Iowa football 2024 early opponent preview: Minnesota – Selambe

Hawkeyes will try to take back Floyd of Rosedale from Minnesota team with low outside expectations

Minnesota Golden Gophers offensive lineman Quinn Carroll (77) and offensive lineman Phillip Daniels (60) carry Floyd of Rosedale following a game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa on Saturday, October 21, 2023. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette) — Minnesota Golden Gophers offensive lineman Quinn Carroll (77) and offensive lineman Phillip Daniels (60) carry Floyd of Rosedale following a game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

Editor’s note: Fourth in a 12-part series previewing each of Iowa’s 2024 regular-season opponents.

IOWA CITY — For the first time in nine years, the Floyd of Rosedale has spent the college football offseason in Minneapolis.

Iowa lost its firm hold on the bronze pig trophy after last year’s narrow, 12-10, loss to Minnesota at Kinnick Stadium — a loss highlighted by an invalid fair catch call jeered by Iowa fans and cheered by Minnesota fans.

The narrow loss — and, of course, the controversial call — added another chapter to what has been an entertaining rivalry in recent history.

Four of the last five Iowa-Minnesota games have been decided by five or fewer points. Even during Iowa’s eight-game winning streak, six of the eight games were decided by one possession.

As for the 2024 renewal of the rivalry on Sept. 21, the Hawkeyes will take on a Minnesota team that does not have high preseason expectations.

ESPN’s preseason Football Power Index rates the Gophers as the 15th-best team in the 18-team Big Ten. National college football writer Phil Steele is’t any more optimistic, also slotting the Gophers at 15th.

FanDuel and BetMGM have the over/under for Minnesota wins this year set at 5.5 — lower than Minnesota’s win totals in its last five non-COVID-19 seasons.

Minnesota lost quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis to the transfer portal, but replaced him with New Hampshire transfer Max Brosmer. The 6-foot-2 quarterback was an 2023 Associated Press second-team FCS All-American and a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which goes to the most outstanding offensive player at the FCS level.

Running back Darius Taylor is coming off an impressive freshman season in which he rushed for 799 cards in six games and averaged 5.8 yards per carry. He was the 2023 Quick Lane Bowl MVP after rushing for 208 yards against Bowling Green.

On the other side of the ball, Minnesota experienced some staff turnover as defensive coordinator Joe Rossi left to take the same position at Michigan State. Minnesota replaced him with Corey Hetherman, who was previously the linebackers coach at Rutgers.

Hetherman will be working with a group that lost safety standout Tyler Nubin, but many other key contributors are back this year, including six of Minnesota’s top eight tacklers from last season.

Iowa vs. Minnesota: 3 things to watch

Darius Taylor vs. Iowa’s defensive front. The Hawkeyes mostly held the talented freshman at bay last year, limiting him to 59 yards on 3.7 yards per carry. Doing the same in 2024 would go a long way at Huntington Bank Stadium.
Can Iowa’s offensive line keep Cade McNamara upright? In last year’s game, Deacon Hill took four sacks and lost two fumbles. Both fumbles set up the Gophers in Iowa territory.
Can Iowa’s receiving corps create separation against Minnesota’s secondary? Yes, Nubin is gone. But Justin Walley, Darius Green and Jack Henderson are among the experienced defensive backs returning from a group that held the Hawkeyes to 10-for-28 passing last year.

2024 prognosis

This year’s renewal of the Floyd of Rosedale rivalry may elevate Hawkeye fans’ heart rates again, but Iowa is the better team and should be taking Floyd back to Iowa City.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com