Buffalo Upset Bid At Minnesota Comes Up Short As Gophers' Offensive Stars Shine

Strong debuts by Drake Lindsay and the Golden Gophers' front seven led Minnesota to a Week One, 23-10 victory over Buffalo that included a statement fourth quarter. Two schools with hefty offseason changes from 2024 faced off to start their 2025 campaign, and while both looked far from complete, Minnesota was the clear better team in most aspects.

Here's everything important that happened in the contest.

Golden Gophers Win Battle Of Trenches

Going up against a dangerous defensive front and nationally-recognized running back in Al-Jay Henderson, Minnesota had their work cut out for them in the run game on both sides of the ball. Head coach P.J. Fleck's squad more than met expectations in that regard, however, holding Henderson to just 25 yards on 11 carries and consistently opening up holes for Gophers' RB Darius Taylor.

Taylor tallied 141 yards on 30 carries and consistently outmatched the plethora of defensive looks Buffalo attempted to counter with. Fleck's defense only picked up two sacks on the night, but between their complete shutdown of Henderson and the utter elimination of Bulls' QB Ta'quan Roberson's legs as a major factor, they easily did enough to lead the program to an opening contest win.

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Lindsey's Ceiling On Display

Minnesota's winner of their quarterback battle, redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey, got his first real taste of game action in Week One. While it was a mixed bag of results, the young signal caller certainly showed signs of the difference maker the Golden Gophers' coaching staff believes he can be. He completed passes to eight different receivers and showcased an impressive blend of pocket passing and mobility, most notably on a lead-extending rollout 60-yard TD pass to wideout Jalen Smith early in the fourth quarter.

Inexperience and legitimate flaws in Lindsey's game were clearly evident, particularly in his lower-than-ideal completion percentage of 54.3%. He still has definite areas needing improvement as his season and career progress. Still, his first showing of 2025 was absolutely a positive step for the future of the Golden Gophers' program.

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Murdock Remained Dominant

Despite the tough loss, Buffalo's defensive superstar Red Murdock continued to be an absolute force at all levels of the field. He was constantly around the ball and was a major reason why Lindsey had the number of early issues he did. With a stat line of 15 tackles with one for a loss and a sack, elite performances have become routine for Murdock, no matter the outcome of the game.

His play likely played a large part in keeping the game close for as long as it was, and Minnesota offensive linemen clearly had their hands full accounting for him on every play. Murdock continues to cement himself as one of the premier LBs in the country, and becomes a more prominent NFL Draft prospect with every game he wrecks.