Nebraska Aims to Defeat Minnesota in Key Big Ten Matchup

No. 25 Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) will travel to Minneapolis to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) in a key Big Ten matchup on October 17, 2025. The game will kick off at 8 p.m. ET at Huntington Bank Stadium and will be broadcast on FOX. Nebraska enters the game as a 7-point favorite, according to ESPN and SportsLine. The Cornhuskers are coming off a narrow 34-31 win over Maryland, while Minnesota secured a 27-20 victory against Purdue in their last outing. Nebraska is aiming for its best conference finish since 2016, and has performed well on the road this season (1-0). Minnesota is undefeated at home (4-0) and tied with Nebraska for fourth place in the conference standings. Historically, the Golden Gophers lead the all-time series 37-25-2, including a 13-10 win over Nebraska in 2023. However, the Cornhuskers have momentum, highlighted by the play of sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola. Raiola has completed 73.4% of his passes for 1,591 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. Last week, he threw for 260 yards and four touchdowns despite three interceptions. Nebraska’s running game is led by junior Emmett Johnson, who has 650 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 105 carries. In the win over Maryland, Johnson rushed for 176 yards and one touchdown. Minnesota will look to redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey, who has thrown for 1,284 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Lindsey’s top target is senior wide receiver Le’Meke Brockington, who has 253 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The Golden Gophers’ offense has shown resilience, notably in their win over Purdue where Lindsey passed for 232 yards and two touchdowns. Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule confirmed that cornerback Malcolm Hartzog Jr. will miss the game due to injury. Odds from DraftKings set the over/under at 47.5 total points. The SportsLine Projection Model favors Nebraska to cover the spread, projecting a tight contest but with the Cornhuskers maintaining the edge. For live coverage and detailed stats, visit the ESPN Gamecast or check updated odds and expert analysis at SportsLine.