Recent content from Randy Johnson
Gophers' NCAA tourney opener vs. UMass comes after a concerning 18-day layoff
Gophers men's hockey coach Bob Motzko had his team play an exhibition game in Rochester to stay sharp for this Thursday's regional semifinal.
Gophers men's hockey will open NCAA tournament against UMass in Fargo
The Gophers, who last played on March 9, will be playing Thursday in a regional in North Dakota for the second time in three seasons.
Signs point to Gophers landing in Fargo for NCAA men's hockey tournament
College Hockey Insider: Minnesota appears in line to be a No. 2 regional seed when the field is revealed Sunday.
Chance to win third NCAA title slips away from Gophers' Steveson
Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State defeated the Minnesota heavyweight 5-4 and ended the storybook return by the Olympic champion.
Gophers receive commitment from Arizona prep wide receiver
Rico Blassingame, a 6-3, 180-pounder, has 15 offers from Power Four schools.
Gophers churning out NFL prospects, but they have to replace them now, too
The Gophers opened spring practice Thursday with big holes to fill, coming of last season's 8-5 finish.
For one college hockey conference, after years of March memories, it's 'Last Call in St. Paul'
College Hockey Insider: The NCHC Frozen Faceoff comes to Xcel Energy Center this weekend before the conference tournament moves to campus sites.
NCAA wrestling championships preview and broadcast info for the meet in Philadelphia
The No. 5 Gophers have heavyweight Gable Steveson seeded first and redshirt freshman Max McEnelly seeded third at 184 pounds.
If Steveson wins another title, is he the best NCAA heavyweight of all-time?
Gable Steveson returned to the Gophers this season, determined to win a third national championship and solidify his place in NCAA history.
Minnesota State Mankato clinches spot in NCAA men's hockey tournament because of St. Thomas' ineligibility
The Mavericks and Tommies will meet for the Mason Cup on Friday, but an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament is not on the line.
Gophers hockey senior Huglen expected to miss NCAA tournament with leg injury
Aaron Huglen, a center from Roseau, suffered an injury that leaves the Gophers without their third-line center.
No spring game for Gophers again this year, but fans have two chances to watch spring practice
The Gophers have joined a national trend of football teams moving away from holding a spring game.
Gophers will try to buck trend of hockey teams ousted early in conference tournaments
College Hockey Insider: Since 2003, only two eventual NCAA champions failed to advance out of the first round of their conference tournaments.
U men's hockey ousted by Notre Dame, has long wait until NCAAs
The Gophers jeopardized their shot at a No. 1 seed by failing to get out of the first round of the Big Ten tournament against last-place Notre Dame.
Gophers top Fighting Irish, push Big Ten men's hockey tournament series to final game
Connor Kurth scored the go-ahead goal and assisted on the winner. They'll settle this Sunday.
Gophers fall to Fighting Irish in opener of Big Ten men's hockey tournament
Minnesota will need to win each of the next two days to reach the semifinals.
Potential Steveson vs. Kerkvliet rematch headlines Big Ten wrestling meet
Gophers heavyweight Gable Steveson could face Penn State star and Minnesota native Greg Kerkvliet for the Big Ten title Sunday.
A transfer from UConn, Wood adds more grit to the Gophers men's hockey team
Matthew Wood was a 2023 first-round NHL draft pick for Nashville and has seen his game grow for Minnesota.
Not yet eligible for the NCAA tourney, Tommies take aim at a CCHA crown
College Hockey Insider: St. Thomas is 12-3-1 since the start of January under fourth-year coach Rico Blasi.
Gophers snag a victory over Nittany Lions and a share of the Big Ten title
Minnesota lost its chance at the outright championship before it began to play Saturday thanks to Michigan State's win.
Gophers hit a complication in push for Big Ten men's hockey title: OT loss to Penn State
Minnesota still can win the conference championship Saturday, but it will need help.
Thomas isn't just a defenseman for the Gophers. Motzko calls him the 'Eraser.'
The Gophers men's hockey team will need tight defense to make an NCAA tournament run. When healthy, Cal Thomas provides.
Analysis: What makes Western Michigan so tough as NCAA men's hockey postseason nears?
College Hockey Insider: The Broncos are closing in on their first NCHC regular-season title and could earn a No. 1 regional seed for the 16-team NCAA tournament.
Gophers hire running backs coach, reveal other coaching moves
Jayden Everett, an assistant at Michigan last season, will handle the backfield. Nick Faus, Jordan Hendy, Christian Pawola and C.J. Robbins also were added to the football staff.
Gophers thrash Buckeyes, move into first place in Big Ten men's hockey
Minnesota rose to the top with a sweep of Ohio State and Penn State's sweep of Michigan State.
Gophers overcome Buckeyes, stand alone in second place in Big Ten men's hockey
Minnesota, boosted by Brody Lamb's resurgence, moved to just a point behind first-place Michigan State.
With a familiar name for Gophers fans, Beckett Hendrickson blossoms as a freshman
Beckett Hendrickson, whose father, Darby, played for the Gophers and Wild, is growing into his role this season.
As 4 Nations tourney flourishes, the Gophers' Motzko, Snuggerud still get chills
College Hockey Insider: Bob Motzko has coached and Jimmy Snuggerud has played for Team USA in intense showdowns vs. bitter rival Canada.
Gophers gain commitment from four-star cornerback Hopkins of Nashville
Ranked No. 22 nationally at his position in the 2026 class, Justin Hopkins picked Minnesota over Georgia Tech, USC and Tennessee.
Gophers heavyweight Steveson makes his final home match his 63rd victory in a row
Sixth-ranked Minnesota lost to third-ranked Iowa, its 11th consecutive loss to the Hawkeyes.
McEnelly gives Gophers wrestling a rising star to pair with Steveson
The Gophers enter Friday's showdown with Iowa with Max McEnelly at 17-0 and ranked No. 4 at 184 pounds.
Signs point to senior transfer Souliere taking over full-time in net for Gophers
Men's hockey coach Bob Motzko has used both Liam Souliere and Nathan Airey most weekends but could be ready to pick one goalie for the stretch run.
College Hockey Insider: North Dakota-Denver series looms large, especially for the visitors
"We've got to start sweeping" is the Fighting Hawks' mantra, sitting at No. 23 in the PairWise rankings.
Analysis: Minnesota State Mankato aiming to return atop CCHA
College Hockey Insider: The Mavericks have a key home series this weekend against surprising Augustana.
Minnesota Gophers offensive lineman Martes Lewis enters the transfer portal
Martes Lewis, an offensive lineman who started three games for the Gophers in the 2024 season, including the Duke's Mayo Bowl win over Virginia Tech, has entered his name into the transfer portal.
Gophers defensive line coach is headed to the Arizona Cardinals
The team's sack totals rose under the leadership of Winston DeLattiboudere, who also played for Minnesota.
Gophers roar all the way back, then leave the Badgers behind in men's hockey
Wisconsin took a two-goal lead in the first period, but Minnesota scored the next five goals.
Gophers men have key improvements to make before they're NCAA tournament ready
The Gophers have been good one night and shaky the next, so they're looking for a complete showing vs. Wisconsin.
Analysis: What's happened to St. Cloud State men's hockey?
The Huskies' slump can be traced to the loss of standout goaltender Isak Posch, who is out 12 weeks because of a lower-body injury.
Wild scoring leader Kirill Kaprizov will have surgery
The All-Star winger will be sidelined at least a month because of an undisclosed lower body injury.
Fleck promotes Collins to Gophers defensive coordinator, replacing Hetherman
Minnesota also added former Purdue defensive coordinator Kevin Kane as an assistant.
Is the Gophers men's hockey team ready to make a mid-winter run?
It's that time of year, but up next for Minnesota is a two-game series at first place Michigan State.
Analysis: Wild first-round pick Stramel sees production rise after transfer to Michigan State
College Hockey Insider: Charlie Stramel left Wisconsin and reunited with a former coach, who has him on the top line for the Spartans.
Gophers football transfer portal impact, Part II: Defense
The Gophers faced some urgency to get the right defensive fits in the transfer portal, especially at cornerback, where they are replacing two starters.
Gophers football transfer portal impact, Part I: offense
The Gophers loaded up on wide receivers, running backs and offensive linemen, trying to fill key holes.
Louisiana high school running back with 123 touchdowns to his name commits to Gophers
Xavier Ford rushed for 3,467 yards in 2024 and for 8,591 in his prep career.
Gophers score five times in first period, wipe out Irish in Big Ten men's hockey
Minnesota outshot Notre Dame 24-5 in the opening period, when Jimmy Snuggerud tallied twice.
Behind the numbers: Gophers men's hockey team struggling to kill penalties
"It's got to be better," coach Bob Motzko says of a unit that is ranked 60th among 64 NCAA Division I teams.
Arizona State, Augustana emerge on the national college hockey landscape
The Sun Devils (NCHC) and Vikings (CCHA) aren't just in new conferences, they are threatening to win.
Defensive coordinator leaving Gophers for Miami (Fla.)
Corey Hetherman, who received a contract extension after the season, will take the same post with the Hurricanes.
Gophers land Oklahoma State linebacker Roberson via transfer portal
Jeff Roberson's transfer gives the Gophers another veteran option to help replace leading tackler Cody Lindenberg.
Gophers get Ziemer, Moore back for tough series at Ohio State
The Gophers men's hockey team has seven consecutive Big Ten series coming, with gold medalists Brodie Ziemer and Oliver Moore back from the world juniors.
Two from Gophers defense, Bryson and Owusu, enter the transfer portal
Coleman Bryson, a safety, was MVP of the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl for Minnesota, while defensive back Martin Owusu played in one game over two years.
Analysis: Gophers get plenty of help from youngsters in bowl game, setting up for future
With seven starters unavailable against Virginia Tech, the Gophers got good looks at some capable fill-ins.
Bring on the bath: Gophers cap season with 24-10 victory over Virginia Tech in Duke's Mayo Bowl
The Gophers scored three touchdowns in the second quarter, with Darius Taylor catching one TD pass and throwing one as well in their eighth consecutive bowl victory.
Gophers' Quinn Carroll plenty familiar with Virginia Tech, his final college opponent
His brother Collin Carroll played for the Hokies, and Quinn had the program as one of his final college choices.
Gophers enter Duke's Mayo Bowl, dreaming of much bigger things
The first 12-team College Football Playoff has the Gophers believing they can make it there, too.
Can Gophers stretch their bowl win streak to eight, or will Hokies pull the upset?
The Gophers will have key players missing Friday, but not near as many as the Hokies in the Duke's Mayo Bowl.
Brosmer can cement his Gophers legacy in bowl game vs. Virginia Tech
The Gophers football program has greatly benefitted from 12 months with QB Max Brosmer. Now comes his finale.
Five things to know about Virginia Tech entering the Duke's Mayo Bowl
Minnesota's bowl opponent has a rich tradition and loyal fans from the Frank Beamer era. But Beamer has been tough to replace.
Why did the Gophers' bowl game become famous for dunking coaches in mayo?
The Duke's Mayo Bowl, looking to build its brand, has submerged the past three winning coaches in mayonnaise.
Gophers redshirt freshman receiver McWilliams enters transfer portal
T.J. McWilliams will have three years of eligibility remaining after leaving the Gophers via the transfer portal.
What happened to Virginia Tech's roster entering Duke's Mayo Bowl clash with Gophers?
Minnesota will face a Virginia Tech team that has lost 21 players to the transfer portal and five more to the NFL draft.
Transfer running back backs away from Gophers, picks Western Michigan
Former Michigan player Cole Cabana had said he would play for Minnesota, but he could start with the Broncos.
Gophers gear up for Duke's Mayo Bowl, aiming for a strong end to 2024 and a jump start for 2025
Virginia Tech of the ACC awaits, but coach P.J. Fleck also is taking time to identify players for next season. "Pre-spring ball," he called it.
Gophers land commitment from Nebraska transfer receiver Coleman
Malachi Coleman is the third transfer receiver to commit to the Gophers this month.
Gophers land transfer commitment from former UCLA receiver Loya
Logan Loya, who was a four-star recruit out of high school in California, is the second wide receiver to commit to the Gophers since the transfer portal opened.
Gophers land pair of offensive linemen via portal
Kahlee Tafai, a 6-5, 338-pounder who started four games for Washington this season, and 6-6, 310-pounder Dylan Ray formerly of Kentucky join a team rebuilding their offensive line.
Gophers linebacker Lindenberg declares for NFL draft
Cody Lindenberg, who has one year of college eligibility remaining, is leaving the Gophers after a standout junior season.
Gophers patch one offensive line hole with Central Florida transfer
The Gophers were down to one returning offensive line starter for next season but added Mid-American Conference veteran Marcellus Marshall.
Gophers offensive lineman Daniels transfers to Ohio State
Two days after entering the transfer portal, Philip Daniels landed with Ohio State.
Gophers receiver Kristen Hoskins enters transfer portal
Kristen Hoskins played three games over three seasons with the Gophers before entering the portal.
Gophers' Daniels enters transfer portal, leaving just one returning offensive line starter
The Gophers also landed a defensive line transfer in Rushawn Lawrence, and Aireontae Ersery was named third-team AP All-America.
Gophers land running backs, All-MAC receiver via transfer portal
A.J. Turner, leaving Marshall, Cameron Davis, exiting Washington, and Cole Cabana, departing Michigan, bolster Minnesota's backfield. Javon Tracy, from Miami (Ohio), joins the receiver corps.
Gophers go missing in third period, fall hard against Spartans in men's hockey
No. 3 Michigan State scored the final four goals and rallied past top-ranked Minnesota for a 5-3 victory.
