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Articles by Dan Owen
Talk Gopher Buckets 11.3.26 | Gophers Dominate North Dakota 85-50 in Season Opener
VIDEO Minnesota began the 2026-27 season with an 85-50 win over North Dakota on Monday night. Ryan James and Dan Owen are back to break it all down the next day in the season opener episode of Talk Gopher Buckets, plus an early preview of the games to come in the next week against Saint Thomas and Cincinnati. Follow the Talk Gopher Buckets Podcast on: With a Gopher Gazette subscription, you'll get unlimited access to: — Year-round coverage of Gopher football and basketball recruiting.
Takeaways as #17 Gopher women's basketball defeats Harvard 82-62
The #17 Gopher women's basketball team defeated Harvard on Monday night in a hard fought game against the Harvard Crimson, winning 82-62 after pulling away in the fourth quarter. Leading the way for Minnesota was Penn State transfer center Gracie Merkle with 22 points on 10/11 shooting and senior Grace Grocholski who had 20 points on 7/14 shooting (3/7 on threes).
Everything PJ Fleck had to say after Minnesota's 23-16 overtime loss to #4 Indiana
Here's everything PJ Fleck had to say following Minnesota Gopher Football's 23-16 overtime loss to #4 Indiana Here's everything PJ Fleck had to say following Minnesota Gopher Football's 23-16 overtime loss to #4 Indiana Want the latest news on Minnesota delivered right to your email? Subscribe to the Gopher Gazette newsletter here. It is free and a great way to get updates on Gopher football, basketball, recruiting, and more delivered straight to your inbox.
Gophers Bowl Projections: October 28th
The rollercoaster ride of college football continued on Saturday as the Gophers picked up a big rivalry win against the #15 Iowa Hawkeyes. As always, I'm back to break down how another chaotic week of action will impact Minnesota's bowl fortunes as we once again dive into the Gophers bowl odds. While a win over Iowa is a boost to Minnesota's resume, will it counterintuitively work against them come bowl placements?
Talk Gopher Buckets 10.28.26 | Gopher Women's Basketball 2026-27 Season Preview
VIDEO The college basketball season tips off and the preview coverage continues on Talk Gopher Buckets with a Gopher women's basketball season preview! Dan Owen is joined by Kane Rob of the Gopher Broke podcast and KFAN's Justin Gaard, the voice of Gopher women's hoops, to preview the team and make their predictions for how the season will unfold.
Minnesota Gopher Football: What PJ Fleck said on October 26th
Minnesota Gopher Football: Quotes from Minnesota head football coach PJ Fleck after he reviewed the tape from the victory over Iowa and looks ahead to Minnesota's game against the Indiana Hoosiers this weekend. Opening statement Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck: "All right. Good morning, everybody. Thanks for being here. Two things. One, Thursday is our traditional every year we do our Hope Kids trick or treat event with our players. So that'll be Thursday, which we're really looking forward to.
Everything PJ Fleck had to say after Minnesota's 13-10 victory over #15 Iowa
PJ Fleck: Boy, it's good to have Floyd home. You've got to give Iowa a lot of credit. Tough team to beat, doesn't matter who you are. Doesn't matter what school you go to. Doesn't matter what conference you're in. It's one of the toughest teams to beat in college football. Period.
Gophers Bowl Projections: October 22nd
While the Gophers were off last weekend enjoying a bye, college football decided to have itself a week. Before the weekend even arrived, the powers that be finally reached an agreement to expand the College Football Playoffs to 24 teams next season. Then, the weekend arrived, which saw half of the top 10 teams in the country lose. It was an eventful week, to say the least.
Gophers in the NFL: How Minnesota stars fared in Week 6
Week 6 of the NFL season is in the books for Gopher alumni in the pros. Injuries continued to mount for ex-Minnesota players as Rashod Bateman joined the injured ranks after being knocked out of the Ravens game in the first half. In transaction news, wide receiver Tyler Johnson's tenure on the New York Jets practice squad came to an end last week as the Jets released him to make room for a new practice squad signin.
Where Gophers WBB goes after losing star Tori McKinney for the season
The Gophers women's basketball team announced on Monday that junior guard Tori McKinney suffered a season ending knee injury late last week during practice. The injury deals a significant blow to a Gophers team looking to build off of a top four finish in the Big Ten and a run to the Sweet Sixteen a season ago. "Last week, we learned that an injury Tori McKinney sustained in practice was confirmed to be a season-ending knee injury," head coach Dawn Plitzuweit said in a release.
Gophers head coach Niko Medved sounds off on NCAA eligibility chaos
On Thursday night Gopher men's basketball took to the floor at The Barn for an exhibition game against Omaha, giving fans a first look at the 2026-27 Minnesota basketball team. Absent from the court was Minnesota's leading scorer from a year ago, Cade Tyson, who was relegated to watching the action from the bench while wearing street clothes.
Friday Five: What I Learned About the Gophers at Big Ten Basketball Media Days
Big Ten Basketball Media Days took place in Rosemont, Illinois on Wednesday and Thursday this week and I was on hand both days to soak up every bit of information I could. Minnesota's men's basketball contingent consisted of head coach Niko Medved and players Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and Isaac Asuma, while the women's team brought head coach Dawn Plitzuweit along with players Mara Braun and Tori McKinney.
Gophers Bowl Projections: October 6th
With the Little Brown Jug in hand, the Gophers are beginning to garner attention from national bowl experts, finally appearing in every national bowl projection. With key wins over Michigan and Washington, Minnesota's bowl outlook is looking up. Paired with declining stock for both Michigan and Penn State, the idea of Minnesota landing in one of the Big Ten's top three bowls against an SEC opponent is beginning to look a lot more realistic.
Gophers in the NFL: How Minnesota stars fared in Week 4
Another week is in the books as the NFL season continues to chug along. Apologies for missing last week's article due to illness, but I'm back once more to cover all the NFL action for Gopher alumni around the league. QB Max Brosmer, Minnesota Vikings Following the trade of JJ McCarthy, Brosmer was elevated from the Vikings practice squad to the 53-man roster to serve as Minnesota's third QB.
Everything PJ Fleck had to say after Minnesota's 20-14 win over Michigan
PJ Fleck: All right. First and foremost, got to give Michigan a lot of credit, really good football team. They're the all-time winningest college football team in the history of college football for a reason. We knew it'd be a great challenge. I want to start by thanking our fans, our student body, stripe out, the environment that everybody created in another sellout here at Huntington Bank Stadium. I want to thank FOX for bringing Big Noon Kickoff to the Twin Cities.
Friday Five: PJ Fleck-era Gopher alumni that would help the 2026 team
In an era of college sports rife with eligibility lawsuits, it's easy for a wandering imagination to begin dreaming up "what if" scenarios of Gopher alumni finding their way back to the football team in 2026. Particularly as injuries mount for Minnesota's offense, it's tantalizing to think of reinforcements arriving in the form of some of fans' favorite players of the past.
Gophers Bowl Projections: October 1st
The Gophers got a big road win in week 4, defeating Washington in a Big Ten After Dark showdown. It's a win that helps stabilize Minnesota's path to a bowl after the poor week 2 showing against a Mississippi State team that is increasingly looking like a potential playoff team, though it might be a bit too early to crown the Bulldogs just yet. National Expert Gophers Bowl Roundup ESPN (Kyle Bonagura) - Not bowl eligible ESPN (Mark Schlabach) - Duke's Mayo Bowl (Charlotte, NC) vs.
Everything PJ Fleck had to say after Minnesota 27-24 road win over #23 Washington
PJ Fleck: All right. First and foremost, I want to thank all of our fans who made the trip all the way to the Pacific Northwest. We kept focusing on that with our football team. Message on the sideline was just imagine this is a home game. There's 72,000 people, sell out, blackout, loud as can be. It's an unbelievable environment. Couldn't hear anything during the practice week, but we heard our Gopher fans tonight and that means the world to us.
Minnesota Women's Basketball Practice Notebook: September 24th
On Thursday, media had their first opportunity since late June to see part of a Gopher women's basketball practice after the team officially kicked off practice for the 2026-27 season earlier this week. Gopher Gazette was on hand to take it all in, speaking with head coach Dawn Plitzuweit before practice and then getting to observe the first half hour of practice.
Everything Dawn Plitzuweit had to say as Gophers women's basketball begins pre-season practices
The Gopher women's basketball team officially kicked off pre-season practices as opening game against Harvard is just six weeks away. On Thursday, head coach Dawn Plizuweit met with the media to talk about the upcoming season and the dawn of her fourth season at Minnesota. Here is everything that she had to say: Tori winning gold in the 3x3 tournament. How cool is that to have her represent not just the country but the Gophers? Dawn Plitzuweit: Yeah, that was really really amazing.
Talk Gopher Buckets 9.23.26 | Malik Olajuwon visits & Big Ten schedule release reaction
VIDEO Ryan James and Dan Owen discuss the weekend visit of SG Malik Olajuwon plus offer their thoughts on the recently released Big Ten conference schedule. Follow the Talk Gopher Buckets Podcast on: With a GopherIllustrated subscription, you'll get unlimited access to: — Year-round coverage of Gopher football and basketball recruiting. Get the latest football updates from our team of insiders, including Ryan Burns and our national team of experts and analysts.
Gophers Bowl Projections: September 22nd
Week three is in the books and conference play is set to begin in full force after a little appetizer last weekend. Conference games means we'll start to get answers about where teams stack up in the conference pecking order, which will help clarify the bowl picture across the country. For this week's edition of bowl projections, though, I take advantage of a relatively quieter week to zoom out and review the Big Ten's playoff hopefuls.
Gophers in the NFL: Week 2
The NFL season continues to chug along as, save for Monday Night Football, week two is in the books. This week brought news that the list of Gophers in the NFL grew by one as veteran Tyler Johnson joined the New York Jets practice squad. The move comes after the Jets suffered some injuries to their wide receiver corps and reunites Johnson with a team that he appeared in 12 games with last season.
Everything PJ Fleck had to say after Minnesota's defeats Akron 41-7
PJ Fleck: Yeah, I think that that's one play, Randy. It's always important. I thought there were three things or four things, special teams wise. Q's kick return to start the game was big. The punt return by Javon Tracy was big. The muffed punt, that takes a lot of discipline to stay with it. A lot of people relax. Our guys, they know they can pick that up. When you point to a ball, that's not a fair catch signal, so that can be advanced. Different than if you're petering it, that can't be advanced.
Tori McKinney, Team USA Win Gold at U23 3x3 World Cup
Tori McKinney and Team USA won the Women's U23 3x3 FIBA World Cup early Saturday morning, earning the gold medal after a 15-10 victory over Canada. Tori McKinney and Team USA claimed the gold medal at the 2026 Women's Under-23 3x3 FIBA World Cup early Saturday morning, defeating Canada 15-10. It's the second time that the Team USA women have won gold (2024 being the first time) in the competition that was founded in 2018.
Tori McKinney Realizes a Childhood Dream Playing with Team USA
Tori McKinney and Team USA started well in the Women's 3x3 Under-23 FIBA World Cup during the wee hours of Wednesday morning, going 2-0 in Pool D play with wins over Japan and Slovenia. For McKinney, donning a Team USA jersey throughout the summer for the U23 3x3 national team has been the fulfillment of a childhood dream. "Honestly, it's surreal," she said. "I've dreamed of this since I was young, just being able to wear USA across my chest.
COMMIT: Gophers WBB lands a commitment from 6'7" center Lexee Anderson
The Gopher women's basketball team landed a commitment on Wednesday from Canadian center Lexee Anderson from Fort Erie International Academy in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. The commitment follows an official visit to Minnesota this past weekend. Anderson also held offers from Boston College, Texas State, and Penn, among others, and took a recent visit to Texas State.
Gophers Bowl Projections: September 16th
Another week is in the books and, while it's only week 2 of the season, the Gophers bowl picture gained more clarity following the game against Mississippi State. Unfortunately, the results of that game didn't offer much positive information as Minnesota struggled its way to a 38-13 loss. Using that game, as well as a number of others across the Big Ten in week 2, it's beginning to get a bit easier to make picks in a number of toss up games.
Gophers in the NFL: Week 1
The NFL regular season got underway this past week as week 1 action kicked off on Wednesday. I'll be here on Gopher Gazette each and every week of the NFL season covering the performance of each and every Gopher in the NFL. Without further ado, let's get to the action in week 1! WR Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens Bateman had a quiet week 1, as he was only targeted one time, a pass he failed to catch.
Everything PJ Fleck had to say after Minnesota's loss to Mississippi State
PJ Fleck: First of all, congratulations to Mississippi State. They dominated in all three phases. They did a really good job and had a really good gameplan. You know, it didn't start very fast for us either, and then when you're down 21-3 it changes a lot of things in your gameplan. We won the turnover margin but I don't think we won the ball. Just the turnover margin, that's fine, you can say we were plus one, whatever it is, but we didn't win the ball.
Friday Five: Non-Conference Opponents Gopher Football Needs to Schedule
Asked during his weekly Monday press conference what he thought about scheduling challenging non-conference matchups, Gophers football head coach PJ Fleck was clear. "I think it's great for college football, I think it's great for the fans." But Fleck also underscored the challenge of booking those games in an ever-changing college football playoff landscape. Is it a 12-team playoff, or 24 teams? Does the playoff selection committee care about strength of schedule or not?
Tori McKinney named to Team USA ahead of women's 3x3 U23 FIBA World Cup
USA basketball announced on Wednesday morning that Gophers women's basketball star Tori McKinney has been named to Team USA ahead of the women's 3x3 U23 FIBA World Cup (U23 standing for under the age of 23). The 3x3 U23 FIBA World Cup runs from September 15-19 and will be played in Wuhan, China. McKinney first joined Team USA earlier this summer for the FIBA U23 Nations League, which served as a qualifying tournament for the 3x3 World Cup.
CBS lead CFB analyst Charles Davis previews Minnesota vs Mississippi State in week 2
CBS lead college football analyst Charles Davis previews the Minnesota vs. Mississippi State game and shares his thoughts on the outlook for Gopher football in 2026. CBS lead college football analyst Charles Davis previews Minnesota vs Mississippi State in week 2 and shares his thoughts on PJ Fleck's 10 year tenure, Drake Lindsey's NFL hype, and Gopher football's ceiling in 2026.
Gophers in the NFL: Final 53-man Rosters & Practice Squads
A week after the initial deadline for NFL teams to finalize their roster cuts, the dust has finally settled. 53-man rosters and practice squads are more or less set, and barring any last minute surprises things are set for the start of the 2026 NFL season. As the week 1 kick-off is just days away, I wanted to take a quick look around the league at where Gopher football alumni have landed.
Friday Five: Best Pregame Traditions in College Football
Jason Kelce 2 hours ago Jason Kelce Looks Nearly Unrecognizable in Throwback College Photos: ‘Hate the Way My Face Looks’ Star Magazine - Amy Hogan • 2h Before the beard, the podcast and the NFL fame, Jason Kelce looked like a completely different guy.
Friday Five: Best Pregame Traditions in College Football
The Gophers debuted a new pregame tradition on Thursday night that featured fans performing a "row" chant in sync with a quickening drum beat, a tradition borrowed from Norway's World Cup supporters. At least in this writer's estimation, the chant was well executed and, for game 1, a resounding success (in the pregame - unsurprisingly the stands had emptied for a blowout against an FCS team, so the chant before the fourth quarter left something to be desired).
Everything PJ Fleck had to say after Minnesota's win over Eastern Illinois
PJ Fleck: Yeah, I don't know if you (Ryan Burns) did your bet. I wasn't there, so I was gonna have to see if you did. You didn't? No. Okay. I think changes are really hard to make, and I think you, as a head football coach, have the decision to do what's right not for...I think a lot of people have misconceptions about when coaches make decisions that it's the best decision for that head coach. It's the decision for the school.
Talk Gopher Buckets 9.3.26 | Breaking Down the Gophers Non-Conference Schedule
VIDEO Ryan James and Dan Owen tell you everything you need to know about the Gophers 2026-27 non-conference schedule Follow the Talk Gopher Buckets Podcast on: With a GopherIllustrated subscription, you'll get unlimited access to: — Year-round coverage of Gopher football and basketball recruiting. Get the latest football updates from our team of insiders, including Ryan Burns and our national team of experts and analysts.
Gophers add several gameday improvements to Huntington Bank Stadium ahead of 2026 season
Minnesota's opening game against Eastern Illinois is just days away, and as fans prepare to walk through the gates at Huntington Bank Stadium and take their seats, they can look forward to a number of improvements to the gameday experience New Technology Should Speed Up Security Screening Nobody enjoys waiting in a line, especially when the clock is ticking down towards opening kick-off.
Over/Unders for the Gophers 2026 football season (Part 1)
We are just days away from the start of the Gophers season. Soon enough, the weather will cool, the leaves will change, and the chili will be hot. For college football fans in other states (or those in Minnesota close enough proximity to said other states), fall can also bring lighter wallets and torn up betting slips.
Gophers in the NFL: Preseason Week 3
The preseason officially wrapped up on Saturday evening. Players who have their roster spots locked up largely were kept inactive, so it was a lighter week for Gophers alumni in the NFL. That said, there are a few players battling it out for a final roster spot that were looking to make a big impression this weekend, including CB Terell Smith making his preseason debut as he works back from injury.
New Stadium Food Highlights for the 2026 Gophers Football Season
In what has become an annual tradition, the Gophers welcomed media and a few other folks (including some of the Gophers offensive linemen) to Huntington Bank Stadium on Friday to try out the new food coming to the stadium in 2026. In the years that I've done the review, this might have been the best slate of new food items.
Dinkytown Athletes, Indeed Brewing set to launch new NIL-supporting beer
Dinkytown Athletes and Minneapolis-based Indeed Brewing are partnering to release a new beer, Minnesota Honey Light, just in time for the start of the 2026 college football season. A portion of the proceeds from the beer, which is made with locally-sourced Minnesota honey, will go to Dinkytown Athletes in support of women's college athletics.
Everything PJ Fleck had to say following the Gophers August 20th practice
PJ Fleck: Appreciate everybody coming two weeks from game time, so kind of simulated that a little bit tonight. Just being on the field a little bit longer, being in the stadium, getting a lot of work done offensively, defensively, and special teams. So, with that, open it up for questions. Q: What was key for the defensive standing out there in red zone? PJ Fleck: Well, the the thing we did was we did some green zone work, but we did it all third down stuff.
Photo Gallery: Minnesota Football Fall Practice August 13th
Photo Gallery: Minnesota Football Fall Practice August 13th Photo highlights from Gopher football’s open fall camp practice on August 13th. Photo Gallery: The Minnesota Golden Gophers football team held an open fall camp practice on August 13th and Gopher Gazette was on hand to capture photo highlights. 247Sports Logo
Minnesota Football August 7th Practice Notebook: Offense
The Gophers football team held its first open practice of fall camp on Friday, giving fans and media their first look at the team in action since the spring game at the end of April. Quick Notes - Injury wise on offense, there's not a ton to report. Freshman offensive tackle Gavin Meier went down with what appeared to be an ankle injury part way through practice.
Friday Five: Top Targets for Big Ten Conference Expansion
Conference realignment may be lurking around the corner, sooner than many anticipated after the dust only just settled on the last round that saw the Big Ten expand to the west coast and the SEC welcome Texas and Oklahoma. The expectation was that realignment talks would remain dormant for at least a few more years as ACC programs interested in moving waited for their exit fee to drop to a manageable level.
Minnesota Women's Basketball July Recruiting Board
As we reach the midpoint of July, the summer AAU basketball season is nearing its end. Teams have had an opportunity to lock in on their top targets, and players will have time to finalize their plans, whether that's fall official visits or a commitment plan ahead of the start of the school year. Gopher Gazette's Ryan James gave a breakdown of the men's basketball recruiting board last week, and I figured I'd do the same on the women's side of things.
Transfer Player Profile: Leah Harmon
With Amaya Battle and Brylee Glenn graduating, Minnesota approached the transfer portal in search of an experienced guard, ideally one that could factor into the mix to fill Battle's role as Minnesota's primary point guard. Enter UCF transfer Leah Harmon, a point guard entering her third season of college hoops. As Gopher Gazette's transfer profile series rolls on (the first edition covered center Gracie Merkle), today we'll take a look at what Harmon brings to the table.
Dawn Plitzuweit talks portal success, replacing Amaya Battle
Roster stability has been a hallmark of Dawn Plitzuweit's tenure at the University of Minnesota. For three seasons, the lineup has been defined by a core of Amaya Battle, Mara Braun, Grace Grocholski, Sophie Hart, Mallory Heyer, and Tori McKinney, with that group accounting for more than 95% of the all possible starts over three seasons. That sort of consistency would have been uncommon in any era of college basketball, but in the transfer portal era it is downright unfathomable.
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