Thousands of shirtless Minnesota Golden Gophers fans brought the electrifying Norwegian Viking Row to Huntington Bank Stadium on Thursday night, hyping their squad to an absolute 59-7 thrashing of the Eastern Illinois Panthers in their season opener. If you saw the 2026 FIFA World Cup, you know this isn’t just some made-up cheer. This was a *continuous scene* among Norway’s faithful as they stormed into the quarterfinals for the first time ever. Now, Gophers fans have adopted it, banging a drum, simulating rowing a boat, and chanting “row” with thousands of their own out there. It was pure madness.
Gophers Offense Just Said “See Ya!”
When the Gophers hit the field after that wild fan spectacle, they didn’t disappoint. They just dominated, putting up 59 points to Eastern Illinois’ seven. Seriously, 59-7! The ground game was absolutely lethal, racking up 156 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Senior running back Darius Taylor was a beast, punching in three of those scores himself. Talk about setting the tone for the season, right? Junior quarterback Drake Lindsey wasn’t just handing it off either. He threw for 264 yards and one touchdown, posting an insane 185.3 passer rating. He was clinical, completing 19 of 24 passes, good for a ridiculous 79.2% completion rate. The whole offense was just clicking, averaging seven yards per play and out-gaining Eastern Illinois by a mile, 495 total yards to just 110. That’s not just a win, that’s a statement.
Javon Tracy Says “I’ll Take That, Thank You Very Much”
While the offense was cooking, the special teams decided they wanted a piece of the action, too. Fifth-year senior wide receiver Javon Tracy absolutely blew the doors off with two punt return touchdowns. We’re talking highlight-reel stuff! First, he took one back an incredible 87 yards with 2:14 left in the first quarter. Like, seriously, that’s how you kick off a season! And just in case anyone thought it was a fluke, Tracy did it again in the third quarter, cruising 69 yards to the house with 13:26 remaining. Two punt return TDs in one game? That’s the kind of explosive play that makes you jump off your couch.
So, the Gophers rolled over Eastern Illinois and they’ve got a home game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Sept. 12. But the real game Seattle sports fans need to watch is their Big Ten opener on the road against our very own **Washington Huskies** on September 26. These Gophers just showed they’ve got the fan energy, a potent run game, an efficient quarterback, and an electric special teams unit. The Huskies are going to have their hands full with this squad, especially if the Gophers bring that same energy and dominance to the Emerald City. It’s early, but Minnesota just sent a loud message to the rest of the Big Ten, and that includes the Dawgs!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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