1983 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

American college football season

1983 Minnesota Golden Gophers football

Conference| Big Ten Conference
Record| 1–10 (0–9 Big Ten)
Head coach|

* Joe Salem (5th season)

Defensive coordinator| Chuck Dickerson[1]
MVP| Randy Rasmussen
Captain| Randy Rasmussen
Home stadium| Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

Seasons

<- 1982

1984 ->

1983 Big Ten Conference football standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 10 Illinois $  | 9  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 10  | - | 2  | - | 0
No. 8 Michigan | 8  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 3  | - | 0
No. 14 Iowa | 7  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 3  | - | 0
No. 9 Ohio State | 6  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 3  | - | 0
Wisconsin | 5  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 4  | - | 0
Purdue | 3  | - | 5  | - | 1 |  |  | 3  | - | 7  | - | 1
Michigan State | 2  | - | 6  | - | 1 |  |  | 4  | - | 6  | - | 1
Indiana | 2  | - | 7  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 8  | - | 0
Northwestern | 2  | - | 7  | - | 0 |  |  | 2  | - | 9  | - | 0
Minnesota | 0  | - | 9  | - | 0 |  |  | 1  | - | 10  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion

Rankings from AP Poll

The 1983 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fifth and final year under head coach Joe Salem, the Golden Gophers compiled a 1–10 record and were outscored by their opponents by a combined total of 518 to 181.[2]

Offensive tackle Randy Rasmussen received the team's Most Valuable Player award, while tight end Jay Carroll was named offensive MVP, and linebacker Peter Najarian was named the defensive MVP. Najarian was named All-Big Ten second team. Najarian and split end Fred Hartwig were named Academic All-Big Ten.[3]

Total attendance for the season was 243,674, which averaged to 48,734. The season high for attendance was against Wisconsin, although the game against Nebraska drew only two people less.[4]

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Opponent| Site| Result| Attendance| Source

|
|
|
|
|

September 10| at Rice*|

* Rice Stadium
* Houston, TX

| W 21–17| 10,000| [5]
September 17| No. 1 Nebraska*|

* Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
* Minneapolis, MN (rivalry)

| L 13–84| 62,687| [6]
September 24| Purdue|

* Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
* Minneapolis, MN

| L 20–32| 41,839| [7]
October 1| at No. 8 Ohio State|

* Ohio Stadium
* Columbus, OH

| L 18–69| 89,192| [8]
October 8| at Indiana|

* Memorial Stadium
* Bloomington, IN

| L 31–38| 41,111| [9]
October 15| Wisconsin|

* Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
* Minneapolis, MN (rivalry)

| L 17–56| 62,689| [10]
October 22| at Northwestern|

* Dyche Stadium
* Evanston, IL

| L 8–19| 21,411| [11]
October 29| at Michigan State|

* Spartan Stadium
* East Lansing, MI

| L 10–34| 76,481| [12]
November 5| No. 6 Illinois|

* Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
* Minneapolis, MN

| L 23–50| 35,514| [13]
November 12| No. 9 Michigan|

* Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
* Minneapolis, MN

| L 10–58| 40,945| [14]
November 19| at No. 11 Iowa|

* Kinnick Stadium
* Iowa City, IA (rivalry)

| L 10–61| 66,160| [15]

* *Non-conference game
* Homecoming
* Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

## Roster

[edit]

* C Randy Rasmussen

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Vintage Clip of Marv Levy Eviscerating Coach He Fired Made For Great TV". SI. August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
2. ^ "1983 Minnesota Golden Gophers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
3. ^ Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), pp. 179–182179-182&rft.date=2007&rft.aulast=Keiser&rft.aufirst=Jeff&rft_id=http://www.gophersports.com//pdf6/80499.pdf?SPSID=39281&SPID;=3280&DB;_OEM_ID=8400&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:1983+Minnesota+Golden+Gophers+football+team" class="Z3988">[permanent dead link‍]
4. ^ Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), p. 160[permanent dead link‍]
5. ^ "97-yard drive rallies "U" to 21–17 win". Star Tribune. September 11, 1983. Retrieved December 30, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ "Huskers rip Gophers 84–13". Grand Forks Herald. September 18, 1983. Retrieved February 24, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "Reserve, Purdue top Gophers 32–20". The Forum. September 25, 1983. Retrieved February 24, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ "Ohio State, Byars rip Gophers 69–18". Grand Forks Herald. October 2, 1983. Retrieved February 24, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ "Indiana outlasts Minnesota 38–31". The Forum. October 9, 1983. Retrieved February 24, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ "Badgers pummel Gophers". Wisconsin State Journal. October 16, 1983. Retrieved February 24, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
11. ^ "Rain or shine, Gophers can't win". The Duluth News Tribune. October 23, 1983. Retrieved February 24, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ "Michigan State rips Gophers". The Winona Daily News. October 30, 1983. Retrieved February 24, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
13. ^ "Illini explode after scare". Chicago Tribune. November 6, 1983. Retrieved February 24, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
14. ^ Joe Lapointe (November 13, 1983). "Michigan buries Gophers, 58-10". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1C, 13C - via Newspapers.com.
15. ^ "Iowa blasts Gophers 61–10". The Albert Lea Tribune. November 20, 1983. Retrieved February 24, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.

* v
* t
* e

Minnesota Golden Gophers football

Venues|

* Athletic Park (1892–1898)
* University of Minnesota Armory (1892–1898)
* Northrop Field (1899–1923)
* Memorial Stadium (1924–1981)
* Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (1982–2008)
* Huntington Bank Stadium (2009–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Iowa
* Michigan: Little Brown Jug
* Nebraska
* Penn State: Governor's Victory Bell
* Wisconsin

Culture & lore|

* Goldy Gopher
* Marching band
* Spirit squad
* "Minnesota Rouser"
* "Minnesota March"
* "Go Gopher Victory"
* "Minnesota Fight"
* "Our Minnesota"
* "Hail! Minnesota"
* "Battle Hymn of the Republic"
* Minnesota shift
* T formation
* Smith of Minnesota

People|

* Head coaches
* Annual awards
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* 1882
* 1883
* 1884–1885
* 1886
* 1887
* 1888
* 1889
* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
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* 1911
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* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
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* 1922
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* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
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* 1931
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* 1933
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* 1935
* 1936
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* 1939
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* 1941
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* 1943
* 1944
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* 1946
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National championship seasons in bold
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf.]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number