Recent content from Megan Ryan
Gophers wildcat quarterback Green says he's going to transfer
The former East Ridge High standout is looking to play elsewhere in his final year of eligibility as a graduate transfer.
Gophers defensive lineman Ali Saad to transfer
Saad had yet to play a game for the Gophers after his first season with the team.
Gophers football team adds lineman from Arizona on National Signing Day
The Gophers signed most of their 2021 football class back in December but still signed one new scholarship player on Wednesday.
Henry Lake uses show to mix sports with social responsibility
As one of the few Black radio hosts in the Twin Cities with his own daily program, Henry Lake uses his show on WCCO radio to mix sports talk with insights on social issues.
Avante Dickerson, top recruit in Gophers' 2021 class, decommits
The Nebraska native did not sign with the rest of the class during December's early signing period and instead will sign with another team in February.
Ex-Gopher Casey O'Brien to begin raising $1 million for U hospital project
O'Brien, a St. Paul native, recently retired from the Gophers football team after beating cancer five times.
Gophers receiver True Thompson enters the NCAA transfer portal
The redshirt senior, who went to Cooper, will have one year of eligibility remaining thanks to the NCAA's extra year granted because of the pandemic.
No. 1 Gophers hockey swept by Notre Dame
The Irish scored early in the first period to take control, and send the Gophers to their first losing streak of the season..
Gophers hockey loses series opener, 3-2 at home to Notre Dame
After starting the season 10-0, the No. 1-ranked Gophers have now lost the past two series openers.
Big turnaround: No. 1 Gophers men among best on defense in college hockey
Even coach Bob Motzko can't give you a tangible answer about why the Gophers defense has gone from porous to near-impenetrable in just a year
U football lands Utah State transfer, flips lineman who had committed to USC
Saia Mapakaitolo plans to officially sign in February, potentially along with Nebraska's Avante Dickerson, the No. 1 recruit in the Gophers class who hasn't yet signed.
Gophers holder, cancer survivor O'Brien is leaving football team
Casey O'Brien became a national story in the Gophers' 11-2 season in 2019, a season in which the now-five-time cancer survivor made his collegiate debut.
Gophers land Clemson defensive tackle as a graduate transfer
Nyles Pinckney, 6-1 and 300 pounds, played in 12 games and started two for the Tigers this season.
New Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren hopes for a more settled 2021
The league's new boss faced pandemic, dropped sports in 2020.
Three gold-medal Gophers excited to be back on college ice
Jackson LaCombe, Ryan Johnson and Brock Faber were away from the Gophers for a month, helping the U.S. win a gold medal in Edmonton.
Ex-Gophers offensive coordinator Ciarrocca fired after one year at Penn State
Kirk Ciarrocca had big success working with the Gophers and P.J. Fleck. But Penn State finished 4-5 this season.
Gophers defensive tackle Noah Hickcox to transfer
The lineman played in 26 games totaling seven tackles during his Gophers career.
Freshmen, transfers will help U with depth for challenging 2021 season
Every player earned an extra year of eligibility to make up for shortened, delayed or even canceled seasons, which means 17 Gophers who should have exhausted their eligibility this season have a do-over in 2021.
Gophers' 2021 football schedule is something: Ohio State for openers, Cornhuskers for closers
Buckeyes for beginners. Badgers in the middle. Cornhuskers to close it out. This should be fun.
Who starts for Gophers football in 2021? Here's an early analysis
Tough to predict August 2021 in December 2020, especially amid current conditions, but there were clues in 2020 that informed this Gophers projected starting lineup.
Citing 'well-being off the field,' Gophers opt out of bowl game
The Gophers announced Sunday they would not seek nor accept a bowl invite after ending a trying regular season at 3-4. Four other Big Teams also opted out.
Gophers cornerback Benjamin St-Juste declares for NFL Draft
St-Juste had one season of eligibility remaining with the Gophers and was a starter on defense.
Badgers beat Gophers in OT as turbulent Big Ten season ends
Wisconsin held the Gophers to a field-goal attempt in overtime, with Anders Gelecinskyj missing the 36-yarder just wide. But Collin Larsh didn't miss his 30-yarder, giving the Badgers a second-consecutive victory.
Fleck: A Gophers bowl berth this season has meager upside
Gophers coach P.J. Fleck painted a grim picture of his players' holidays should the team receive and accept an invite to a bowl game.
Gophers nearer to full strength against Wisconsin
While the team missed 33 players from COVID-19 positive tests and injuries last week against Purdue, they should have more reinforcements at Camp Randall on Saturday.
Gophers linebacker Sori-Marin keeping his job simple
Mariano Sori-Marin earned the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award after posting a career-high 18 tackles and a forced fumble in the 24-17 win last Saturday at Nebraska.
Gophers offensive coordinator Sanford to experience 'humongous' border rivalry firsthand
The Gophers will meet the Badgers for the 130th time Saturday, a rescheduled matchup after the Gophers' COVID-19 outbreak knocked out the original Nov. 28 game and threatened to make 2020 just the second time since 1890 the annual rivalry didn't happen.
Megan Ryan's Border Battle prediction: Gophers vs. Badgers
Who gets Paul Bunyan's Axe for another year? College football writer Megan Ryan expects this year's game is going to be a grind.
Megan Ryan's Heisman vote: probably not one of the favored QBs
Everyone knows the favorites for the Heisman Trophy. But going against the grain or in Sid Hartman's memory, there are two other good choices to consider.
Gophers football signs its targets, except top recruit Dickerson
The Gophers added 19 players to their 2021 roster on Wednesday's early signing day, but the missing name from that list was a big one.
Get to know the next Gophers in this Class of 2021 breakdown
These 17 scholarship players, plus a walk-on and a graduate transfer, signed with P.J. Fleck's Gophers in the early signing period that began Wednesday.
Shakopee's Eastern upfront about his challenges in joining Gophers
Deven Eastern has been candid about his struggle with emotional behavioral disorders, his mom, his devotion to football, his dream of playing in the NFL — and his desire to be a good man.
Battle for the Axe back on: Gophers and Badgers scheduled for Saturday
The rivalry game was called off by COVID last month and put back on the schedule Sunday when the Big Ten revised its plan for the final week of the regular season.
Gophers play despite 33 players being unavailable
That total includes COVID and injury absences for team that missed two games in a row.
Gophers get back to playing — and winning
Mohamed Ibrahim scored two touchdowns and deliberately avoided a third to ensure the Gophers would win at Nebraska in their return after two weeks off.
Gophers to face Nebraska with retooled offensive line
Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said the team would miss more than 20 players from COVID-19 after a recent outbreak.
Idled Gophers football finds motivation just being able to play again
With just two games left on the schedule, the Gophers could have resurfaced from a COVID-19 outbreak lacking any semblance of motivation. Instead, they preach reinvigoration.
Megan Ryan's Gophers-Nebraska game prediction
Three story lines and more to know about Saturday's game
Gophers Q&A: Five things to know about Nebraska football
Chris Basnett of the Lincoln Journal Star gives his insight on Nebraska, the Gophers' opponent on Saturday.
Bateman's second departure giving Gophers' remaining receivers more chances
Rashod Bateman's first opt-out this summer gave Gophers offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. time to plan for life without the star receiver.
Waiting for COVID-19 test results stressful for Gophers
The Gophers have only recently come down from a 49-case outbreak that caused them to cancel games against Wisconsin and Northwestern and shut down the facility for about two weeks.
Gophers add defensive tackle Luther McCoy to 2021 class
The Florida native added his commitment Wednesday with the Dec. 16 signing day looming.
After two-week hiatus, just being at practice feels good for Gophers
Gophers football players are grateful to be on the field after being sidelined by COVID-19 issues.
Gophers on track to play Nebraska with COVID cases shrinking
Minnesota had to cancel its previous two games, against Wisconsin and Nebraska, when COVID cases reached 49.
Gophers football returns to practice, two new COVID cases reported
After canceled games with Wisconsin and Northwestern, the team's goal is to return to a regular routine next week and play a week from Saturday at Nebraska.
Largest virus outbreak in Big Ten forces U to call Northwestern game
The football team will miss a second consecutive game dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak that has affected 21 players and 26 staff members.
Gophers football COVID-19 total reaches 40 confirmed cases
The Minnesota athletics department announced Saturday an additional 15 positive cases – eight players and seven staff – during the current pause to all football activities. That brings the total cases to 40, including 20 players and 20 staff members.
Bateman ends his Gophers career by opting out again
Rashod Bateman, the reigning Big Ten receiver of the year, won't be back with the Gophers when their current pause for COVID-19 ends.
Thanksgiving will be anything but usual for idle Gophers football
Grab-and-go individual meals will replace the usual team gathering Thursday as Gophers football weathers a COVID-19 outbreak that has already canceled one game and is seriously threatening another.
Gophers cancel Saturday's game against Wisconsin because of COVID-19
This will mark the first time since 1906 that the annual border rivalry won't take place.
Gophers cancel practice over COVID concerns, with Wisconsin up next
The Gophers said they aim to return to practice Wednesday and still play Saturday at Wisconsin.
Down 22 players, Gophers outlast Purdue after game was 'close' to not happening
A combination of positive COVID-19 tests and injuries knocked out several players and coaches, but the Gophers still beat Purdue 34-31 at TCF Bank Stadium to improve to 2-3 in this shortened and delayed Big Ten season..
Referees weigh in heavily in Gophers victory
In Friday's 34-31 win for the Gophers, two controversial calls on Purdue's last-ditch drive sealed the Boilermakers' drop to 2-2.
Merely a shadow of 2019, where did the Gophers' offense go?
Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said he counted an uncharacteristic eight drops in last week's 35-7 loss to Iowa. But that's not the only aspect of this offense that's been unrecognizable.
Megan Ryan's Gophers-Purdue game prediction
Purdue took its first loss of the season last week, a closely fought, one-touchdown game against undefeated Northwestern.
Ready or not, freshmen are getting playing time for Gophers football
Graduations, injuries and COVID absences, especially on defense, have forced coach P.J. Fleck and defensive coordinator Joe Rossi to use young players who are still learning the ropes.
After deciding to stay, Howard getting chance to play for Gophers
Robbinsdale native Phil Howard is starting at cornerback in place of a teammate out with COVID-19.
After years of improving records, Fleck copes with Gophers' 1-3 start
The only career trajectory P.J. Fleck has ever known has been up. So this season is providing a test beyond the Gophers 1-3 record in their first four games.
Iowa's latest romp sends Gophers to 1-3; turns testy at the end
For the sixth consecutive year, the Gophers lost to the Hawkeyes, this time 35-7 to fall to 1-3 this season. A quartet of timeouts with 19 seconds to go in the blowout illustrated just how petty this border rivalry has become.
Gophers football notes: St-Juste sits out against Hawkeyes
The cornerback was absent from warm-ups ahead of the game, his starting spot opposite Coney Durr later taken by Phillip Howard.
Gophers are hog wild to beat Iowa, reclaim Floyd of Rosedale trophy
Heading into Friday's game against Iowa at TCF Bank Stadium, P.J. Fleck has demanded his players think about the trophy just before bed — count pigs instead of sheep — so the rivalry will infiltrate their dreams.
Megan Ryan's Gophers-Iowa game prediction
Two 1-2 teams both rebounded from winless starts this past weekend and are hoping that signaled a turnaround. Iowa, though, looked much stronger in those close opening losses.
U defensive coordinator Rossi returns following virus absence
Joe Rossi missed last week's game at Illinois, quarantining at home but participating in team meetings virtually.
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U running backs reward their offensive line with sweet treats
After the Gophers offensive line again delivered for the offense, star running back Mohamed Ibrahim made a delivery to the team's linemen.
Defensive end Mafe leads Big Ten in sacks, but Fleck expects even more
After not starting in the first two games, Boye Mafe broke into the Gophers starting lineup and played a key role in the victory over Illinois.
Status of U defensive coordinator Rossi for Iowa game still unknown
Joe Rossi did not coach at Illinois on Saturday after testing positive for COVID-19 last week.
Why did Fleck read team 'Everyone Poops' before beating Illinois?
Perhaps only coach P.J. Fleck could find the teachable moment in an unsavory set of performances by the Gophers in their first two games by reading them a children's book.
Gophers cruise to first victory of the season, pounding Illinois 41-14
For the second consecutive game, the Gophers leaned heavily on running back Mohamed Ibrahim and he came through in a big way. This time, his career-best efforts resulted in a victory.
Potts scores first touchdown for Gophers before getting hurt
Treyson Potts had rushed three times for 49 yards, including a 36-yard gain and his 9-yard score before being carted off the sideline in the second quarter with a lower-leg injury.
After making noise in '19, Gophers defense is less sound in 2020
The Gophers enter Saturday's matchup at Illinois averaging a Big Ten-worst 578 allowed offensive yards per game. Communication, plus lack of experience and leadership, have so far been lacking.
Megan Ryan's Gophers-Illinois game prediction
The Gophers' conference-worst defense meets Illinois, the conference's lowest-scoring offense. Meanwhile, COVID-19 has dramatically impacted both, making this outcome a real tossup.
Topsy-turvy Big Ten season leaves room for Gophers to reverse course
Indiana and Northwestern are unbeaten. The Gophers, Penn State and Iowa are winless. Wisconsin, because of COVID-19, has only played once. This is the new normal.
Gophers defensive coordinator Rossi to miss Illinois game with COVID-19
Joe Rossi received the positive test result this week while undergoing the rapid-results testing per Big Ten policy. A following PCR test confirmed, and Rossi has been isolating at home and working remotely.
Freshman Jackson could follow Johnson, Bateman as U's next excellent receiver
He's caught only one pass so far. But true freshman Daniel Jackson could become the next big name for Gophers fans in a program that has shown itself capable of developing some of the nation's best pass catchers.
Gophers forced to expect the unexpected as they prepare for Illinois
Illinois was without 14 players last weekend because of positive virus tests and contact tracing, which means the Gophers aren't sure who they'll be preparing for when the teams play Saturday.
