Analysis: Gophers’ future looks brighter with Anthony Smith announcing his return

PHOENIX – The trio sat next to their coach, smiles across their faces as they dissected a victory that wasn’t always pretty but sure was gritty when it mattered.

Anthony Smith, the gregarious defensive end; Drake Lindsey, the wise-beyond-his-years quarterback; and Jalen Smith, the young, budding star at wide receiver, combined to put their stamp on the Gophers’ 20-17 overtime victory over New Mexico in the Rate Bowl on Friday, Dec. 26, at Chase Field.

Playing in a baseball stadium, the Gophers (8-5) produced a walk-off finish when Jalen Smith made a spectacular diving catch in the end zone, completing a 12-yard touchdown connection with fellow redshirt freshman Lindsey in what essentially was the bottom of the first overtime inning.

The finish, coming on third-and-8, enabled the pro-Gophers portion of the crowd of 27,439 to celebrate Minnesota’s ninth consecutive bowl win and seventh in a row under coach P.J. Fleck. The victory over the Lobos (9-4) also came with a big nod to the future. All three of those linchpins will be back with the Gophers for the 2026 season. With a flair for the dramatic, Anthony Smith announced after receiving the game’s most outstanding defensive player award that he will play his senior season with the Gophers rather than leave for the NFL draft or enter the transfer portal.

“The two guys that ended the game on offense are freshmen,” Fleck said of the Lindsey-to-Smith connection in overtime. “The future is really, really bright for Gopher football, and it should be.”

Jalen Smith, a soft-spoken former Mankato West High School standout, figured to be the focal point for the Gophers passing game with leading receiver Le’Meke Brockington opting out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft. Smith turned the opportunity into his showcase, finishing with a game-high six catches for 64 yards. Included in that was his first highlight-reel TD catch, a sliding 10-yard grab in the left corner of the end zone that gave the Gophers a 7-6 lead with 1:53 left in the first half.

“I just appreciate that my coaches have put me in positions to go make those plays, and Drake trusts me to throw me the ball,” Smith said. “Because at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about: trust. He’s not going to throw me the ball if he doesn’t believe that I can make a play.”

Lindsey had to grind throughout the game as the Gophers struggled to get their offense going. They mustered only 22 yards on their first three possessions as the Lobos built a 6-0 lead. Running back Darius Taylor (24 carries, 116 yards) gave a spark with a 38-yard run to the New Mexico 37-yard line, and Lindsey found Jalen Smith on third-and-4 for the Gophers’ first touchdown.

“Obviously, we didn’t start fast, and that’s one of the biggest things in this program, to do that,” said Lindsey, who finished 18-for-28 for 147 yards. “But we battled all day. And I think this is just a show of how 2025 went. … This whole season, we battled back and finished games at the end."

Just as important was how Lindsey protected the ball. For the fifth consecutive game, he did not throw an interception, finishing the season with an 18-6 TD-interception ratio. The Gophers also didn’t commit a turnover in their final five games.

“You never feel you’re out of it with 5. And I can say that in front of him because he can handle it. He can handle a compliment,” Fleck said. “… I mean, he won eight games as a freshman quarterback. That’s very difficult to do, and not many people are playing freshman quarterbacks. They’re going [into the transfer portal] to buy the old ones. I’m just thankful he’s coming back."

That can be said, too, about Anthony Smith, who dominated from start to finish. He filled the stat sheet, amassing six tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and two pass breakups. Smith’s first sack on third-and-goal from the Gophers 6-yard line forced New Mexico to kick a field goal. His second pushed the Lobos into a third-and-17 situation just before halftime.

Taylor’s 5-yard TD run put the Gophers up 14-6 early in the fourth quarter, and New Mexico immediately responded with Damon Bankston’s 100-yard kickoff return and a two-point conversion to tie the score. With the Lobos facing fourth-and-2 from midfield midway through the fourth quarter, coach Jason Eck called for a fake punt. Smith sniffed it out and dropped Deshaun Buchanan for a 10-yard loss.

“The defense diagnosed it really well and knew that the fake was coming,’’ Smith said. “… I was prepared for it because our coaches prepare us so well."

Smith added a third-and-10 pass breakup on New Mexico’s final regulation possession and held Bangston to a 1-yard gain in overtime, leading to the Lobos settling for a field goal.

“That was one of the best defensive performances I’ve watched a single individual have,” Fleck said.

The coach is looking forward to seeing more of that in 2026. As for 2025, it ended on a satisfying note.