The wait is over, and Minnesota will finally open its 2026 season on Thursday night against Eastern Illinois. As roughly 43.5-point betting favorites against an FCS team, it’s essentially a glorified preseason game for the Gophers. Here are five things I will be keeping a close eye on.
New-look rushing attack
Longtime bellcow back Darius Taylor is back for a fourth season with the Gophers, but the running back room around him looks a lot different. The program’s all-time leading rusher Mohamed Ibrahim is back as the running backs coach, and Minnesota brought in two transfers and three incoming freshmen.
Under offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr., Minnesota has gotten progressively worse at running the football. They ranked 65th in rushing yards per game in 2023, then 108th and finally 130th last season. Eastern Illinois is the type of opponent where they could re-find some confidence.
How much will the starters play?
Drake Lindsey didn’t even make it to halftime last season against Northwestern State before getting replaced by Max Shikenjanski at QB. That game wound up being 59-0 heading into the locker room, but Minnesota is currently favored by the same 43.5-point spread.
With a marquee nonconference game against Mississippi State looming in Week 2, we could see very quick days from players like Lindsey, Taylor, Anthony Smith and more.
Kicking situation
Ongoing eligibility lawsuits across the country have raised questions for numerous programs. The Gophers brought back last year’s kicker Brady Denaburg, and they added New Mexico transfer Luke Drzewiecki less than two weeks ago. Michigan transfer Beckham Sunderland and second-year option Daniel Jackson have also been involved in a battle for the starting kicker role. Drzewiecki is probably the most experienced option, but it will be fascinating to see who new special teams coordinator Daniel Da Prato deploys as the team’s starting kicker.
First depth chart
The Gophers had a few position battles in fall camp, and without an official depth chart, Thursday will be our first opportunity to see who won. It appears that Daniel Shipp will start at right tackle, but it will be interesting to see how much Tennessee transfer Bennett Warren plays before things get out of hand. I expect we’ll see quite a few different secondary players see the field, along with interior defensive linemen.
Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck has been raving about the incoming freshmen class all summer. With the new 5-for-5 eligibility rules and no more redshirts, Thursday will give us a great opportunity to see how many could see the field in a consistent capacity this fall.
New ‘ROW’ chant
First ROW Thursday 〽️🚣 @GopherFootball#SkiUMahpic.twitter.com/FndCJVHKc8
— Minnesota Golden Gophers (@GopherSports) August 31, 2026
The Gophers will adopt a new tradition at Huntington Bank Stadium this fall. The Norway national soccer team popularized a Viking Row chant during this year’s World Cup, and the Gophers will look to put their own spin on it. The Gopher Sports account on X had a pretty underwhelming preview on Monday. It will be interesting to see how it looks on Thursday night.
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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.