Episode 435: UCLA Preview

Minnesota is looking to snap a two game losing streak as Gopher football prepares to head to Happy Valley for a rivalry trophy showdown with the Penn State Nittany Lions. Ryan Burns and Luke Buer preview the game ahead, as the Gophers look to complete their rivalry trophy collection and claim the Governor's Victory Bell. Will QB Drake Lindsey finally find his groove? Can Minnesota's defense contain Rocco Becht and fix their issues with explosive plays? The guys answer those questions, plus take a trip down memory lane to celebrate firsts for Minnesota signal callers of the past few decades.

The Gophers squandered a prime opportunity to land a major victory and earn bowl eligibility as they lost 34-20 to the 5th ranked UCLA Bruins. Ryan Burns and Luke Buer are joined by former Gopher offensive lineman and Dinkytown Athletes co-founder Derek Burns to break down what ails Minnesota. From a quarterback that is lacking confidence to a defense that gave up a stunning amount of yardage on 8 completed passes, it was a rough Saturday for the maroon and gold.

Gopher football welcomes the 5th-ranked UCLA Bruins to Minneapolis just one week after falling just short of a top 5 road win against the Indiana Hoosiers. Ryan Burns and Luke Buer preview the matchup, from Minnesota's offensive struggles to the improving play of UCLA backup QB Ty Dieffenbach. Fans saw a flash of the old Darius Taylor in last week's game against the Hoosiers, is the Gophers' star running back gearing up for a November to remember?

Gopher football lost in heartbreaking fashion on the road against the 4th-ranked, defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday. Curt Cignetti's team hit a 60 yard game tying field goal to send things to overtime, and Minnesota just couldn't do enough to pull out the upset victory in OT. Ryan Burns and Luke Buer are joined by Dinkytown Athletes co-founder and former Gopher offensive lineman Derek Burns to recap the game. From quarterback Drake Lindsey's struggles and the questions surrounding offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. to a special teams unit that once again did everything in its power to win the game for the Gophers, the guys break it all down.

Minnesota prepares for it's toughest test of the season as the Gopher football team hits the road to take on the 4th ranked Indiana Hoosiers. Can Minnesota knock off the defending national champions? Ryan Burns and Luke Buer preview the matchup, from Indiana's stout defensive line to Burnsie's tin foil hat conspiracy theory about the game. Plus, the Gophers landed a commitment on Wednesday from late rising in-state running back Zack Shatek, and Ryan tells you everything you need to know about the Hastings, MN native.

The Gophers defeated the 15th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes in front of a packed home crowd for Homecoming weekend, winning the Floyd of Rosedale trophy in Minneapolis for the first time since 2014. Ryan Burns and Luke Buer are joined by Dinkytown Athletes co-founder and former Gopher offensive lineman Derek Burns to break it all down. The defense was dominant, special teams continues to be an asset, and the offense did just enough to get a win that sent Gopher fans spilling down onto the field for the second straight home game.

It's Homecoming weekend as Gophers football looks to return from the bye week rejuvenated as the rival Iowa Hawkeyes come to Minneapolis to do battle for the Floyd of Rosedale trophy. Ryan Burns and Luke Buer preview the Minnesota's week 8 game against a team that has vexed head coach PJ Fleck throughout his first 9 seasons in Dinkytown. Will Drake Lindsey exact revenge after the worst game of his career in Iowa City a season ago? Can the Gophers running game manage to get anything going against a stout Hawkeyes front seven? Is this the first time in almost 50 years that Minnesota will have possession of the Axe, the Jug, and the Pig simultaneously? The guys tackle it all, plus make their score predictions and grapple with an Iowa-themed trivia challenge.

The Gophers hit the bye week with a 4-2 record, though not quite in the way envisioned before the season began. While Minnesota might have been on bye this week, Gopher Gridiron Radio takes no weeks off as Ryan Burns and Luke Buer are back, joined this week by Dan Owen to discuss what the Gophers need to change to solve some of the issues that have plagued the team through the first half of the season. Plus, Dan challenges Ryan and Luke to a classic game of "Dudes Naming Players" as the guys try to recall Minnesota's leading rushers over the past 20 seasons.

The Gophers were blown out 41-13 on Saturday as the Purdue Boilermakers ran over Minnesota in week 6. Ryan Burns and Luke Buer are once again joined by Dinkytown Athletes co-founder and former Gophers offensive lineman Derek Burns to recap it all. From Minnesota's inability to run the ball to PJ Fleck's ill-conceived approach against a Purdue offense capable of putting up points, Saturday was a total system failure. Get deep analysis on why it went so wrong and where head coach PJ Fleck needs to improve if the Gophers are going to solve some of their biggest issues.

Coming off an emotionally charged win over the Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota heads into a matchup against a potent Purdue offense. Can the Gophers avoid a stumble on the road as they try to improve their record to 5-1 ahead of the bye week? Ryan Burns and Luke Buer preview the week 6 matchup for the maroon and gold.