There is no doubt it was an incredible weekend to be a fan of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Gopher football team did enough and picked up their first home win over Iowa since 2014 to keep Floyd in Minneapolis. After two weekends of absolutely dreadful hockey the Gopher men’s hockey team figured something out in a hurry and not only swept but dominated #3 North Dakota in a series at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The Gopher women outscored Lindenwood by a total score of 16-2 on the weekend including 11 goals in the opening game and a program record 73 shots on goal in the second game of the series against the Lions. The Gopher Volleyball team picked up a 3-0 sweep of #21 Washington. The Gopher soccer team closed out the home portion of their schedule with a 1-1 tie against #12 Washington and a dominant 4-0 win over Oregon at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium. It is hard to do much better. In fact, when looking specifically at rivalry matchups we would argue that we never have done better. At least for rivalry purposes was the best weekend in Minnesota Golden Gopher athletics!\*
(We will put a caveat that a better term might be the modern era of Golden Gopher athletics. Is it possible there was a better rivalry weekend in the 1940’s—it’s possible, but it gets a lot harder to sort thrugh those university records)
So why do we say that? Well, first we took a look at every single weekend where the Gopher football team won one of the Big Three trophy games—sorry Penn State, just don’t have the same feel. So after we looked at every single weekend going back to the 1960’s where the Gophers won either Paul Bunyan’s Axe, Floyd of Rosedale, or the Little Brown Jug, we then looked at any other major matchups from that weekend—either Gopher hockey or Gopher men’s basketball. Admittedly, unless you get into some of the games where Minnesota won these trophies late in November, there are not many basketball games to add to this equation. Also, back in the 1960’s and 197’s the Gopher hockey season didn’t really start until late October either which is also a limiting factor.
After looking at the football winning weekends, we looked at hockey and basketball weekends. Were there some weekends where yes the Gopher hockey team went 2-0 in a trophy winning weekend—you bet. Were several of these weekend sweeps of Alaska Anchorage or other non-impressive weekends. Yes. Were there also a surprising number of weekends where the Gopher football team won a trophy and the Gopher hockey team was playing North Dakota—-also yes.
In fact, including this past weekend was the third time in the last six seasons that the Gopher football team had won a trophy game and the men’s hockey team was facing off against the Fighting Hawks.
In 2021 on November 27th the Gophers upset #18 Wisconsin at Huntington Bank Stadium 23-13 to take home the Axe. #12 Minnesota hockey was facing off against #7 North Dakota in Grand Forks that weekend and MInnesota won on Friday night 5-1 before falling 3-2 on Saturday.
In 2023 on October 21st the Gopher football team defeated Iowa in Iowa City 12-10 in the infamous invalid fair catch game. The Gopher hockey team was again in Grand Forks and knocked off #5 North Dakota 4-0 on Friday before falling 2-1 on Saturday.
There are only three other weekends going back to at least the 1960’s and likely beyond where the Gopher football team won a trophy game, and the Gopher hockey team swept a team you could classify as a rival on the same weekend. Two of these also had a Gopher basketball win—albeit against weaker non-conference opponents.
The Gopher football team defeated Wisconsin 17-14 in Madison on a 4th quarter TD pass from Tim Schade to Tutu Atwell to retain the Axe for the second season in a row. The Gopher hockey team opened their season with a 5-4 and 6-2 win at Minnesota-Duluth.
The Gopher football team retained Floyd for what would be the second season in a three year winning streak defeating Iowa in Iowa City 25-21. Minnesota trailed 21-10 at halftime and would add a pair of Dan Nystrom field goals, a safety, and an Arland Bruce 73 yard TD run to keep Floyd. It would be Kirk Ferentz’s first Iowa/ Minnesota game.
The Gopher hockey team once again swept Minnesota-Duluth, this time at home by scores of 5-3 and 4-0 and the Gopher men’s basketball team defeated Texas-Arlington 90-62 at Williams Arena.
The Gopher football team snapped a five game-losing streak against Iowa winning back Floyd in Glen Mason’s final home game 34-24. Amir Pinnix ran for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Brian Cupito threw a pair one to Matt Spaeth and one to Ernie Wheelright.
The Gopher hockey team was ranked #1 in the nation and faced #13 Wisconsin at Mariucci Arena and picked up the sweep winning 2-1 on Friday and 3-1 on Saturday.
The Gopher basketball team defeated Long Island 70-54.
Which brings us to this past weekend. #3 North Dakota in town for Brett Larson’s first home series as coach of the Gopher hockey team. Minnesota had barely squeaked out a tie at UMD last weekend but has looked relatively poorly losing their prior three games. Minnesota fans did not have high hopes. And then, boom.
Minnesota erupted with four third period goals on Thursday taking a 1-1 game and turning it into a 4-1 lead in just 2:42. Christian Humphries scored a pair and while North Dakota came back to make it 4-3 late, the Gophers got a Beckett Hendrickson empty netter to seal the 5-3 win.
Friday it was more of the same. Minnesota bounced back from down 2-1 in the second period to score four straight goals and get a hat trick from freshman Wyatt Cullen to humiliate the Fighting Hawks 5-3. The Gophers were the better team both nights, and the final rouser after Cullen’s third goal made the score 5-2 was one of the loudest that 3M Arena has heard in a very long time.
Which brings us to Saturday and the Gophers took care of business defeating #15 Iowa 13-10. You by now obviously know how the Gophers found a way to out Iowa, Iowa, and pick up their first home win in the series since 2014.
Three massive ranked wins over your deepest rivals. Three wins where you were unranked and you knocked off highly ranked teams. It doesn’t get much better—and as we have now proven in Minnesota Golden Gopher athletics history—-it hasn’t.
See More:
* [Minnesota Golden Gophers Football](/minnesota-golden-gophers-football)
* [Minnesota Gophers Men's Hockey](/minnesota-gophers-mens-hockey)