Minnesota faces a huge step up in competition in Week 3 when it travels on the road for the first time this season to face the 2-0 California Golden Bears. The Gophers are currently slight favorites in a late-night game that will kick off at 9:30 p.m. CT.

When the Gophers football team played UCLA at Rose Bowl Stadium last October, more than 12,000 maroon-and-gold fans made a pilgrimage to Pasadena, Calif. The appeal of Minnesota not having played

The Golden Gophers and Golden Bears each started 2-0, and the winner should have big things ahead. Here’s the Minnesota vs Cal preview and prediction.

We ask Tony Liebert about QB Drake Lindsey, versatile DB Koi Perich and the Gophers' Big Ten prospects prior to their visit to Cal

So, if you buy into Fleck’s notion that the Gophers could potentially punch a playoff ticket — probably the new bar for what makes for a truly special season at Minnesota — then Saturday is a must win. Frankly, outside of the Oregon and Ohio State dates, they all are.

The 44-year-old Minnesota coach wants an edited string of hustle plays made by his players to be played on a loop at his celebration of life

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/minnesota as After 66-0 loss to Gophers, Northwestern State ranks below Minnesota D3 programs.