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Gophers-Akron preview: Darius Taylor's uncertainty, MACtion and everything else to know
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- Gophers-Akron preview: Darius Taylor's uncertainty, MACtion and everything else to know
After last week's disappointing loss to Mississippi State , the Gophers will look to bounce back in their final nonconference test against Akron , as more than three-touchdown betting favorites. The Zips have gotten off to a 1-1 start, and they look like they'll be a frisky team in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Here's everything you need to know.
From the practice field: what we're hearing
Saturday's loss was a convincing one for the Gophers. They didn't force Mississippi State into a single punt in the first half, and they didn't score an offensive touchdown for the whole game. P.J. Fleck didn't point any fingers at his weekly press conference on Monday, and Minnesota appears to be fully confident in its team going forward.
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"I loved our game plan. You look at our offense. We moved the ball efficiently. Then again, we get a penalty… We get a sack. Next thing you know, it takes you off of that piece. But I thought the game plan was really good. We just didn't execute it the full length to a touchdown or scoring points," Fleck said.
The matchup-specific stat that matters
Fleck is incredibly familiar with the MAC, as a former player at Northern Illinois and a head coach at Western Michigan. Since arriving at Minnesota in 2017, he has a 6-1 record against the conference with an average margin of +10.3. They beat Miami (OH) by 23 in 2018, Eastern Michigan by 19 in 2023 and Buffalo by 13, but the other four matchups were all decided by 10 points or less. Not every MAC team is created equal, but there's plenty of reason to think Minnesota could struggle to cover the spread on Saturday.
The Big Ten has played nonconference games against MAC opponents for decades. The Gophers have a 35-5-1 all-time record against the conference. Their most recent loss came in 2021 against Bowling Green. They lost to Northern Illinois in 2010, Toledo in 2001 and Ohio in 2000.
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Injury/availability report
One of the biggest storylines heading into Saturday's game is the status of Minnesota's veteran running back Darius Taylor . He was limited to just 14 offensive snaps against Mississippi State, and it was obvious that he looked banged up.
Fleck has been unsurprisingly close to the vest on Taylor's status, and he has called him "day-to-day." As a significant betting favorite and given Taylor's injury history, it's fair to assume that Minnesota might take a cautious approach and rest him against the Zips before next week's Big Ten opener against Washington . TJ Thomas and A.J. Turner are two players who could see expanded roles if Taylor is not able to go.
Head-to-head history and recent trends
Minnesota has played every traditional MAC school, with games against Bowling Green, Ball State , Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Ohio and Toledo, but Saturday will shockingly be their first-ever matchup against Akron. The Zips didn't join the conference until 1992, but it's still a bit surprising that they've never matched up with Minnesota.
Sep 3, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Akron Zips wide receiver Kyan Mason (11) cools off on a humid night against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the first half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Akron has historically been a punching bag since making the jump to the FBS level in 1975. They only have nine winning seasons in that time frame and three trips to a bowl game. Their lone MAC championship came in 2005. The Zips beat Pittsburgh in 2014 and Northwestern in 2018 as their only two wins against power conference teams in the modern era.
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X-factor: Akron QB Cibastian Broughton
A major key to any great college football upset is an electric quarterback. Akron was expected to roll with veteran transfer Reese Poffenbarger , but he has not played this season due to ongoing eligibility questions. Broughton signed with Akron as a high school prospect in the 2025 class, and his second season has gotten off to a hot start.
Sep 3, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Akron Zips quarterback Cibastian Broughton (11) drops back eyed by Wake Forest Demon Deacons linebacker Langston Hardy (11) during the first half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Broughton made his first collegiate start on the road at Wake Forest, and he did not look overwhelmed. Through two games, he has completed 83.0% of his passes for 491 total yards and four total touchdowns. Most impressively, he has zero turnovers. The Gophers need to do a better job shutting down Broughton's dual-threat ability, compared to last week against Kamario Taylor .
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Coaching tendencies
This season is Joe Moorhead's fifth as head coach of the Zips. Akron is objectively one of the hardest jobs in the FBS, so it would be silly to judge his coaching prowess off wins and losses. He got his first head coaching job at Fordham in 2012, which is another challenging job. He had a 38-13 record across four seasons there. He was then the offensive coordinator at Penn State for two seasons before replacing Dan Mullen at Mississippi State in 2018.
Moorhead's Mississippi State tenure finished with a 14-12 record before being fired in 2019. He was the offensive coordinator at Oregon for three seasons before taking the Akron head coaching job. It's fair to say that he has the program pointed in the right direction after a five-win season last fall.
Akron Zips football coach Joe Moorhead leads the team through warmups before the season opener against Wyoming on Aug. 28, 2025, in Akron.
Minnesota connections
There are zero Minnesota natives on Akron's roster, but they do have a player who began his career with the Gophers. Running back Marquese Williams was a top-700 high school prospect in the class of 2023, but he transferred after just one season at Minnesota. He has played 74 total offensive snaps across three seasons with the Zips, and he looks to be a depth piece again this season. There are no Minnesota connections on the coaching staff that we're aware of.
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Weather forecast
After back-to-back beautiful afternoons at Huntington Bank Stadium, e xtreme rainstorms on Friday night could call for a sloppy environment on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT. Most of the rain is expected to happen overnight, but Saturday is still expected to be cloudy and wet, which could create a sleepy environment for the Gophers.
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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Sep 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Gophers section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
