Gophers face former QB Athan Kaliakmanis in Rutgers showdown

The Gophers sat high in the saddle last Nov. 9, riding a Big Ten winning streak that had grown to four games with a 25-17 triumph at No. 24 Illinois a week earlier. They took a 6-3 record to Rutgers and were 4½-point favorites to beat a Scarlet Knights team that had lost four straight behind quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, the Gophers’ 2023 starter who transferred to the state university of New Jersey.

The final score didn’t match the narrative: Rutgers 26, Gophers 19.

Just short of a year later, the Gophers and Scarlet Knights meet again, this time at 11 a.m. Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minnesota’s Big Ten opener.

The circumstances are different, with the Gophers (2-1) hoping they fixed what ailed them during the bye week following a 27-14 loss at California. Rutgers (3-1) went toe-to-toe with Iowa last Friday in its conference opener before falling 38-28 in Piscataway, N.J.

Leading the quick start for Rutgers is Kaliakmanis, a fifth-year senior who no longer can’t shoot straight.

The “Greek Rifle” has drastically improved his completion percentage from 53.9% in 2024 to 68.8% this year. He averages 287.5 passing yards per game, second-most in the Big Ten, and has thrown seven touchdown passes and one interception, which came when he was hit while passing against Iowa.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for what they do and how they do it. He’s playing really well in his fifth year in that same type of system, so you’d expect to see that type of growth that he has shown,” Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said of Kaliakmanis, who went 7-8 as a starter at Minnesota. “He’s playing at a high level.”

The Antioch, Ill., native completed 24 of 40 passes for 330 yards, continually testing the Hawkeyes with deep throws. He had completions of 40, 19 and 37 yards to set up touchdowns on Rutgers’ first three possessions. On the Scarlet Knights’ fourth possession, Kaliakmanis drew two pass interference penalties on deep passes that led to a field-goal attempt. A 43-yard completion in the third quarter led to another field-goal attempt.

Kaliakmanis is taking advantage of size mismatches created by receivers Ian Strong, a 6-3, 211-pound junior, and KJ Duff, a 6-6, 225-pound sophomore. Strong has 24 catches for 367 yards and two TDs, while Duff has 24 receptions for 336 yards and two scores.

“We do expect an awful lot of it,” Fleck said of Rutgers’ deep game.

Gophers defensive end Anthony Smith stressed the importance of pressuring Kaliakmanis.

“Eliminate shots,” he said. “That’s the most important thing. … Just get home to the quarterback."

Kaliakmanis went 14-for-21 for 216 yards and two TDs in the first half as the Gophers applied little pressure. In the second half, Minnesota sacked Kaliakmanis twice and pressured him into a 3-for-12, 24-yard stat line.

Kaliakmanis especially likes sideline routes.

According to Pro Football Focus, on outside routes of 20 or more yards, he’s 11-for-23 for 369 yards and three TDs. That translates into a PFF rating on deep passes of 91.8 on a 100 scale.

Gophers defensive coordinator Danny Collins knows he’ll need to pick his spots on when to blitz Kaliakmanis, who has completed 39 of 52 passes (75%) when blitzed.

“There are not many quarterbacks in America that handle pressure really well,” Collins said. “But at the same time, you look at this year and see how Athan is with pressure.”

“Athan has really matured quite a bit since he arrived here,” Schiano said. “He’s gonna be totally focused on playing [Minnesota]. … He’s a grown man now. He’s gonna approach it that way."

For his part, Kaliakmanis is over the frustration that accompanied his transfer and is all about football.

“Lessons I learned there, I still use today,” he told New Jersey reporters on Tuesday. “But the past is in the past, the future is in the future.”

Circumstances have changed this year as the Gophers face the Scarlet Knights.

Minnesota enters the game with the advantage of coming off a bye week — which Rutgers had last year — but in a more desperate situation than they were last November.

Sure, they have ties to the Rutgers staff with Schiano being Fleck’s one-time mentor and Ciarrocca and co-defensive coordinator Robb Smith coaching under Fleck, but business comes first.