"Soft" opponent doesn't always mean an easy game for Gophers

If you see "Indiana State" on the Gophers schedule and think "blowout," cool your jets. The Gophers of the Jerry Kill/Tracy Claeys Era have not throttled nonconference opponents from non-Power 5 conferences. The Gophers have just one loss in these early games the past five seasons (Kill's first season was 2011), but there have been several close calls:

2015ScoreNote

at Colorado St.W, 23-20 (OT)Mitch Leidner had to lead a comeback for OT victory.

Kent StateW, 10-7Gophers couldn't move the ball against the Golden Flashes.

OhioW, 27-24U needed a TD with 30 seconds remaining to win.

2014ScoreNote

E. Illinois*W, 42-20Defense shines; Gophers led 35-0 in second half.

San Jose St.W, 24-7Game was 10-7 Gophers in second quarter.

2013ScoreNote

UNLVW, 51-23Big number, but Gophers scored 21 in fourth to pull away.

at N. Mex. St.W, 44-21Gophers controlled most of the game, added 14 in fourth.

W. Illinois*W, 29-12In the fourth, Gophers scored 14 and shook loose.

2012ScoreNote

at UNLVW, 30-27 (3OT)Opener could not have been closer: three-OT thriller in Vegas.

New Hamp.*W, 44-7U put up 30 in first half in perhaps biggest blowout of this era.

W. MichiganW, 28-23Gophers had to hang on in close one, scored just seven in second half.

2011ScoreNote

Miami (Oh.)W, 29-23Kill got his first W as Gophers scored 13 in the fourth.

N. Dak. St.*L, 37-24Bison bulldozed Gophers, scoring 28 second-quarter points.