Gophers-Northwestern State preview: Players to know, pivotal matchups and a prediction

Week 2 at Huntington Bank Stadium will host a matchup between a pair of 1-0 Division I football teams. After last week's season-opening win, the Gophers will host Northwestern State, which is coming off its first win since 2022.

What you need to know about Northwestern State

Northwestern State University is located in Natchitoches, Louisiana. It has zero connection to the Northwestern University that Big Ten fans are familiar with in the Chicago area. The Demons are a Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) program that competes in the Southland Conference.

• Head coach: Blaine McCorkle

McCorkle is fresh off his first win as the head coach of the Demons. 2024 was his first season at the helm, and he turned in a 0-12 record. He was previously the head coach at Division III Belhaven University for six seasons, and a Division I offensive line coach for 10 seasons before that. At 49 years old, he'll continue to look to turn around the Northwestern State program.

• 20-game losing streak

Northwestern State entered the 2025 season on a 20-game losing streak without a victory since the 2022 season. According to college football analytics expert Bill Connelly's preseason SP+, they ranked as the 329th-best college football program in the entire country, which includes all levels in the NCAA. It was notably nine spots behind local Division III program Bethel. That streak ended in Week 1 with a 20-10 win over Alcorn State, but it's still the worst team Minnesota has played in quite some time.

• Players to watch

Junior college transfer Eli Anderson looked like a potential option at quarterback, but he was beat out by redshirt freshman Abram Johnston in the preseason. The Demons like to run the football, and Johnston led the team with 17 carries for 69 yards in Week 1. He was also 9 of 18 passing for 85 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The Demons are led by returning senior cornerback Caesar Magee III on the defensive side of the ball. Listed at 6-foot-2, he had an 80.6 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade last season, and he finished the year with 64 tackles and three interceptions. Returning linebackers Landry Huddleston and Danny Sears also factor in as players to watch on defense.

Keys to the game

Betting odds are typically not officially released for games between FBS and FCS opponents until the night before or morning of the game. I expect Minnesota to be favored by at least 40 points in this matchup, and probably closer to 50.

Northwestern State is among the worst Division I football teams in the country. A win over the Gophers would be the biggest in their program's history and probably the worst upset loss in Minnesota's. The Gophers have advantages all over the field, and I fully expect them to cruise to an easy win in Week 2.

Prediction: Minnesota 49, Northwestern State 0