For the third straight year, the Gophers’ offense mustered a slow start in a season opener at Huntington Bank Stadium.

Minnesota was a 17-point favorite against Buffalo, but its inability to finish long drives allowed the Mid-American Conference opponent to hang around in an eventual 23-10 win.

The Gophers had six drives go inside the 25-yard line, but only one ended in a touchdown. They got over that hurdle by scoring before reaching the red zone.

Early in the fourth quarter, Drake Lindsey felt pressure, rolled right and found a wide open Jalen Smith for a 60-yard touchdown. It was the Gophers’ first 60-plus yard touchdown toss since October 2022.

After the one-play touchdown drive, Minnesota stacked up a 16-play drive that consumed nearly 10 minutes to put the game away.

The U’s start was all too familiar. They edged Nebraska 13-10 to start 2023 and fell late in a 19-17 loss to North Carolina to begin last year. The last comfortable win with explosive offensive plays in Game 1? A 38-0 blowout of New Mexico State and Jerry Kill in 2022.

In his first career start, Lindsey completed 19 of 35 passes (54%) for 290 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. A handful of dropped passes stymied drives, and a weird turnover ended another.

Up 13-3 in the third quarter, Gophers gave up a 40-yard touchdown pass from Ta’Quan Roberson to Victor Snow, whose double move beat U safety Kerry Brown. Given the U’s struggles on offense, any miscue on defense loomed larger.

The Gophers’ offense had four first-half drives reach inside the Buffalo 25-yard line, but two ended in turnovers (downs and interception), while the other two ended in points (touchdown and field goal).

The Gophers were thwarted on a fourth-down, tush-push by Jameson Geers, a tight end under center, being stopped at the line of scrimmage.

But on the next drive, Geers made a leaping grab on a jump ball from Lindsey for a 9-yard touchdown.

The following drive, Lindsey was docked an interception, but it was one of the flukiest turnovers possible. Geers was popped when running a shallow crossing route and was on the ground when Lindsey’s pass hit his foot. It ricocheted up, and linebacker Michell Gonser returned it 54 yards.

Darius Taylor’s shoestring tackle saved a Bulls touchdown and kept four points off the scoreboard once the Bulls made a 36-yard field goal. On offense, Taylor rushed for 141 yards on 30 carries and added four receptions for 36 yards.

Minnesota’s defense had six tackles for lost yards in the first half — the most in a half for the U since 2020 — and Buffalo managed only 66 yards on 26 plays in the first half. They ended with 151 total yards.

Minnesota wide receiver Jalen Smith (8) catches a 60 yard touchdown pass against Buffalo during an NCAA football game on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2025 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)
Minnesota defensive lineman Jalen Logan-Redding (97) sacks Buffalo quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson (2) during an NCAA football game on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2025 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

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Seconds into the fourth quarter Thursday night at St. Thomas’ O’Shaughnessy Stadium, it became clear to all on hand — friend and foe alike — that the Tommies were actually going to pull it off.

With the Tommies hosting the Lindenwood Lions in the season opener for both teams, the specter of a repeat of last season’s meeting between the teams — a 64-0 blowout by the Lions — hung in the air at kickoff.

But when Joseph Koch carried the ball into the end zone with just under 15 minutes to play, the Tommies were not only holding their own against their opponent from the Ohio Valley Conference, they were on their way to enjoying a rout of their own.

Koch’s touchdown made it a 28-13 game, and the Tommies cruised from there for a 35-13 victory.

The win marked the first time the Tommies have defeated a Division I team that offers athletic scholarships, and until Thursday night, the gulf between those who do and those who don’t seemed quite wide.

“It takes a lot to do what they did tonight,” Tommies head coach Glenn Caruso said of his team’s performance. “There was a lot of pain they had to go through to get there. I’m grateful that they were able to meet a challenge that seems daunting to most.

“And to be up for the task of doing their best, knowing that they can fail.”

Caruso said he never brought up last season’s score to the team in the weeks of preparation. But it was certainly on his mind.

“When you get beat like that — and it could have been a lot more than that — you don’t have to say or do much,” Caruso said. “That one’s branded in you forever.”

Junior safety Nick Hand was on the wrong end of that score last season, and said the game “was on everyone’s mind”, starting in fall camp, knowing Lindenwood was first up on the schedule.

“It was one of the most heart-wrenching losses I have ever suffered in my career,” Hand said. “It never left my mind that we had to make up for it by getting a win. This wasn’t just for us, it was also for the guys who went through it last year and aren’t here anymore.”

The Tommies got major contributions from numerous players on both sides of the ball, but no one stood taller than graduate transfer quarterback Andy Peters, who made the most of his first Division I start after transferring from NAIA College of Idaho.

Peters completed 11 of 18 passes for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also ran the ball seven times for 32 yards.

“I don’t think we can dismiss the efficiency that Andy played with,” Caruso said, “nor the coaching that (offensive coordinator and quarterback coach ) Jay MacIntyre did in getting him to play like that.”

Koch rushed for 154 yards on 18 carries. Quentin Cobb-Butler led the team with six receptions.

The game was tied 7-7 at halftime thanks to some missed opportunities by the Lindenwood. The Lions took the opening kickoff and moved 61 yards on nine plays to set up a 33-yard, field-goal attempt, but the kick was no good.

After stopping the Tommies on their first possession of the game, the Lions reached the Tommies’ 4-yard line only to come up empty on a field-goal attempt. A third field-goal attempt missed the mark from 37 yards out early in the second quarter.

St. Thomas broke the scoreless tie on its next possession. Peters connected with wide receiver Stefano Giovannelli on a 34-yard pass completion to set the Tommies up at the Lions’ 23-yard line.

After Pat Bowen rushed for four yards, Peters found tight end Patrick Wagner in the corner of the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown.

Lindenwood tied the game on its next possession. A 40-yard pass completion set the Lions up at the Tommies’ 1-yard line, and they pushed the ball across two plays later for the touchdown.

The Tommies took advantage of a short field at the start of the third quarter to take a 14-7 lead. A 21-yard pass from Peters to Tyson Schilling gave the Tommies a first down at the Lindenwood 25.

Facing a fourth-and-4 from the Lions’ 8-yard line, the Tommies lined up for a field goal. But Caruso called for the fake, and turned into a touchdown when Giovannelli ran the ball into the end zone.

Once again, the Lions responded with a touchdown of their own on the next possession, with quarterback Nate Glantz throwing a 45-yard touchdown pass, But the Lions missed the extra point.

The Tommies built their lead to 21-13 on their next possession. Peters and wide receiver JaShawn Todd connected on a 24-yard completion early in their drive and capped it off with a 16-yard touchdown pass.

The Tommies were in complete control from that point on.

As for the first win over a scholarship program, Caruso said it was one of the team’s goals.

“It’ a feather in these guys cap,” he said. “There’s no doubt about it.”

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After an hours-long standoff Thursday in West St. Paul, with the suspect shooting at police, he took aim at officers with a long gun and a SWAT officer returned fire, according to police.

The man was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.

The incident began when St. Paul officers were searching for a man wanted for multiple felony warrants, West St. Paul police said in a statement Thursday night. Officers found a motorcycle associated with the man in the 1200 block of Ottawa Avenue in West St. Paul just after 11 a.m.

St. Paul officers surrounded a residence and evacuated people, who confirmed the man with warrants was inside.

The South Metro SWAT took over about 2:15 p.m. “The suspect fired shots striking the armored SWAT vehicles and an officer’s handheld ballistic shield over the course of the next four hours,” according to the police statement.

The SWAT team threw a cellphone into the home, and used drones and robotics “in an attempt to negotiate with and obtain a visual of the suspect,” the statement said. “Officers used chemical irritants in an attempt to subdue the suspect. After multiple rounds of chemical irritants, the suspect continued firing at officers through multiple windows.”

The suspect “took aim at officers” about 6:40 p.m. and a South Metro SWAT officer returned fire and shot the man, the statement said.

During the incident, a “shelter in place” was issued for the area.

West St. Paul police said Thursday afternoon that a lockdown at St. Joseph Catholic school was “a precautionary measure to ensure students remain away from an ongoing incident occurring a few blocks. … The active scene is not related to the school. Any rumors of danger to the school are untrue.”

A day earlier, at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, two children were killed and another 18 people were injured as a assailant opened fire from outside the church during morning Mass.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting in West St. Paul, and the agency said it will release more information after the preliminary investigation is complete.

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Skylar Diggins scored 19 of her 23 points in the second half, Nneka Ogwumike had 12 points and nine rebounds, and the Seattle Storm rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat the Minnesota Lynx 93-79 on Thursday night at Target Center.

Seattle, which trailed 39-18 midway through the second quarter, tied its second-largest comeback win in franchise history.

Kayla McBride had 20 points with five 3-pointers to lead Minnesota (30-8), which lost for just the second time in 20 home games this season. A win would have secured the Lynx home court advantage for the entire playoffs.

“We didn’t have a level of aggression that Seattle had, especially defensively,” Lynx coach Cheryl Rev said. “They made their own breaks … and they kicked our butts in the second half.”

Seattle closed the third quarter on a 25-6 run over a six-minute span to take a 67-63 lead, capped by 3-pointer by Diggins with 0.6 seconds left.

The Storm scored 34 points in the frame — after scoring just 33 points in the entire first half. Seattle was 12 of 19 from the field in the third, including 7 of 11 from 3-point range.
Seattle made four of its 16 3-pointers in the fourth.

“It wasn’t just the third quarter; we got beat by 27 in the second half,” Reeve said. “We only won one quarter. You could feel it happening in the second quarter.”

Gabby Williams added 16 points for Seattle (21-19). Dominique Malonga and Erica Wheeler each added 13.
Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams each scored 18 points of Minnesota. Williams also had 10 assists.

“We did a pretty good job in the first two quarters.” Collier said. “In the second half we let it slip.”

“I don’t think anyone can just come in and go through the motions and beat a team, especially this late in the season,” McBride said. “Seattle is a team playing for its life.”

Minnesota outscored Seattle 25-12 in the first and then started the second on a 6-0 run for a 19-point lead. The Lynx led 46-33 at halftime behind 28 combined points from Williams and McBride. Five of Seattle’s 11 field goals in the first half were from 3-point range.

Reeve was called for a technical foul at the end of the third after Diggins appeared to be shouting at the Lynx bench following her 3-pointer.

“They wanted it more than we did tonight, and especially this late in the season,” Collier said. “We can’t let that happen.”