# 2023 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

The 2023 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the West Division of the Big Ten Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Golden Gophers were led by P. J. Fleck in his seventh year as head coach. They played their home games at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The team was originally ineligible for a bowl game due to a losing record; however, they were awarded a berth due to having the highest Academic Progress Rating among 5–7 teams.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers football team drew an average home attendance of 48,453 in 2023.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 7:00 p.m. | Nebraska | Huntington Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN (rivalry) | FOX | W 13–10 | 53,629 |
| September 9 | 6:30 p.m. | Eastern Michigan* | Huntington Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN | BTN | W 25–6 | 48,101 |
| September 16 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 20 North Carolina* | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC | ESPN | L 13–31 | 45,151 |
| September 23 | 6:30 p.m. | at Northwestern | Ryan FieldEvanston, IL | BTN | L 34–37 $^{OT}$ | 20,148 |
| September 30 | 11:00 a.m. | Louisiana* | Huntington Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN | BTN | W 35–24 | 46,843 |
| October 7 | 6:30 p.m. | No. 2 Michigan | Huntington Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN (Little Brown Jug) | NBC | L 10–52 | 52,179 |
| October 21 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 24 Iowa | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA (rivalry) | NBC | W 12–10 | 69,250 |
| October 28 | 2:30 p.m. | Michigan State | Huntington Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN | BTN | W 27–12 | 47,392 |
| November 4 | 2:30 p.m. | Illinois | Huntington Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN | BTN | L 26–27 | 42,906 |
| November 11 | 2:30 p.m. | at Purdue | Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN | NBC | L 30–49 | 59,049 |
| November 18 | 3:00 p.m. | at No. 2 Ohio State | Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH | BTN | L 3–37 | 104,019 |
| November 25 | 2:30 p.m. | Wisconsin | Huntington Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN (rivalry) | FS1 | L 14–28 | 48,119 |
| December 26 | 1:00 p.m. | vs. Bowling Green* | Ford FieldDetroit, MI (Quick Lane Bowl) | ESPN | W 30–24 | 28,521 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, from the date when issued) - Released prior to gameAll times are in Central timeSource: |||||||

## 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 |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Coaches | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |

## Game summaries
### Nebraska

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cornhuskers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| • Golden Gophers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 13 |

### Eastern Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| • Golden Gophers | 0 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 25 |

### at No. 20 North Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Gophers | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| • No. 20 Tar Heels | 7 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 31 |

### at Northwestern

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Gophers | 7 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 7 | 3 | 21 | 31 |

### Louisiana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| • Golden Gophers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |

### No. 2 Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 2 Wolverines | 10 | 14 | 21 | 7 | 52 |
| Golden Gophers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |

### at No. 24 Iowa

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Golden Gophers | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 12 |
| No. 24 Hawkeyes | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |

### Michigan State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Spartans | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
| • Golden Gophers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 17 | 27 |

### Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Fighting Illini | 14 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 27 |
| Golden Gophers | 7 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 26 |

### at Purdue

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Gophers | 10 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 30 |
| • Boilermakers | 14 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 49 |

### at Ohio State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Gophers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| • Buckeyes | 7 | 6 | 17 | 7 | 37 |

### Wisconsin

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Badgers | 0 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| Golden Gophers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Despite the loss giving them an overall 5–7 record, the Golden Gophers would head to a bowl game due to their Academic Progress Rate.

### vs. Bowling Green (Quick Lane Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
| • Golden Gophers | 6 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 30 |