Minnesota · Big TenJavon Tracy lifts Minnesota in record-setting opener
Tracy returned two punts for touchdowns, Darius Taylor scored three times and Minnesota’s defense held Eastern Illinois to 51 rushing yards.
SEP 4, 2026
The Pate State · Editorial IllustrationJavon Tracy punt-return touchdowns
Eastern Illinois rushing yards
Last season’s finish Minnesota must improve on
01 · The NewsTracy Powers Record Opener
Minnesota opened P.J. Fleck’s 10th season Thursday, Sept. 3, with a 59-7 win over Eastern Illinois that set a program record and sent the Gophers toward their first meaningful test against Mississippi State.
Javon Tracy set the record with two punt-return touchdowns after taking over the role Koi Perich held before transferring to Oregon. Tracy fielded four of Cade Cox’s nine punts, scored from 87 and 69 yards and totaled 167 return yards. He also caught five passes for 98 yards in the first half.
Drake Lindsey completed 19 of 24 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown. His scoring pass went to Pierce Walsh with six seconds left in the first half, giving Walsh his first career touchdown and Minnesota a 35-7 halftime lead. Darius Taylor supplied three first-half rushing scores.
The Gophers controlled the line of scrimmage on defense, recording nine tackles for loss and holding Eastern Illinois to 51 rushing yards on 28 attempts. That is the piece Minnesota will need against tougher opponents.
Max Shikenjanski and Xavier Ford added rushing touchdowns in the second half, and Daniel Jackson made his first college field goal.
Minnesota hosts Mississippi State at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 12. Tracy’s two returns gave the Gophers an immediate answer at a position vacated by Perich — and a record to carry into that game.
02 · The StakesThe First Real Test
The win carries limited weight against an FCS opponent, but Mississippi State will show whether Minnesota can become more than an 8-5-level team after last season’s 8-5 finish.
03 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineWhat Most People Are Missing
Minnesota’s schedule makes Mississippi State the hinge between a clean opening month and another season near last year’s 8-5 level. Akron follows Sept. 19, but the Gophers then visit Washington on Sept. 26 and host Michigan on Oct. 3, putting their first back-to-back games against Big Ten opponents immediately after the nonconference slate. The Sept. 12 result therefore sets the margin for error before that turn. Eastern Illinois could not test whether nine tackles for loss or Lindsey’s 19-of-24 passing travels against stronger competition; Mississippi State can expose which opening-night strengths are durable.
“Tracy’s two returns gave the Gophers an immediate answer at a position vacated by Perich — and a record to carry into that game.”
From the story04 · The Open QuestionsQuestions to Be Answered
Did Minnesota come out of the opener healthy?
Minnesota has not disclosed whether any players were injured in the opener. Availability against Mississippi State on Sept. 12 will determine whether the first stronger-opponent comparison uses the same group that produced nine tackles for loss and 264 passing yards. The game-day lineup and first-quarter snap distribution will provide the clearest answer before Akron and the trip to Washington.
05 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Can Minnesota control the line again?
The tell is whether the Gophers continue to record tackles for loss and limit the opponent’s rushing production after holding Eastern Illinois to 51 rushing yards on 28 attempts.
Does Tracy remain the answer in the return game?
Watch whether Tracy continues to produce after his two punt-return touchdowns and 167 return yards in the opener.