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University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, November 22
Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL
11:00 AM
University of Minnesota
at
Northwestern
Players Mentioned
DL
/ Football
Photo by: Brace Hemmelgarn
Game 11: Minnesota at Northwestern
11/19/2025 9:07:00 AM | Football
THE ESSENTIALS
Date/Time:Â Nov. 22, 2025 / 11 a.m.
Site:Â Chicago, Ill.
Stadium:Â Wrigley Field
Surface:Â Natural Grass
Capacity:Â 38,147
Series Overall:Â Minnesota leads 56-37-5
Streak Overall:Â Minnesota lost 1
Series at NU:Â Minnesota leads 25-22-2
Streak Overall:Â Minnesota lost 1
First Meeting:Â Minnesota won 16-12 in Evanston (11/8/1892)
Last Meeting:Â Minnesota lost 37-34 in overtime in Evanston (9/23/2023)
Television: BTN // Jack Kizer (PXP), Matt Millen (Analyst), Sydney Supple (Reporter)
Gopher Radio: KFAN FM 100.3 | SiriusXM: 372; SXM App // Mike Grimm (PXP), Darrell Thompson (Analyst), Justin Gaard (Reporter), Tanner Hoops (Host), Dan Rowbotham (Engineer)
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. Minnesota (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) plays its final road game of the regular season this Saturday when it takes on Northwestern (5-5, 3-4) at Wrigley Field, home of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on Big Ten Network and the Gopher Radio Network.
2. Saturday's game taking place at Wrigley Field continues a recent trend of Minnesota playing in Major League Baseball stadium. It'll be the third time in the last five seasons that Minnesota will have played in an MLB Stadium after playing in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field (Arizona) in 2021 and the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium (New York) in 2022. Minnesota won both games. Saturday's contest will be just the seventh college football game at Wrigley Field in the modern era, including last week's contest between Northwestern and Michigan. Prior to Northwestern playing at Wrigley in 2010, no college football games had taken place there since 1938.
3. The Golden Gophers enter the contest with a 6-4 record overall. In four of the past five seasons, Minnesota has that record or better at the 10-game mark. Minnesota was also 6-4 last year and in 2021, while 2022 saw the team at 7-3 and in 2019 it was 9-1 at this point of the season. They're looking to improve to 7-4 or better at the 11-game mark for the fourth time under P.J. Fleck, also getting to 7-4 from 2021-22 and 10-1 in 2019.Â
4. Minnesota is one of the best teams in the country at getting after the quarterback, posting 33 sacks in 10 games. The rate of 3.3 sacks per game leads the Big Ten and is tied for fourth in the country. The total of 33 sacks is sixth most in the Minnesota record book (records dating to 1984). The Golden Gophers have three games this year with 7+ sacks.That's tied with six other teams for the most in a season in the FBS going back to 2005. No team has had four such games in a season. In addition, Minnesota is averaging 7.3 tackles for loss this season, ranking tied for seventh nationally and second in the Big Ten. Anthony Smith has been the top disruptor for the Gophers, leading the team in tackles for loss (12.5) and sacks (9.5). His 9.5 sacks and 0.95 sacks per game both lead the Big Ten and tied for seventh nationally. His total is already the highest for a Gopher in a season since Carter Coughlin had 9.5 in 2018. No Gopher has had 10.0 sacks in a season since Willie VanDeSteeg had 10.5 in 2008 and no Minnesota player has led the conference in sacks since Karon Riley had 13.0 in 2000. Smith's 12.5 TFLs this season are tied for 15th in the country and rank second in the conference, and his 1.25 TFLs per game lead the Big Ten and are good for 13th nationally. Smith's 82 TFL yards also lead the Big Ten and sit seventh in the FBS. More on the sack totals can be found on Page 8 of the notes.
5. The 2025 campaign is the ninth for P.J. Fleck at Minnesota. He is the fifth-longest tenured coach in program history and the second-longest active tenured coach in the Big Ten. Fleck's record stands at 64-43, putting him tied for fourth in program history in overall wins. He's also fourth at Minnesota in Big Ten wins (38) and fifth in games coached (107). Fleck's overall win percentage of .598 is third best among Minnesota coaches with at least 45 games under their helm behind only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, '45-50). In his 13th season overall as a college head coach, Fleck is 94-65 (.591).
You can read Minnesota's complete game notes here.
Date/Time:Â Nov. 22, 2025 / 11 a.m.
Site:Â Chicago, Ill.
Stadium:Â Wrigley Field
Surface:Â Natural Grass
Capacity:Â 38,147
Series Overall:Â Minnesota leads 56-37-5
Streak Overall:Â Minnesota lost 1
Series at NU:Â Minnesota leads 25-22-2
Streak Overall:Â Minnesota lost 1
First Meeting:Â Minnesota won 16-12 in Evanston (11/8/1892)
Last Meeting:Â Minnesota lost 37-34 in overtime in Evanston (9/23/2023)
Television: BTN // Jack Kizer (PXP), Matt Millen (Analyst), Sydney Supple (Reporter)
Gopher Radio: KFAN FM 100.3 | SiriusXM: 372; SXM App // Mike Grimm (PXP), Darrell Thompson (Analyst), Justin Gaard (Reporter), Tanner Hoops (Host), Dan Rowbotham (Engineer)
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. Minnesota (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) plays its final road game of the regular season this Saturday when it takes on Northwestern (5-5, 3-4) at Wrigley Field, home of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on Big Ten Network and the Gopher Radio Network.
2. Saturday's game taking place at Wrigley Field continues a recent trend of Minnesota playing in Major League Baseball stadium. It'll be the third time in the last five seasons that Minnesota will have played in an MLB Stadium after playing in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field (Arizona) in 2021 and the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium (New York) in 2022. Minnesota won both games. Saturday's contest will be just the seventh college football game at Wrigley Field in the modern era, including last week's contest between Northwestern and Michigan. Prior to Northwestern playing at Wrigley in 2010, no college football games had taken place there since 1938.
3. The Golden Gophers enter the contest with a 6-4 record overall. In four of the past five seasons, Minnesota has that record or better at the 10-game mark. Minnesota was also 6-4 last year and in 2021, while 2022 saw the team at 7-3 and in 2019 it was 9-1 at this point of the season. They're looking to improve to 7-4 or better at the 11-game mark for the fourth time under P.J. Fleck, also getting to 7-4 from 2021-22 and 10-1 in 2019.Â
4. Minnesota is one of the best teams in the country at getting after the quarterback, posting 33 sacks in 10 games. The rate of 3.3 sacks per game leads the Big Ten and is tied for fourth in the country. The total of 33 sacks is sixth most in the Minnesota record book (records dating to 1984). The Golden Gophers have three games this year with 7+ sacks.That's tied with six other teams for the most in a season in the FBS going back to 2005. No team has had four such games in a season. In addition, Minnesota is averaging 7.3 tackles for loss this season, ranking tied for seventh nationally and second in the Big Ten. Anthony Smith has been the top disruptor for the Gophers, leading the team in tackles for loss (12.5) and sacks (9.5). His 9.5 sacks and 0.95 sacks per game both lead the Big Ten and tied for seventh nationally. His total is already the highest for a Gopher in a season since Carter Coughlin had 9.5 in 2018. No Gopher has had 10.0 sacks in a season since Willie VanDeSteeg had 10.5 in 2008 and no Minnesota player has led the conference in sacks since Karon Riley had 13.0 in 2000. Smith's 12.5 TFLs this season are tied for 15th in the country and rank second in the conference, and his 1.25 TFLs per game lead the Big Ten and are good for 13th nationally. Smith's 82 TFL yards also lead the Big Ten and sit seventh in the FBS. More on the sack totals can be found on Page 8 of the notes.
5. The 2025 campaign is the ninth for P.J. Fleck at Minnesota. He is the fifth-longest tenured coach in program history and the second-longest active tenured coach in the Big Ten. Fleck's record stands at 64-43, putting him tied for fourth in program history in overall wins. He's also fourth at Minnesota in Big Ten wins (38) and fifth in games coached (107). Fleck's overall win percentage of .598 is third best among Minnesota coaches with at least 45 games under their helm behind only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, '45-50). In his 13th season overall as a college head coach, Fleck is 94-65 (.591).
You can read Minnesota's complete game notes here.
Coach Fleck Previews Wisconsin
Monday, November 24
Highlights: Gophers 35, Northwestern 38
Saturday, November 22
Play in Focus: Anthony Smith & Deven Eastern
Monday, November 17
Coach Fleck Previews Northwestern
Monday, November 17