The Akron Zips visit the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at 12 p.m. ET from Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Both teams enter at 1-1, with Akron coming off a 16-38 loss at Wake Forest and a 45-10 win over Robert Morris, and Minnesota off a 59-7 win over Eastern Illinois and a 13-38 loss to Mississippi State. Minnesota's offense has been paced by Drake Lindsey. He has thrown for 543 yards and one touchdown without an interception through two games, and Darius Taylor has added three rushing touchdowns.
Akron has been efficient through the air. Cibastian Broughton has passed for 338 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, and the Zips' 84.8% completion rate ranks second in FBS. The Golden Gophers are 23.5-point favorites over the Zips at DraftKings, with a total of 49.5 and a moneyline of -3333 for Minnesota and +1350 for Akron.
Below, we'll give you all the details you need to know about how to watch this game. How to Watch Akron vs. Minnesota Players To Watch Broughton, a redshirt freshman, has taken over Akron's starting job and leads the Zips with 338 passing yards and four touchdowns without an interception this season, according to FOX Sports' team stat leaders.
He is also Akron's leading rusher with 153 yards, giving the offense a dual-threat dimension at quarterback rather than a traditional pocket passer. Facing a Minnesota defense that has not seen him before, Broughton's ability to extend plays with his legs adds a variable the Golden Gophers have to account for beyond a standard drop-back look. Playing without an interception so far points to a freshman operating under control early in his career, a trend worth tracking as Akron travels into Big Ten territory.
Akron needs a third-down outlet out of the backfield, and Patrick leads the Zips in receiving yards with 76 this season, according to FOX Sports' team stat leaders, alongside Broughton's dual-threat presence at quarterback. That dual role as both a runner and a receiving option makes him a frequent option in space. Minnesota's defense will have to account for Patrick in coverage as much as between the tackles.
With Akron already leaning on its passing game this season, Patrick's receiving production out of the backfield gives the Zips another way to move the chains against a Big Ten front. Minnesota's passing volume sits with Lindsey, who leads the Golden Gophers with 543 yards this season, well ahead of the rest of the offense, though he has just one passing touchdown and no interceptions so far, according to FOX Sports' team stat leaders. That volume without matching touchdown production points to an offense still finding its rhythm in scoring situations early this season.
Playing at home at Huntington Bank Stadium, Lindsey will look to turn that yardage into more consistent scoring drives against Akron. His clean interception record shows a quarterback protecting the football even as the touchdown total lags behind his overall passing output. Every touch can become a scoring chance for Minnesota when Tracy is on the field.
He leads the Golden Gophers in all-purpose yards with 320 this season, a total built from 149 receiving yards on 12 catches plus 171 yards on punt returns, according to FOX Sports' team stat leaders. Both of his touchdowns this season have come on special teams rather than as a receiver. That combination of receiving volume and return production means Akron's coverage units have to account for Tracy in multiple phases of the game, not just when he lines up at wide receiver.
He enters Saturday as one of the more proven playmakers on Minnesota's roster. Akron vs. Minnesota Odds Want great stories delivered right to your inbox?
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