The wait is finally over! College football is back, and the Gophers open their 2026 regular season on Thursday night at 7 p.m. CT against Eastern Illinois at Huntington Bank Stadium. Minnesota is currently favored to win by as many as 43.5 points on some sportsbooks, but the Panthers are already 1-0 on the season.
Here are our staff’s predictions for Thursday night.
Tony Liebert: Minnesota 56, Eastern Illinois 7
The Gophers were favored by a similar spread last season against FCS opponent Northwestern State, and they won that game 66-0. Oddly enough, the Demons also snapped a losing streak before playing Minnesota in that one.
A returning QB, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator makes me think Minnesota could get off to a hot start on Thursday night and cover the massive 43.5-point number. Eastern Illinois has lost its last three games against FBS opponents by a combined score of 132-7. I think Minnesota flexes its muscles early, and the majority of the starters are done before the fourth quarter, as they prepare for a massive Week 2 game against Mississippi State.
Joe Nelson: Minnesota 60, Eastern Illinois 0
Future No. 1 overall pick Drake Lindsey will connect with a handful of future NFL wide receivers for five touchdowns as the Gophers shock the world and finally dismantle an inferior opponent. Oh, this is a serious prediction? Sorry. Let me try that again. The Gophers will obliterate Eastern Illinois by 60 points, but they’ll do 90 percent of it on the ground and with a defensive touchdown or two. Anyone who thinks Minnesota is going to reveal any improvements it might’ve made in the passing game against Eastern Illinois hasn’t watched the last nine years of ground-and-pound Fleck ball. I’d love to see Lindsey let it fly, but I’m not getting my hopes up
Will Ragatz: Minnesota 38, Eastern Illinois 10
With respect to Eastern Illinois, there’s no reason why this should be even a remotely close game. The Gophers have too much talent on both sides of the ball not to cruise in front of their home crowd on what should be a season-opening, summer-ending party of a Thursday night. Look for transfers Noah Jennings and TJ Bush Jr. to announce themselves to the Gophers faithful with big performances.
Jonathan Harrison: Minnesota 45, Eastern Illinois 0
Eastern Illinois may already have a game under their belts, but that won’t matter on Thursday. The Gophers haven’t lost to an FCS opponent since 2011. This Panthers squad isn’t on the level of North Dakota before the Bison made the jump to the FBS; expect that win streak against lower-level opponents to continue. Drake Lindsey will get an early rest after a start that builds off the preseason hype. Minnesota’s defense won’t allow much of anything in an easy win to kick off the season.
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Season records for our pickers:
- Joe: 0-0
- Will: 0-0
- Jonathan: 0-0
- Tony: 0-0
This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Sep 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Gophers section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.