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Data updatedOct 31, 2026
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Minnesota football stats, 2026

5–2 (3–1 Big Ten). 2026 season, games through Oct 24, 2026.

SP+ rating3.957th of 138
SP+ offense23.694th of 138
SP+ defense19.827th of 138
PRIME0.169th of 138
Elo143482nd of 138

Minnesota football rankings: how good is Minnesota?

SP+ (57th) and PRIME (69th) see a middle-of-the-pack team. Elo has it 82nd. Elo only counts final scores and carries some of last season over, so it's lower on Minnesota than the two that grade the play. Minnesota has 5 wins on 4.0 SP+ expected wins, so it's been lucky.

What is Minnesota good at, and what is it bad at?

Good at

  • Minnesota gets off the field on 3rd down: opponents convert 29.4% of their 3rd downs, 13th in FBS.
  • Minnesota keeps its quarterback upright: sacked on 2.6% of dropbacks, 13th in FBS.
  • Minnesota takes the ball away: 1.7 takeaways a game, 19th in FBS.

Bad at

  • Minnesota's offensive line gets beat up front: a Big Uglies rating of 37.7, where 50 is average, 134th of 138.
  • Minnesota can't run the ball: −0.02 EPA per rush, opponent-adjusted, 128th of 138.
  • Minnesota falls behind the chains: a 37.9% success rate, opponent-adjusted, 118th of 138.

Good at means top 25 in FBS; bad at means 91st or worse. Turnovers swing a lot from week to week.

Week 9

Minnesota at Indiana

Sat, Oct 31, 3:30 PM ET. SP+ projection: Minnesota 7, Indiana 30. The numbers' pick: Indiana (96%).

Full head to head

Minnesota football schedule, 2026

Next: at Indiana, Sat, Oct 31, 3:30 PM ET on CBS.

WeekDateOpponentResult or kickoff (ET), TV
1Thu, Sep 3vs. Eastern IllinoisW 59–7
2Sat, Sep 12vs. Mississippi StateL 13–38
3Sat, Sep 19vs. AkronW 41–7
4Sat, Sep 26at WashingtonW 27–24
5Sat, Oct 3vs. MichiganW 20–14
6Sat, Oct 10at PurdueL 13–41
8Sat, Oct 24vs. IowaW 13–10
9Sat, Oct 31at Indiana3:30 PM ET, CBS
10Sat, Nov 7vs. UCLATBA
11Sat, Nov 14at Penn StateTBA
12Sat, Nov 21vs. NorthwesternTBA
13Fri, Nov 27at Wisconsin7:30 PM ET, NBC

Kickoff times are Eastern. TV from CollegeFootballData.com; networks are set a week or two ahead.

Minnesota's 2026 record: the wins and losses

Record5–2
Strength of record+1.432nd of 138
Schedule so far−0.855th of 138
Average margin+6.4
In wins+19.6
In losses−26.5
Best win
vs. Iowa (5–2, SP+ 23rd), 13–10, Week 8
Worst loss
at Purdue (3–4, SP+ 69th), 13–41, Week 6
Biggest win
vs. Eastern Illinois (FCS), 59–7, Week 1
Closest win
at Washington (4–3, SP+ 35th), 27–24, Week 4

Wins (5)

  1. vs. Iowa 5–2, SP+ 23rd 13–10
  2. vs. Michigan 4–3, SP+ 27th 20–14
  3. at Washington 4–3, SP+ 35th 27–24
  4. vs. Akron 1–7, SP+ 135th 41–7
  5. vs. Eastern Illinois FCS 59–7

Losses (2)

  1. vs. Mississippi State 4–3, SP+ 52nd 13–38
  2. at Purdue 3–4, SP+ 69th 13–41
Record
Against the SP+ top 251–0
Against the SP+ top 503–0
Against Power 4 teams and Notre Dame3–2
Against teams with winning records3–1
In one-score games (8 points or fewer)3–0
At home4–1
Away1–1
Against FCS teams1–0

Opponents are judged by where they stand now: their record, their SP+ rank out of 138 and the latest AP poll. Wins and losses are listed best opponent first. Strength of record and schedule are PRIME's, on its points scale, where higher is better.

How many championships has Minnesota won?

Minnesota claims 7 national championships: 1904, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941 and 1960. Selectors also named Minnesota champion in 1911 and 1915, which the school doesn't claim.

Minnesota has won 20 conference championships, most recently the Big Ten in 1967.

Big Ten
18: 1900, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1915, 1927, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1960, 1967
IAAN
2: 1892, 1893

Through the 2025 season. National titles are the ones the school claims; conference titles include shared ones. From each program's records as collected on Wikipedia.

Minnesota offense: stats and national ranks

StatValueRank
Points per game26.683rd
Yards per play5.54112th
Success rate42.0%85th
Explosive play rate11.5%87th
Yards per carry3.92131st
Yards per pass attempt7.1090th
Sack rate allowed2.6%13th
3rd down conversion34.7%107th

Minnesota defense: stats and national ranks

StatValueRank
Points allowed20.134th
Yards per play allowed5.1524th
Success rate allowed38.2%43rd
Explosive plays allowed10.9%63rd
Yards per carry allowed4.5952nd
Yards per attempt allowed6.1228th
Sack rate6.8%54th
3rd downs allowed29.4%13th

How good is Minnesota's offensive line?

Big Uglies, our offensive line rating, has Minnesota at 37.7, 134th of 138 (50 is average). It's 137th in adjusted line yards per carry (2.57), gets stuffed on 26.1% of runs (136th fewest) and converts 59.4% of short-yardage runs (130th).

StatValueRank
Big Uglies: offensive line37.7134th
Line yards per carry (adjusted)2.57137th
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)26.1%136th
Power success (short yardage)59.4%130th
Sack rate allowed2.6%13th
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)1.0983rd

How good is Minnesota's defensive line?

Big Uglies has Minnesota's defensive front at 51.8, 58th of 138. It gives up 3.02 adjusted line yards per carry (91st), stuffs 19.3% of runs (63rd) and gets a sack on 6.8% of dropbacks (54th).

StatValueRank
Big Uglies: defensive front51.858th
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)3.0291st
Stuff rate (defense)19.3%63rd
Power success allowed71.4%72nd
Sack rate6.8%54th
Front-seven havoc13.6%10th

Are Minnesota's backs actually good, or is it all the offensive line?

Minnesota's line is 137th of 138 in adjusted line yards per carry (2.57), the part of each run it earns. Its backs are 83rd in adjusted open-field yards (1.09), the part they earn past 10 yards. It's mostly the backs: they're making long runs out of what the line gives them.

Minnesota football players: the stat leaders

Alan Soukup (LS), Aydan West (DB), Darius Taylor (RB), Drake Lindsey (QB), Jalen Smith (WR), Javon Tracy (WR), Joey Gerlach (LB), John Nestor (DB), Karter Menz (DL), Mason Carrier (LB), Matt Kingsbury (LB), Maverick Baranowski (LB), Noah Jennings (WR), Riley Sunram (DL), T.J. Bush (DL), TJ Thomas Jr. (RB), Xavier Ford (RB), Zack Harden (DB).

Minnesota football results, 2026

WeekOpponentResult
1vs. Eastern IllinoisW 59–7
2vs. Mississippi StateL 13–38
3vs. AkronW 41–7
4at WashingtonW 27–24
5vs. MichiganW 20–14
6at PurdueL 13–41
8vs. IowaW 13–10

Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams. Stats from play-by-play; scoring counts FBS opponents only. Compare Minnesota with any team.

Questions about Minnesota

What is Minnesota's record?

Minnesota is 5–2, 3–1 in the Big Ten, with games through Oct 24, 2026.

Is Minnesota good this year?

Minnesota is 57th of 138 in SP+, Bill Connelly's rating (middle of the pack), 69th in PRIME and 82nd in Elo. They aren't in the AP Top 25.

Who does Minnesota play this week?

Minnesota visits Indiana, Sat, Oct 31, 3:30 PM ET. The numbers' pick: Indiana.

What is Minnesota's best win?

Iowa, 13–10 in Week 8. Iowa is 5–2 and 23rd in SP+.

What is Minnesota's 2026 football schedule?

Week 1: vs. Eastern Illinois (W 59–7); Week 2: vs. Mississippi State (L 13–38); Week 3: vs. Akron (W 41–7); Week 4: at Washington (W 27–24); Week 5: vs. Michigan (W 20–14); Week 6: at Purdue (L 13–41); Week 8: vs. Iowa (W 13–10); Week 9: at Indiana; Week 10: vs. UCLA; Week 11: at Penn State; Week 12: vs. Northwestern; Week 13: at Wisconsin.

When does Minnesota play next, and what channel is it on?

At Indiana, Sat, Oct 31, 3:30 PM ET, at Memorial Stadium (Bloomington, IN). It's on CBS.

What was the score of Minnesota's last game?

Minnesota beat Iowa 13–10 on Sat, Oct 24 at home.

Who is Minnesota's quarterback?

Drake Lindsey has thrown the most for Minnesota this season: 1,514 passing yards through Oct 24, 2026.

Where does Minnesota play its home games?

Huntington Bank Stadium.

Where is Minnesota ranked?

Unranked in the latest AP poll. 57th of 138 in SP+, 69th in PRIME and 82nd in Elo.

How many national championships has Minnesota won?

Minnesota claims 7 national championships: 1904, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941 and 1960. Selectors also named Minnesota champion in 1911 and 1915, which the school doesn't claim.

How many conference championships has Minnesota won?

Minnesota has won 20 conference championships, most recently the Big Ten in 1967. Minnesota has 18 Big Ten titles.

How good is Minnesota?

SP+ (57th) and PRIME (69th) see a middle-of-the-pack team. Elo has it 82nd. Elo only counts final scores and carries some of last season over, so it's lower on Minnesota than the two that grade the play. Minnesota has 5 wins on 4.0 SP+ expected wins, so it's been lucky.

What is Minnesota good at?

Minnesota gets off the field on 3rd down: opponents convert 29.4% of their 3rd downs, 13th in FBS. Minnesota keeps its quarterback upright: sacked on 2.6% of dropbacks, 13th in FBS. Minnesota takes the ball away: 1.7 takeaways a game, 19th in FBS.

What is Minnesota bad at?

Minnesota's offensive line gets beat up front: a Big Uglies rating of 37.7, where 50 is average, 134th of 138. Minnesota can't run the ball: −0.02 EPA per rush, opponent-adjusted, 128th of 138. Minnesota falls behind the chains: a 37.9% success rate, opponent-adjusted, 118th of 138.

How much has Minnesota spent on its roster?

The NIL Standard's preseason estimate puts Minnesota's roster at $21.1 million, 43rd of the 70 FBS rosters it values and 12th of 18 in the Big Ten, where the average is $26.1 million. That's $4.2 million per win so far (5 wins). Its 2026 transfer class is 19 players, 0 of them four- or five-stars, per 247Sports.

How good is Minnesota's offensive line?

Big Uglies, our offensive line rating, has Minnesota at 37.7, 134th of 138 (50 is average). It's 137th in adjusted line yards per carry (2.57), gets stuffed on 26.1% of runs (136th fewest) and converts 59.4% of short-yardage runs (130th).

How good is Minnesota's defensive line?

Big Uglies has Minnesota's defensive front at 51.8, 58th of 138. It gives up 3.02 adjusted line yards per carry (91st), stuffs 19.3% of runs (63rd) and gets a sack on 6.8% of dropbacks (54th).

Are Minnesota's backs actually good, or is it all the offensive line?

Minnesota's line is 137th of 138 in adjusted line yards per carry (2.57), the part of each run it earns. Its backs are 83rd in adjusted open-field yards (1.09), the part they earn past 10 yards. It's mostly the backs: they're making long runs out of what the line gives them.

Who is Minnesota's head coach?

P.J. Fleck, since 2017.

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