2002 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

2002 Minnesota Golden Gophers football
Music City Bowl champion
Music City Bowl, W 29–14 vs. Arkansas
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record8–5 (3–5 Big Ten)
Head coach
Co-offensive coordinators
Defensive coordinatorMoe Ankney (2nd season)
Captains
Home stadiumHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
2002 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
No. 1 Ohio State $#+  8 0   14 0  
No. 8 Iowa %+  8 0   11 2  
No. 9 Michigan  6 2   10 3  
No. 16 Penn State  5 3   9 4  
Purdue  4 4   7 6  
Illinois  4 4   5 7  
Minnesota  3 5   8 5  
Wisconsin  2 6   8 6  
Michigan State  2 6   4 8  
Northwestern  1 7   3 9  
Indiana  1 7   3 9  
  • # BCS National Champion
  • $ BCS representative as conference champion
  • % BCS at-large representative
  • + Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2002 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their sixth year under head coach Glen Mason, the Golden Gophers compiled an overall record of 8–5 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, placing seventh in the Big Ten and outscored opponents 376 to 319. Minnesota was invited to the Music City Bowl, where the Golden Gophers defeated Arkansas. The team played home games at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.

Redshirt freshman defensive end Brandon Hall was shot and killed on September 1, 2002 in downtown Minneapolis after a fight that involved teammates and other individuals. Hall's killer was convicted in his murder.