University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, October 10
West Lafayette, IN
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Purdue
Photo by: Claudia Staut
Game 6 Preview: Minnesota at Purdue
10/7/2026 9:03:00 AM | Football
THE ESSENTIALS
Date/Time: Oct. 10, 2026 / 7 p.m.
Site: West Lafayette, Ind.
Stadium: Ross-Ade Stadium
Surface: Natural grass
Capacity: 61,441
Series Overall: Minnesota leads 42-35-3
Streak Overall: Minnesota won 1
Series at Purdue: Minnesota trails 8-22
Streak at Purdue: Minnesota lost 1
First Meeting: Minnesota won, 24-0, in Minneapolis (10/27/1894)
Last Meeting: Minnesota won, 27-20, in Minneapolis (10/11/2025)
Television: BTN // Wayne Randazzo (PXP), Rhett Lewis (Analyst), Caroline Hendershot (Reporter)
Gopher Radio: KFAN FM 100.3 | SiriusXM: 257; SXM App // Mike Grimm (PXP), Darrell Thompson (Analyst), Justin Gaard (Reporter), Tanner Hoops (Host), Dan Rowbotham (Engineer)
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. RV/RV Minnesota (4-1, 2-0 B1G) plays its final game before its bye week as the Gophers visit Purdue (2-3, 1-1 B1G) Saturday. Kickoff from Ross-Ade Stadium is set for 7 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network and the Gopher Radio Network.
2. Minnesota is coming off a thrilling, 20-14, win over RV/24 Michigan in front of a sellout crowd Saturday to claim the Little Brown Jug for the first time since 2014 and first time at home since 1977. With Michigan ranked 24th in the Coaches Poll, and Washington being ranked 23rd in the same poll the week prior, it was the first time since 1968 that the Gophers beat ranked opponents in consecutive weeks. That season, the Gophers beat AP No. 6 Purdue on Nov. 9 and No. 19 Indiana on Nov. 16. The win moved Minnesota to 4-1 or better to start a season for the first time since 2022 (4-1) and third time overall under P.J. Fleck (5-0 in 2019). The Gophers are 2-0 in Big Ten play for the second time under Fleck after also doing so in 2019.
3. Drake Lindsey has continued his stellar play into his junior season. Through five games, he's 105-of-157 for 1,087 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions for a rating of 136.8 Lindsey ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 23rd nationally with 21.0 completions per game. He's also eighth in the conference in completion percentage (.669) and ninth in passing touchdowns. At Washington on Sept. 26, Lindsey was 21-of-29 passing for 204 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. In the first half alone, he was 15-of-16 for 125 yards and three touchdowns. It was Lindsey's fourth career game with three or more TD passes, including his second straight. He had three touchdown throws the prior week against Akron, marking the first time he's had multiple touchdown passes in consecutive games. And he was the first Gopher to have 3+ touchdown throws in back-to-back games since 2023. In less than two full seasons as the Gophers starter, Lindsey ranks second in school history in career TD-to-INT ratio (2.70; 27-10), completion percentage (.644), interception percentage (.0181) and starting QB win percentage (.667; 12-6). More on Lindsey can be found on Pages 5-6 of the notes.
4. Under the tutelage of new coordinator Daniel Da Prato, Minnesota's special teams is thriving in 2026. Javon Tracy's 284 punt return yards are more than all but one team in the nation so far this year, and he is tied for the FBS lead in punt return touchdowns after taking two back against Eastern Illinois in the season opener. By doing so, he became the first Gopher ever with two punt return scores in one game. Tracy is leading the Big Ten and is seventh in the nation in punt return average (18.9). He's got three punt returns this year of at least 60 yards, tied for the most by an FBS player in a season since at least 2020, and the only Gopher to accomplish the feat since at least 1962. As a team the Gophers are 10th in the nation in punt return average (19.38). In addition to Tracy, Quayd Hendryx is averaging 24.7 yards on six kick returns, which ranks second in the Big Ten and 12th in the FBS. Luke Drzewiecki is 8-of-8 on field goals, including four makes from 40+ yards. Tom Weston is averaging 40.5 yards per punt, good for eighth in the Big Ten, and he has put 10 of his 20 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. For good measure, the Gophers special teams unit also has a blocked field goal by Naiim Parrish and long snapper Alan Soukup has a fumble recovery off a muffed punt.
5. The 2026 campaign is the 10th for P.J. Fleck at Minnesota. He is the tied for the fourth-longest tenured coach in program history, is the second-longest active tenured coach in the Big Ten and the 11th-longest tenured head coach overall in the FBS. Fleck's Minnesota record stands at 70-45, putting him fourth in program history in overall wins. He's also fourth in Big Ten wins (41) and fifth in games coached (115). Fleck's overall win percentage of .609 is third best among Minnesota coaches with more than 40 games under their helm behind only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, '45-50). In his 14th season overall as a college head coach, Fleck is 100-67 (.599), making him one of 20 active head coaches to reach 100 wins at the FBS level.
Minnesota's complete game notes can be found here.
Date/Time: Oct. 10, 2026 / 7 p.m.
Site: West Lafayette, Ind.
Stadium: Ross-Ade Stadium
Surface: Natural grass
Capacity: 61,441
Series Overall: Minnesota leads 42-35-3
Streak Overall: Minnesota won 1
Series at Purdue: Minnesota trails 8-22
Streak at Purdue: Minnesota lost 1
First Meeting: Minnesota won, 24-0, in Minneapolis (10/27/1894)
Last Meeting: Minnesota won, 27-20, in Minneapolis (10/11/2025)
Television: BTN // Wayne Randazzo (PXP), Rhett Lewis (Analyst), Caroline Hendershot (Reporter)
Gopher Radio: KFAN FM 100.3 | SiriusXM: 257; SXM App // Mike Grimm (PXP), Darrell Thompson (Analyst), Justin Gaard (Reporter), Tanner Hoops (Host), Dan Rowbotham (Engineer)
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. RV/RV Minnesota (4-1, 2-0 B1G) plays its final game before its bye week as the Gophers visit Purdue (2-3, 1-1 B1G) Saturday. Kickoff from Ross-Ade Stadium is set for 7 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network and the Gopher Radio Network.
2. Minnesota is coming off a thrilling, 20-14, win over RV/24 Michigan in front of a sellout crowd Saturday to claim the Little Brown Jug for the first time since 2014 and first time at home since 1977. With Michigan ranked 24th in the Coaches Poll, and Washington being ranked 23rd in the same poll the week prior, it was the first time since 1968 that the Gophers beat ranked opponents in consecutive weeks. That season, the Gophers beat AP No. 6 Purdue on Nov. 9 and No. 19 Indiana on Nov. 16. The win moved Minnesota to 4-1 or better to start a season for the first time since 2022 (4-1) and third time overall under P.J. Fleck (5-0 in 2019). The Gophers are 2-0 in Big Ten play for the second time under Fleck after also doing so in 2019.
3. Drake Lindsey has continued his stellar play into his junior season. Through five games, he's 105-of-157 for 1,087 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions for a rating of 136.8 Lindsey ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 23rd nationally with 21.0 completions per game. He's also eighth in the conference in completion percentage (.669) and ninth in passing touchdowns. At Washington on Sept. 26, Lindsey was 21-of-29 passing for 204 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. In the first half alone, he was 15-of-16 for 125 yards and three touchdowns. It was Lindsey's fourth career game with three or more TD passes, including his second straight. He had three touchdown throws the prior week against Akron, marking the first time he's had multiple touchdown passes in consecutive games. And he was the first Gopher to have 3+ touchdown throws in back-to-back games since 2023. In less than two full seasons as the Gophers starter, Lindsey ranks second in school history in career TD-to-INT ratio (2.70; 27-10), completion percentage (.644), interception percentage (.0181) and starting QB win percentage (.667; 12-6). More on Lindsey can be found on Pages 5-6 of the notes.
4. Under the tutelage of new coordinator Daniel Da Prato, Minnesota's special teams is thriving in 2026. Javon Tracy's 284 punt return yards are more than all but one team in the nation so far this year, and he is tied for the FBS lead in punt return touchdowns after taking two back against Eastern Illinois in the season opener. By doing so, he became the first Gopher ever with two punt return scores in one game. Tracy is leading the Big Ten and is seventh in the nation in punt return average (18.9). He's got three punt returns this year of at least 60 yards, tied for the most by an FBS player in a season since at least 2020, and the only Gopher to accomplish the feat since at least 1962. As a team the Gophers are 10th in the nation in punt return average (19.38). In addition to Tracy, Quayd Hendryx is averaging 24.7 yards on six kick returns, which ranks second in the Big Ten and 12th in the FBS. Luke Drzewiecki is 8-of-8 on field goals, including four makes from 40+ yards. Tom Weston is averaging 40.5 yards per punt, good for eighth in the Big Ten, and he has put 10 of his 20 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. For good measure, the Gophers special teams unit also has a blocked field goal by Naiim Parrish and long snapper Alan Soukup has a fumble recovery off a muffed punt.
5. The 2026 campaign is the 10th for P.J. Fleck at Minnesota. He is the tied for the fourth-longest tenured coach in program history, is the second-longest active tenured coach in the Big Ten and the 11th-longest tenured head coach overall in the FBS. Fleck's Minnesota record stands at 70-45, putting him fourth in program history in overall wins. He's also fourth in Big Ten wins (41) and fifth in games coached (115). Fleck's overall win percentage of .609 is third best among Minnesota coaches with more than 40 games under their helm behind only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, '45-50). In his 14th season overall as a college head coach, Fleck is 100-67 (.599), making him one of 20 active head coaches to reach 100 wins at the FBS level.
Minnesota's complete game notes can be found here.
Players Mentioned
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