Worst Gophers upset ever? Among the worst in recent decades, at least

Saturday's Gophers loss to Bowling Green goes down as one of Minnesota's worst upsets of the past several decades. A closer look:

Gophers' worst losses under P.J. Fleck, based on point spread

2021 vs. Bowling Green, 31-point favorite, lost 14-10

2020 at Maryland, 20-point favorite, lost 45-44

2018 at Illinois, 9-point favorite, lost 55-31

2017 vs. Maryland, 13-point favorite, lost 31-24

Source: Phil Steele's College Football Preview Magazine

Other notable Gophers football upsets of recent decades

* In 1982, Northwestern defeated the Gophers 31-21 in Evanston, Ill. The Wildcats were 30-point underdogs and had lost their previous 38 Big Ten games.

* In 2010, South Dakota defeated Minnesota at TCF Bank Stadium 41-38. There was no point spread listed at the time for an FCS vs. FBS matchup.

* In 2007, Bowling Green defeated the Gophers 32-31 in overtime, spoiling Tim Brewster's debut as Gophers coach. The Falcons were 14-1/2-point underdogs.

Other notable upsets in modern college football history

* In 2017, Howard defeated UNLV 43-40 in Las Vegas. An FCS team, Howard entered as a 45-point underdog,

* In 2007, Stanford defeated USC 24-23 in Los Angeles. The Cardinal, coached by Jim Harbaugh, was listed as an underdog against Pete Carroll's Trojans by 39 to 41 points.

* Earlier in 2007, Appalachian State defeated Michigan 34-32 in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Wolverines were ranked No. 5 nationally, and this was the first time an FCS team defeated an FBS team. Michigan was widely considered the favorite by 31 to 33 points.