freshman). Fleck said that this was an example of their growth not only as players but as people.
When the Hawkeyes did attempt to pass, the Gophers swarmed the backfield and recorded four sacks of Iowa quarterback Deacon Hill. Minnesota’s defense also recovered two Iowa fumbles and cornerback Justin Walley added a big fourth quarter interception.
Two Gophers Win Awards
And for the second time this season, Gophers’ safety Tyler Nubin was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. Against Iowa, he contributed four tackles, one sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and one pass breakup. Nubin also received this award following the Gophers Week 1 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Also, for the second time in the 2023 season, Kesich was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week. As was the case with Nubin, Kesich’s first award was based on his performance against Nebraska.
Floyd of Rosedale
Now a word about Floyd.
Iowa and Minnesota already had a deep, sometimes bitter history when they took to the field in 1934 in Iowa City, with 27 previous meetings dating back to 1891. In a 48-12 victory for the Golden Gophers, Hawkeyes’ star running back Ozzie Simmons, who was Black, was knocked unconscious three times and had to leave the game for good in the second quarter. It was alleged that a Minnesota player deliberately drove a knee into Simmons during a punt, though Golden Gophers coach Bernie Bierman said accusations of dirty play from his team were “dirt.”
This riled up the already charged Iowa home crowd. The emotions carried over into the following season when 5-0 Minnesota traveled back to Iowa City to face the 4-0-1 Hawkeyes in a highly anticipated matchup of two of the conference’s top teams. Believing that something needed to be done to turn down the heated rhetoric, Minnesota Gov. Floyd B. Olson sent a telegram to Iowa Gov. Clyde Herring pitching a light-hearted wager for the game.
Olson’s telegram said “The Minnesota team will tackle clean, Clyde. If you seriously think Iowa has any chance to win, I will bet you a Minnesota prize hog against an Iowa prize hog that Minnesota wins today. The loser must deliver the hog in person to the winner.”
Olson Comes Up with Solution
Olson’s plan worked, in more ways than one. There were no serious altercations in the stadium or on the field as the Golden Gophers earned a 13-6 victory, And Olson won the prize of the bet: a black Hampshire boar bred at Rosedale Farms in Webster County, Iowa. The pig was named Floyd, in honor of the Minnesota governor.
Floyd was only around for so long. He ended up at a hog farm in southeastern Minnesota, only about six miles north of the Iowa border. With Iowa and Minnesota unable to continue wagering a live pig, Olson conjured up an alternative. He commissioned an artist to sculpt a trophy bearing the recently deceased Floyd’s likeness. The artist erected a 98-pound bronze trophy of a 15 1/2-inch-tall, 21-inch-long pig.
Gophers Face Spartans Next
Next up for the Gophers is a matchup against the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium. It’s been a rough season for the Spartans starting with the dismissal of head Coach Mel Tucker on September 10.
And the road got a little tougher today when it was determined that running back Jalen Berger would miss the remainder of the season with a possible shoulder injury. Berger becomes the third Michigan State running back who has been lost for the season due to an injury.
And to make matters worse, star defensive tackle Simeon Barrow has informed Michigan State interim head coach Harlon Barnett that he is entering the transfer portal. While the Spartans are down, they are certainly not out. The Spartans have always proven to be a tough opponent for the Gophers and coach Fleck will guard his team against a letdown. Every game matters now as Minnesota looks to stay in the race for the Big Ten West title.
