Scoggins: Drake Lindsey’s strong season as starting quarterback gives Gophers something to build around for 2026

The 135th edition of the most-played rivalry in major college football was held inside a snow globe. It was magical and messy, a higher-stakes version of backyard battles in the snow with buddies from the neighborhood.

Only the Gophers and Badgers aren’t friendly.

As flakes swirled and students poured onto the field, the Gophers celebrated a 17-7 victory Saturday in appropriate fashion: By flopping on the turf to make snow angels and parading Paul Bunyan’s Axe around Huntington Bank Stadium.

It was a fitting conclusion to a weird, complicated season.

The Gophers finished the regular season with a 7-5 record. They went 1-1 in trophy games, 7-0 at home, 0-5 on the road, and only one victory against a team that finished with a winning record.

Every Border Battle contest is meaningful, but the Gophers needed a convincing performance in the worst way to lower the temperature after a dreadful defensive outing in a loss to Northwestern a week earlier.

They accomplished that and maintained possession of the Axe, giving coach P.J. Fleck a nice present on his 45th birthday.

Just fine, actually.

The program is in good hands at the most important position moving forward, knowing Lindsey is only going to benefit from what was an encouraging debut season.

The challenge for Fleck and his staff is to upgrade the infrastructure across the offense to maximize his quarterback’s talent.

Lindsey’s 218 completions rank No. 5 in program history for a single season. His 361 pass attempts rank 10th.

He threw 16 touchdown passes and — here’s the most important statistic — only six interceptions in 12 starts. He mostly made smart decisions and took care of the ball. That’s impressive for a young quarterback facing Big Ten competition for the first time.

Their running game ranks last in the Big Ten and 128th nationally. That area generally hinges on Darius Taylor’s health. The offense functions differently when he’s available, which was reiterated Saturday with his 49-yard touchdown run that proved to be the winning points.

Finding more consistency from the linemen protecting Lindsey is paramount in recruiting and the transfer portal. That position group was inconsistent as the coaching staff searched for the right combinations. Fleck should prioritize the trenches this offseason.

Fleck made a fundamental shift in his offensive philosophy last season with graduate transfer Max Brosmer at the quarterback controls. The Gophers became a pass-first operation. That really didn’t change much with Lindsey taking the snaps.

The coaching staff’s faith in Lindsey was reflected in the opening drive against the Badgers. The weather conditions screamed for a ground-and-pound approach. Greg Harbaugh Jr. scoffed at the snow, calling five consecutive dropbacks to start the game. Lindsey attempted 12 passes in the first quarter.

The snow altered the objective. Lindsey wasn’t required to be a hero. Just don’t make a critical mistake that would change momentum.

He avoided any killer mistakes. Wisconsin quarterback Hunter Simmons did not. John Nestor grabbed two interceptions and also recovered a fumble after a snap hit a Badgers receiver who was going in motion.

Rosters undergo substantive changes year to year in the transfer portal era, but the Gophers will start in a good place next season at quarterback. The coaching staff didn’t dip into the portal to find another experienced quarterback after Brosmer departed last offseason because they trusted their evaluation of Lindsey. That looks smart now.

“If he stays [healthy], he will leave with the all-time wins, all-time passing records,” former Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan said in a conversation back in September. “It will be No. 5 Drake Lindsey [throughout the record book] because that is what he’s doing.”