Gophers take care of business against Eastern Illinois in 2026 season opener

· Yahoo Sports

The Gophers were favored to beat Eastern Illinois by 43.5 points, and they covered that spread in a 59-7 victory to open the season. They showed why the FBS and FCS are different levels on Thursday night.

The Gophers debuted their new ‘ROW’ chant before the first kickoff, mimicking fans of the Norway national soccer team at this year’s World Cup. It did not yield a touchdown on the first drive, but they quickly turned things around.

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Darius Taylor put the Gophers’ offense on his back with 87 yards from scrimmage in the first half. He found the end zone three different times on 18 total touches.

Sep 3, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Darius Taylor (1) celebrates his rushing touchdown against the Eastern Illinois Panthers during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Javon Tracy’s 87-yard punt return late in the first quarter was when the Gophers began to turn things on. A rough defensive possession in the second quarter gave Eastern Illinois its only seven points of the game, but Minnesota cruised to a 35-7 halftime lead after a late touchdown from tight end Pierce Walsh.

Tracy’s huge night continued when he returned a 69-yard punt early in the second half to become the first player in Gophers’ history to return two punts in one game. He put Minnesota up 42-7, but Drake Lindsey and the starters still had a few more drives left.

Elon transfer running back TJ Thomas coughed up a fumble deep in Eastern Illinois’ territory, but he stayed in the game on the next drive and helped lead Daniel Jackson to the first made field goal of his college career.

Lindsey finished his night completing 19 of his 24 passes for 264 yards and one touchdown before being replaced by backup QB Max Shikenjanski at the end of the third quarter, who ran in a touchdown of his own. Second-year running back Xavier Ford added one more touchdown to make the final score 59-7.

The Gophers will have a steep step up in competition next Saturday against Mississippi State at 2:30 p.m. CT at Huntington Bank Stadium. That game will be broadcast nationally on CBS.

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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Sep 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Gophers section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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