# 2013 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

The 2013 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Jerry Kill and played their home games at TCF Bank Stadium. They were a member of the Legends Division of the Big Ten Conference.

## Before the season

The Gophers had their first, full intrasquad scrimmage during the Spring Game under Kill's tenure; his previous two Spring Games had been limited in scope. The game attracted 8,400 fans, the largest attendance for a Gophers Spring Game since Lou Holtz coached the team in the mid-1980s.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 29 | 6:00 pm | UNLV* | | TCF Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN | BTN | W 51–23 | 44,217 |
| September 7 | 7:00 pm | at New Mexico State* | | Aggie Memorial StadiumLas Cruces, NM | | W 44–21 | 16,418 |
| September 14 | 11:00 am | Western Illinois* | | TCF Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN | BTN | W 29–12 | 42,127 |
| September 21 | 11:00 am | San Jose State* | | TCF Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN | ESPN2 | W 43–24 | 45,647 |
| September 28 | 2:30 pm | Iowa | | TCF Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN (rivalry) | ABC/ESPN2 | L 7–23 | 51,382 |
| October 5 | 2:30 pm | at No. 17 Michigan | | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI (Little Brown Jug) | ABC/ESPN2 | L 13–42 | 111,079 |
| October 19 | 11:00 am | at Northwestern | | Ryan FieldEvanston, IL | ESPN2 | W 20–17 | 36,578 |
| October 26 | 11:00 am | No. 21 Nebraska | | TCF Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN | ESPN | W 34–23 | 49,995 |
| November 2 | 2:30 pm | at Indiana | | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN | BTN | W 42–39 | 44,625 |
| November 9 | 11:00 am | Penn State | | TCF Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN (rivalry) | ESPN2 | W 24–10 | 48,123 |
| November 23 | 2:30 pm | No. 17 Wisconsin | No. 23 | TCF Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN (rivalry) | ESPN | L 7–20 | 53,090 |
| November 30 | 11:00 am | at No. 11 Michigan State | | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | BTN | L 3–14 | 71,418 |
| December 27 | 5:00 pm | vs. Syracuse* | | Reliant StadiumHouston, TX (Texas Bowl) | ESPN | L 17–21 | 32,327 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Final |
| AP | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | — |
| Coaches | — | — | — | — | RV | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | 25 | 23 | RV | RV | RV | — |
| Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | RV | RV | RV | 25 | — | RV | RV | Not released |
| BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | 25 | — | — | — | Not released |

## Game summaries
### UNLV

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rebels | 6 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
| Golden Gophers | 3 | 13 | 14 | 21 | 51 |

### New Mexico State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Gophers | 3 | 24 | 3 | 14 | 44 |
| Aggies | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |

### Western Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Leathernecks | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 12 |
| Golden Gophers | 0 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 29 |

### San Jose State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Spartans | 0 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| Golden Gophers | 7 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 43 |

### Iowa

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hawkeyes | 3 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
| Golden Gophers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |

### Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Gophers | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
| #17 Wolverines | 7 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 42 |

### Northwestern

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Gophers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| Wildcats | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 17 |

### Nebraska

The game was Minnesota's first win against Nebraska since a 26–14 victory on September 24, 1960.
| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #21 Cornhuskers | 10 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
| Golden Gophers | 7 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 34 |

### Indiana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Gophers | 7 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
| Hoosiers | 10 | 3 | 7 | 19 | 39 |

### Penn State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nittany Lions | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Golden Gophers | 10 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 24 |

### Wisconsin

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #17 Badgers | 3 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| #23 Golden Gophers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |

### Michigan State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Gophers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| #11 Spartans | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |

### Syracuse (Texas Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Orange | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Golden Gophers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |

## Players Drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
| 2 | 37 | Ra'Shede Hageman | DT | Atlanta Falcons |
| 4 | 131 | Brock Vereen | FS | Chicago Bears |