Getty Tyler Johnson of the Minnesota Golden Gophers celebrates a second half touchdown with Ko Kieft.
FCS powerhouse South Dakota State takes to the road to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers in each team’s season opener on Thursday night.
The game is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET and will be televised on Fox Sports 1. If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of the game on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV Stick or other streaming device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
Fox Sports 1 is one of the 95-plus live TV channels included in the main FuboTV bundle, which is largely tailored towards sports.
You can start a free seven-day trial of FuboTV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which will allow you to watch the game on-demand within three days of its conclusion, even if you don’t record it.
Hulu With Live TV comes with Hulu’s extensive on-demand library of TV shows and movies and 60-plus live TV channels, including Fox Sports 1.
You can sign up for Hulu with Live TV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu With Live TV comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as the option to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of space and the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
Sling TV’s “Sling Blue” bundle comes with 25-plus live TV channels, including Fox Sports 1.
You can start a free seven-day trial of Sling TV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the Sling TV app. You can also watch the game on the ESPN app if you sign in using your Sling TV credentials.
If you can’t watch live, cloud DVR is available as an add-on.
South Dakota State vs Minnesota Preview
South Dakota State has emerged as one of the FCS’ elite programs. Making a quarterfinals appearance in the FCS playoffs in 2016, SDSU has followed that up with back to back semifinal appearances. Despite losing arguably the best quarterback in school history, Taryn Christion, the Jackrabbits return an offense loaded with talent at the skill positions. J’Bore Gibbs is likely to see the bulk of the reps at quarterback in Christian’s absence – though likely there won’t be much responsibility given to whoever takes over as the Jackrabbits look to lean heavily on an excellent run game. For what it might be worth, Gibbs – a redshirt freshman – has received high praise from his coaches and teammates on his quick development and maturation so far.
Defensively, the Jackrabbits return most of what was a very good defense last season. Led by linebacker and All-American Christian Rozeboom, the Jackrabbits look to build on a year that saw them post consistently strong defensive performances. While they get a tough first matchup in an FBS team, the game could serve as a coming-out party for an extremely talented unit and help set the tone for the rest of the season.
Minnesota comes in with a somewhat typical Minnesota football team. They have quality depth at running back and some big run-blocking offensive linemen to clear the way – both staples of a Minnesota (or really almost any Big 10) team. However, this year the Golden Gophers look to feature a much more dynamic pass attack with a deep and talented corps of wide receivers. Tyler Johnson is a legitimate NFL prospect and is adept at finding openings in coverage to gouge the defense. While initially a deep-ball specialist, Johnson has turned himself into a threat to get open and rack up yards anywhere on the field. If the Gophers can get some consistent quarterback play, the offense could develop into something special.
On the other side of the football, the Gophers had a mixed bag last season. Despite stumbling out of the gates, the unit finished with a string of quality showings to close out the season. Carter Coughlin did an excellent job at penetrating the line and racking up sacks last season but needs a bit more help from the rest of the front seven to help apply pressure. Especially after such a strong season, opposing offensive lines will almost certainly be focusing on taking him out of plays – forcing the rest of the unit to step up and earn their keep.