Texas
Takeaways from Minnesota's 54-51 loss to North Texas
Takeaways from Minnesota’s 54-51 loss to North Texas
The Minnesota Golden Gophers on Wednesday night found themselves on the losing end for the first time this season, falling to North Texas 54-51.
It was an ugly loss for Minnesota, one in which they scored just 14 points in the first half before putting together a better but far-from-good second half. Ultimately the sluggish start was too much to overcome in the loss.
You can read more about the loss, here.
With that, Gophers Nation offers four thoughts on the Golden Gophers loss on Wednesday.
1. A missed opportunity
If the Golden Gophers wanted to make the NCAA Tournament this season, they needed to maximize their opportunities within their non-conference schedule. In the grand scheme of things, it’s one of the weaker non-conference schedules in the country. Oral Roberts, Nebraska Omaha, Bethune Cookman, Fairleigh Dickinson, and Morgan State are all opponents rated by KenPom at 250 or higher.
The only respectable opponents on the Minnesota non-conference schedule were North Texas (65), Yale (104), Wichita State (83), and Florida (21) /Wake Forest (74).
Now, the Gophers are off to a 0-1 start in those four games, and little over the last two games will inspire much confidence that the Gophers will be able to win out the remainder of those three games. Even if the Gophers rebound to have a respectable non-conference record once Big Ten play begins, a quad-three loss could be a deciding factor in the discussions for the NCAA Tournament come March.
That being said, making the NCAA Tournament should be the last thing on the Gophers’ mind currently. Their play over their last two games has been highly concerning even when considering the health of key players.
2. A terrible first half too much to overcome
To start the game 1-for-17 from the field in a game is simply inexcusable and baffling. The Golden Gophers on Wednesday were kept to an embarrassing 14 points in the first 20 minutes of play. Miraculously, they only found themselves trailing 23-14 as Noth Texas seemingly couldn’t get out of their way in the first half as well.
The sloppiness went beyond being unable to buy a basket as well as the Gophers had eight first-half turnovers which resulted in nine points for North Texas on the other side of the court including seven coming off the fast break.
The overwhelming theme of the first-half shooting woes was the Gophers settling for shots. Their first layup attempt of the game didn’t come until the 6:45 mark. Going forward, the Gophers need to do a much better job in their shot selection.
Notably, the Gophers did appear to miss Mike Mitchell’s ability to distribute the ball quite a bit. They had just nine assists in the loss while Mitchell had 12 alone through the first two games. With Mitchell out at least two weeks, the Gophers offense may continue to look sluggish until his return.
3. Will someone not named Dawson Garcia emerge?
If the Golden Gophers are going to have any sort of chance of building momentum this season, someone will have to emerge as an offensive threat beyond Dawson Garcia. Through three games, Garcia has 40% of all the Gophers points scored with 78 of 199 total points.
The next closest Gopher? Lu’Cye Patterson with 27 points and Trey Edmonds is the only other Gopher to total over 20 points so far this season.
Garcia is shooting 66.7% from the field this season making 26-of-39 total shots. No other Gopher this season has made more than nine shots.
If the Gophers’ only true scoring option this season is Dawson Garcia, it’s going to be a very long season for Ben Johnson’s program.
4. Gophers guards struggle without Mitchell
As alluded to above, the Golden Gophers’ guards as a whole struggled without Mike Mitchell. In the loss, Femi Odukale, Brennan Rigsby, Lu’Cye Patterson, and Isaac Asuma went a combined 7-for-35 from the field. They also combined for seven of 13 Minnesota turnovers in the game.
Patterson was especially rough for the Gophers, going 3-for-14 from the field in the loss including 1-for-7 from three-point range. After going 3-for-6 in the season opener against Oral Roberts, Patterson is just 6-for-22 over the last two games, a 27.7% shooting percentage.
Odukale’s struggles are notable as well as he is off to a 3-for-14 start for the season from the field, he’s also missed his only two free throw attempts. The Gophers will need the former Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, and New Mexico State guard to step up his play going forward. There should be hope as well that he can do so as he’s averaged 8.7 points for his career and is a 42% shooter lifetime as well.
The same could be said about Brennan Rigsby who three games is just 5-for-21 including 3-for-12 from three-point range.
For Asuma, freshman struggles are to be expected including Wednesday’s performance which was especially tough as he was 1-for-6 from the field including 1-for-5 from three-point range while turning the ball over three times. The key for the Minnesota native will be to use Wednesday’s game as a learning experience which can sometimes be easier said than done.
With Mike Mitchell Jr likely out for at least another week, the Gophers will need their guards to find their groove quickly starting on Saturday against Yale.
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Portal season is going to keep coaching staffs and program front offices up at night.
Apparently, it’s going to keep fans up at night as well. Kentucky fans are going to face that reality these next few days, maybe even a week or more, regarding quarterback Sam Leavitt, who visited Kentucky this weekend.
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Unfortunately, Leavitt left Lexington without signing with the Wildcats. He’s now set to visit Texas Tech on Sunday, per On3’s Pete Nakos
Leavitt is one of the top players to enter the transfer portal after the window opened on Friday. He currently ranks as the No. 2 overall player and top quarterback to hit the open market, according to the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings.
Leavitt is expected to be one of the most sought-after transfer quarterbacks this cycle after spending the last two seasons at Arizona State. He helped lead the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff in 2024 before injuries impacted his production in 2025.
Wildcats fans are excited about the tantalizing prospect Leavitt is, but now the waiting game begins.
After a big win in the first round of the College Football Playoff, the No. 5 Oregon Ducks are on to the quarterfinals. Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks will take on the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
How To Watch
When: Thursday, Jan. 1, at 9 a.m. PT.
Where: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Radio Call: Oregon Sports Network, KUJZ-FM 95.3 (Eugene), KRSK-105.1 FM/1080 AM (Portland)
Betting Odds
The Oregon Ducks are 2.5-point favorites against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on FanDuel Sportsbook. The moneyline for Oregon is -130, and the point total is set at 52.5.
Injury Update
The Oregon Ducks’ wide receiver unit is getting healthy at the right time. Wide receivers Gary Bryant Jr. and Dakorien Moore were both seen at practice on Saturday ahead of the game against Texas Tech.
Running back Jordon Davison has been a player to monitor, but was also seen back at practice, another positive sign for the Ducks.
The one player who was not seen during the open portion of practice by the media was wide receiver Evan Stewart. Stewart has yet to play in a game this season, and he will continue to be a player to monitor.
Oregon’s Explosive Offense To Play Key Role
The Oregon Ducks offense has been tough to stop, with its immense depth and explosive plays. The Ducks played well throughout the season despite injuries, but with players returning, Oregon will be tough to stop.
The Ducks lead the FBS with plays going for over 20 yards and are No. 2 in yards per rush, proving the team’s explosiveness. The Ducks total 217.08 rushing yards per game and 251.8 passing yards per game.
The Oregon offense is led by quarterback Dante Moore, who is having a breakout year. Moore totals 3,046 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. He threw four touchdowns against James Madison, but he will have to be careful against the Red Raiders after also throwing two interceptions. Moore also totals 196 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
MORE: Oregon Ducks Injury Update From Practice Highlights One Major Absence
MORE: Texas Tech Defensive Coordinator Shares Blunt Assessment of Dante Moore
MORE: Oregon Quarterback Austin Novosad’s Likely Landing Spot After Transfer Portal Entry
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Wide receiver Malik Benson has been a role player amid injuries to the offense. Benson leads the team with 645 yards and six touchdowns. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq leads the team with eight touchdown receptions and has 509 receiving yards.
Moore does well at spreading the ball around to his several receiving targets, making Oregon a tough team to defend against the pass.
Oregon’s talented running back room has been one of the many highlights of the offense. Running back Noah Whittington leads the team with 798 rushing yards and has six touchdowns. True freshman running back Jordon Davison leads the team with 13 rushing touchdowns and has 625 rushing yards.
While Whittington and Davison may be leading the team, running back Dierre Hill Jr. is coming off a massive game against the Dukes, with one rushing touchdown and a 40-yard reception.
The Oregon Ducks have playmakers on offense that will help lead to a win against the Red Raiders.
Ducks’ Defense Must Stay Consistent
Oregon has one of the most dominant defenses in college football, but the Ducks must play all four quarters against Texas Tech. Oregon’s defense allowed the Dukes to score four touchdowns in the second half, and that cannot happen against a tougher opponent.
Oregon has allowed 16.3 points per game this season and is No. 4 in the nation in a three-and-out rate of 31.11 percent. The defense ranks No. 1 in the FBS for passes broken up (67), and will be a tough team to throw against.
Safety Dillon Thieneman is proving to be a massive transfer portal addition and is a big reason Oregon does well defending the pass. Thieneman totals 71 tackles, one sack, five passes defended, and two interceptions.
Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher has been a difference-maker with the Ducks throughout the season. He leads the team with 113 total tackles, and has one sack, four passes defended, one interception, and one forced fumble.
Linebacker Teitum Tuioti is another role player on the team, leading the Ducks with 7.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Oregon has a talented unit on defense, and the Ducks will have to be on top of their game to defeat Texas Tech.
Texas Tech To Pose Challenge
The Texas Tech Red Raiders enter the matchup with a 12-1 record and as Big 12 champions. With also coming off a bye, the Red Raiders should not be counted out.
Red Raiders quarterback Behren Morton has passed for 2,643 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has thrown just four interceptions this season, proving he can make smart decisions and is an accurate thrower.
Texas Tech wide receiver Caleb Douglas leads the team with 846 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. The Red Raiders’ run game has been highly successful this season and will test Oregon’s defense. Running back Cameron Dickey leads the team with 1,095 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.
Two players on the Red Raiders’ defense who may play a critical role will be linebackers Jacob Rodriguez and David Bailey. Bailey leads the team with 13.5 sacks, going against a tough Oregon offensive line. Rodriguez leads the Red Raiders with 117 tackles and has four interceptions, seven forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Oregon vs. Texas Tech Prediction
The Oregon Ducks will defeat the Texas Tech Red Raiders 27-24.
If Oregon defeats Texas Tech, the Ducks will face the winner of No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 1 Indiana in the playoff semifinals.
- Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
- If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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