The No. 15 Iowa Hawkeyes lost the Floyd of Rosedale trophy on Saturday, falling 13-10 to the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Minnesota kicker Luke Drzewiecki hit a 46-yard field goal as time expired to hand Iowa its second loss of the season.
The Hawkeyes dropped to 5-2 overall, while Minnesota improved to 5-2 and reclaimed the bronze pig trophy after Iowa had held it. It was P.J. Fleck's second win in 10 tries against Kirk Ferentz, according to Yahoo Sports.
What went wrong for Iowa
Turnovers told the story. The Hawkeyes gave the ball away four times and never once turned a Minnesota mistake into points of their own.
Joey Gerlach picked off a pass near the goal line in the first quarter to stop an Iowa drive that looked poised to produce a touchdown. T.J. Bush added another interception at the line of scrimmage in the second quarter, killing a drive that had started in Minnesota territory.
The takeaways kept coming. Aidan Gousby forced a fumble from running back Braeden Jackson in the fourth quarter, with Maverick Baranowski recovering, and Matt Kingsbury intercepted a tipped pass later in the fourth to snuff out yet another Iowa possession.
Outside of one four-play, 98-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, the Minnesota defense held Iowa to 190 yards of total offense and a field goal, as The Daily Gopher reported.
Quarterback struggles lead to benching
Starting quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski took a beating from the Gopher pass rush all afternoon. The pressure was constant enough that Ferentz eventually pulled him in favor of backup Hank Brown.
Brown did not fare much better. USA Today's drive-by-drive recap described a rough first half for the Iowa offense, including a Brown pass intended for Jackson that Bush picked off.
The ground game never got untracked either. Iowa managed just 90 rushing yards against a Minnesota front that controlled the line of scrimmage for most of the day.
How Minnesota won it
The Gophers' offense was hardly dominant. Minnesota had converted just one third down all game when quarterback Drake Lindsey faced third-and-4 at his own 33 with less than a minute to play.
Lindsey escaped pressure, rolled right, and found Jalen Smith downfield for a 39-yard completion that flipped the field. Drzewiecki, a former New Mexico kicker who is now a perfect 10-for-10 on field goals this season, drilled the game-winner from 46 yards as the clock hit zero.
Minnesota opened the scoring earlier with a blocked punt by Mason Carrier, which set up a short field and an early field goal. Fleck said the team had practiced the punt block all week, with special teams coordinator Daniel Da Prato serving as the punter in practice.
“He took a lot of shots off that right foot,” Fleck said.
A sellout crowd and a rivalry atmosphere
Huntington Bank Stadium announced a crowd of 53,004, a sellout. Estimates from those in attendance put the Hawkeye contingent at no more than 5,000, and Gopher fans made their presence felt on key defensive snaps.
Early in the second quarter, Iowa had a first-and-goal at the Minnesota 11 after an interception and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Two false starts by the Iowa offensive line pushed the Hawkeyes back, and they settled for a field goal. Those lost points loomed large in a three-point game.
USA Today's recap noted a similar backbreaker late: a Minnesota offside penalty erased what appeared to be an Iowa goal line stand, and Darius Taylor punched in a 1-yard touchdown on the next snap to cap a 10-play, 71-yard drive.
Lindsey's late-season slide
Minnesota's second-year starter has cooled off after a strong start. Through the first four games, Lindsey completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 237.8 yards per game with seven touchdowns against two interceptions.
Over the last three games, those numbers have dropped to 58.8 percent completion, 173.6 yards per game, two touchdowns, and four interceptions. Minnesota has now scored just 13 total points in three of its seven games.
What it means for Iowa
The loss stings beyond the trophy. Iowa entered the weekend ranked No. 15 with a 5-1 record and control of its path in the Big Ten. That control is gone, and the Hawkeyes now need help to reach the conference title game.
The bigger concern for Ferentz is an offense that managed one touchdown drive against a defense that gave up 45 points to Purdue two weeks ago. Four turnovers, 90 rushing yards, and a benched starter add up to questions that need answers before Iowa's next kickoff.
The Hawkeyes will look to regroup next week, while Minnesota rides momentum from its third win over a ranked opponent this season, following earlier victories against Washington and Michigan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Floyd of Rosedale game in 2026?
Minnesota beat Iowa 13-10 on October 25, 2026, at Huntington Bank Stadium, on a 46-yard field goal by Luke Drzewiecki as time expired.
How many turnovers did Iowa have against Minnesota?
Iowa committed four turnovers, two interceptions by Joey Gerlach and T.J. Bush, a lost fumble by Braeden Jackson, and a fourth-quarter interception by Matt Kingsbury.
Was Iowa's starting quarterback benched?
Yes. Kirk Ferentz pulled starter Jeremy Hecklinski during the game in favor of backup Hank Brown after the Minnesota pass rush pressured Hecklinski repeatedly.