# 2025 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team
The 2025 [Minnesota Golden Gophers football](https://www.edgepedia.org/minnesota-golden-gophers-football) team represented the [University of Minnesota](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-minnesota) in the 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the [Big Ten Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/big-ten-conference). Under tenth-year head coach P.J. Fleck, the Gophers finished 8-5 overall and 5-4 in Big Ten play (T-7th), and defeated New Mexico 20-17 in overtime in the Rate Bowl.[1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review) • [2](https://gophersports.com/sports/2018/5/21/sports-m-footbl-archive-minn-m-footbl-archive-html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Overall record | 8-5, including a 7-0 home record at Huntington Bank Stadium[1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review) • [3](https://gophersports.com/sports/football/schedule/2025) |
| Conference record | 5-4 Big Ten, tied for 7th[1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review) • [2](https://gophersports.com/sports/2018/5/21/sports-m-footbl-archive-minn-m-footbl-archive-html) |
| Bowl game | Won the Rate Bowl 20-17 in overtime over New Mexico on December 26, 2025, in Phoenix[1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review) • [4](https://gophersports.com/documents/download/2025/12/17/25.12.26_NewMexico_Notes.pdf) |
| Bowl streak | Ninth straight bowl victory, extending a Big Ten record and tied for the second longest in college football history[1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review) |
| Top honor | Defensive end Anthony Smith, first-team All-Big Ten after leading the conference with 12.5 sacks[1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review) |
| Rivalry result | Defeated Wisconsin 17-7 at snowy Huntington Bank Stadium, a fourth win in the series in the past five years[1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review) |
## Season overview
Lindsey took over for [Max Brosmer](https://www.edgepedia.org/max-brosmer), whose eligibility expired after the 2024 season, and entered the year with only five career pass attempts.[5](https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/08/28/minnesota-gophers-football-preview-koi-perich-two-way) The non-conference slate also included a September 6 home game against Northwestern State and a September 13 trip to California in Berkeley.[3](https://gophersports.com/sports/football/schedule/2025)
**Koi Perich** was the team's most prominent returning player. The sophomore safety from Esko was a preseason All-American on defense, returned punts and kickoffs, and carried an expanded offensive role as a wide receiver and running back.[5](https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/08/28/minnesota-gophers-football-preview-koi-perich-two-way) He earned second- or third-team All-Big Ten recognition after the season.[1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review)
## Conference play
They also traveled to [Eugene, Oregon](https://www.edgepedia.org/eugene-oregon), for the first time ever to face the Ducks in mid-November, entering that game at 6-3, 4-2 in the conference.[6](https://gophersports.com/documents/download/2025/11/10/25.11.14_Oregon_Notes.pdf)
The regular season closed on November 29 with a 17-7 win over Wisconsin in snow at Huntington Bank Stadium, capping a perfect home season and giving Minnesota its fourth win in the rivalry in the past five years.[1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review) • [7](https://gophersports.com/sports/football/archives?search=&season=2025&sport=football) The Gophers finished the regular season 7-5, the fifth time in the last six seasons they had finished at that record or better.[4](https://gophersports.com/documents/download/2025/12/17/25.12.26_NewMexico_Notes.pdf)
## Rate Bowl
Minnesota accepted an invitation to the Rate Bowl on December 7 and met [New Mexico](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-mexico) (9-3, 6-2 Mountain West) for the first time ever on Friday, December 26, 2025, in Phoenix, in the program's 26th all-time bowl appearance.[8](https://gophersports.com/news/2025/12/7/football-minnesota-accepts-invitation-to-rate-bowl) • [4](https://gophersports.com/documents/download/2025/12/17/25.12.26_NewMexico_Notes.pdf) The Gophers won 20-17 in overtime.[1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review)
The victory was Minnesota's ninth consecutive bowl win, which extends a Big Ten record and is tied for the second longest streak in college football history.[1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review) Lindsey was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the bowl performance on December 29.[1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review)
## Honors
Defensive end Anthony Smith earned first-team All-Big Ten honors after leading the conference with 12.5 sacks.[1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review) Other All-Big Ten selections included [Koi Perich](https://www.edgepedia.org/koi-perich) (second/third team), Tom Weston (third team/honorable mention), and honorable mentions for Jameson Geers, Greg Johnson, Kerry Brown, Maverick Baranowski, and [Deven Eastern](https://www.edgepedia.org/deven-eastern).[1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review) Defensive back John Nestor won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and the Bednarik Award Player of the Week in early December.[1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review) Seventh-year linebacker Derik LeCaptain, with 59 career games played, needed one more appearance to set the all-time Minnesota program record, and received the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.[6](https://gophersports.com/documents/download/2025/11/10/25.11.14_Oregon_Notes.pdf) • [1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review)
## Coach and program context
P.J. Fleck, in his ninth season leading the Gophers in 2025, was the fifth-longest tenured coach in program history and the second-longest active tenured coach in the Big Ten.[4](https://gophersports.com/documents/download/2025/12/17/25.12.26_NewMexico_Notes.pdf) The 2025 season was the program's seventh bowl appearance under Fleck.[1](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review) Since his arrival in 2017, Minnesota had gone 26-4 against non-conference opponents including bowl games, a .867 winning percentage that ranked sixth-best in the FBS over that span.[8](https://gophersports.com/news/2025/12/7/football-minnesota-accepts-invitation-to-rate-bowl)
## References
1. [2025 Football Year in Review, University of Minnesota Athletics](https://gophersports.com/sports/2026/1/5/2025-football-year-in-review)
2. [Football Archives: 2025 Season, University of Minnesota Athletics](https://gophersports.com/sports/2018/5/21/sports-m-footbl-archive-minn-m-footbl-archive-html)
3. [2025 Football Schedule, University of Minnesota Athletics](https://gophersports.com/sports/football/schedule/2025)
4. [Minnesota Golden Gopher Football: New Mexico Game Notes (Dec 26, 2025)](https://gophersports.com/documents/download/2025/12/17/25.12.26_NewMexico_Notes.pdf)
5. [Gophers football preview: The Koi Perich show, Axios Twin Cities](https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/08/28/minnesota-gophers-football-preview-koi-perich-two-way)
6. [Minnesota Golden Gopher Football: Oregon Game Notes (Nov 14, 2025)](https://gophersports.com/documents/download/2025/11/10/25.11.14_Oregon_Notes.pdf)
7. [Football Story Archives, 2025, University of Minnesota Athletics](https://gophersports.com/sports/football/archives?search=&season=2025&sport=football)
8. [Minnesota Accepts Invitation to Rate Bowl, University of Minnesota Athletics](https://gophersports.com/news/2025/12/7/football-minnesota-accepts-invitation-to-rate-bowl)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › College, minor, and international American football › College football programs › 2025 season articles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license