Iowa and Minnesota will always have an intense rivalry on the gridiron, but the battle for Floyd of Rosedale has been all Hawkeyes for the entire 21st century. 

Since Kirk Ferentz became Iowa's head coach in 1999, the Gophers have beaten the Hawkeyes just seven times, and two of those victories came in Ferentz's first two rebuilding campaigns. 

Minnesota's best stretch came in the early 2010s when it won three of five against Iowa from 2010-2014. A dominant 51-14 triumph in 2014 marked the end of it, though, and the Hawkeyes only loss since then came in controversial fashion in 2023. Iowa has won the last two matchups by a combined score of 72-17, including a 41-3 drubbing at Kinnick Stadium last season .

Minnesota will get a change to avenge that defeat in Minneapolis this season, but the Hawkeyes have made it their second home of late and look for a sixth consecutive win at Huntington Bank Stadium. 

It's too early to forecast what will happen when these two get together on Oct. 24, but the one thing we can do is give you a mid-August look at the Gophers. 

Here it is. 

It may be hard for some to believe it, but P.J. Fleck is entering his 10th season as Minnesota's head coach. Though he gets a lot of flack from rival fanbases for his sometimes eccentric behavior, he's done a great job making this program a competitive one in the Big Ten. 

Fleck is 66-44 (.600) over his nine seasons in charge, but his biggest problem right now is elevating the Gophers from good to great. The 11-win 2019 season was a remarkable accomplishment for Minnesota, but it has struggled to come close to those heights since then. 

The first key to an improved season is the play of quarterback Drake Lindsey. While Lindsey did throw for 2,382 yards and 18 touchdowns, the redshirt freshman was flustered at times, especially against Iowa. 

But then again, Lindsey was just a redshirt freshman last year, so his performance was a promising one for Fleck and Co. Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 230 pounds, Lindsey is your classic pocket passer, but his strong arm and solid accuracy (63.2 comp. %) work well in the Big Ten. 

Besides, when you have a running back as good as Darius Taylor (670 yds, 4 TD last year) around you, you're going to succeed. Taylor battled injury problems last year, but when he's healthy, he's one of the league's best backs. The fourth-year's physical rushing style has terrorized opposing defenses, and he's also a great receiving back, too. 

On defense, the Gophers return star pass rusher Anthony Smith. Smith could've opted to enter the NFL Draft after leading the Big Ten with 12.5 sacks last year, but decided to return to Minnesota for his fifth and final season. 

Defense has always been the Gophers' strength under Fleck, so they focused on adding more on offense in the transfer portal. The search yielded a pair of talented receivers in Auburn transfer Perry Thompson and Cincinnati transfer Noah Jennings, along with tight end Kaden Helms from Oklahoma. 

All three didn't earn a ton of playing time at their former stops, but Helms and Thompson were both four-star recruits out of high school, so it seems like they could be good fits in a place that will certainly utilize their skills more. 

There's talent on this Minnesota roster, and the chance to win 7-9 games is certainly there for the Gophers. The schedule isn't horrible, but trips to Indiana, Penn State, Washington, and rival Wisconsin will be challenging. 

Minnesota's win total is set at 6.5 by most oddsmakers, and the question most people have is if the Gophers can win the big games in 2026. The Iowa game definitely falls into that category, and it could have major implications. 

HawkeyeRoundtable is giving away TWO tickets to Iowa's season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5! 

This is easily the biggest giveaway we've ever done on this site, and it's a great opportunity for two lucky fans to experience the joy of attending a Hawkeye football game at Kinnick Stadium. 

Click here to automatically become a member to enter the contest! Additional contest details can be found in our community section, too! 

HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]