The Call: Everything to know ahead of Gophers season opener vs. Buffalo

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Thursday

Where: Huntington Bank Stadium

TV; radio: FS1; 100.3 FM

Line: Gophers by 17½ (43.5 over/under)

The Gophers begin their 142nd season of football and their ninth under coach P.J. Fleck with a visit from Buffalo of the Mid-American Conference. The Bulls, whom the Gophers beat 17-7 in Fleck’s first game as Minnesota’s coach in 2017, are coming off a 9-4 season and Bahamas Bowl victory over Liberty.

Drake Lindsey takes over at QB

Redshirt freshman quarterback Lindsey takes the reins from Max Brosmer, who’s now with the Vikings. Lindsey saw limited action last year, completing four of five passes for 50 yards and a TD. He’s impressed his coaches with how quickly he took command of the playbook during training camp. Now he must show it against live competition.

As a true freshman, Esko, Minn., native Perich led the Big Ten with five interceptions, including back-to-back game-clinchers against USC and UCLA. He also put a jolt in the Gophers’ return game, averaging 9.4 yards on punt returns. He’ll add offensive duties this season, primarily at wide receiver to get him in space with the ball in his hands.

Special teams makeover

Two Gophers special teams mainstays, kicker Dragan Kesich and punter Mark Crawford, have exhausted their eligibility, so Minnesota will have two new starters. Tom Weston, a Perth, Australia, native and transfer from Ouachita Baptist, has the edge at punter, while Fleck named Syracuse transfer Brady Denaburg (13-for-22 in his career on field goals) his starting kicker.

Gophers RB Darius Taylor vs. Buffalo LB Red Murdock

Taylor puts pressure on an opponent as a runner (986 rushing yards last year) and a receiver (54 receptions in 2024), which should ease Lindsey’s transition. Murdock ranked second nationally last year with 156 tackles and had 16.5 tackles for loss. He’s one of nine returning defensive starters for the Bulls.

Roberson, who’s played for Penn State, Connecticut and Kansas State, finishes his career with the Bulls. His one starting season was with UConn in 2023, when he passed for 2,075 yards and 12 TDs with six interceptions. The Gophers must replace starting cornerbacks Justin Walley and Ethan Robinson. Za’Quan Bryan is in line for one starting job, while Iowa transfer John Nestor and redshirt freshman Mike Gerald are in the mix for the other.

4-2: Record of Gophers quarterbacks in their first starts during Fleck’s tenure as coach. Conor Rhoda, Demry Croft, Zack Annexstad and Tanner Morgan won their starts, while Athan Kaliakmanis and Brosmer lost their starting debuts.