Gophers hold off Buffalo for a 23-10 win in the opener

Game one of the season is often an exercise in survival. Executing just enough, avoiding the most critical of mistakes and surviving to be 1-0. The Gophers did just that, holding off the Buffalo Bulls to win 23-10 and move to 1-0.

The story of the game for Minnesota was the offense stalling in the red zone on too many drives before finally finishing off the Bulls in the fourth quarter. Too many drives that stalled in the red zone, resulting in three field goals and one drive that ended on an unsuccessful 4th and 1 attempt from the 11-yard line. But this was partially attributable to the first career start for quarterback Drake Lindsey.

Their redshirt freshman quarterback looked exactly like what you might expect from a talented freshman starting their first collegiate game. Lindsey was poised, he showed tremendous arm strength, and he threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns. But he also made some decisions that you might expect from a redshirt freshman.

Throughout the game, it was this mix of good and bad. A couple of elite throws, moving the chains on drives that stalled in the red zone because of poor decisions. A fluky interception on what was maybe the wrong decision, and then the 60-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Smith. He missed some receivers but he also spread the ball around to eight different receivers. A mix of good and bad in what was a bit of a weird game.

But this game was about more than just Lindsey. There were two huge positives from tonight’s win.

Darius Taylor looked elite. The junior was the definition of a workhorse, running for 141 yards on 30 carries and adding X receptions. He got stronger throughout the game and the only thing missing from his night was a touchdown in the box score. Those will surely come.

And while the story of the game may feel like it was a stalling offense, it could easily be how well the defense played. Buffalo was held to 151 total yards, only 44 rushing. They did have one breakdown that resulted in a 40-yard touchdown pass to Victor Snow. But the other three Buffalo points were really due to the interception return down to the Gopher 23. It was a collective effort as Buffalo struggled all night to keep pressure off their quarterback and move the ball.

Also, the defense held Buffalo to 1/11 on third down. That is dominant.

The 2025 Gophers came into the season with a few question marks. There may not be any definitive answers after this win over the Bulls, but it is always good to get the first game under their belt. It felt like they were always under control, but it was just a little too close for comfort in the third quarter.

They have 10 days to prepare for Northwestern State and further work out the kinks before heading to Cal in week 3. It is good to be 1-0.