Athan Kaliakmanis got his revenge against the Gophers

Kaliakmanis came ready to play on Saturday against Minnesota.

Nov 9, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) throws a touchdown pass during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis made 17 starts at Minnesota from 2022-23. He opted to enter the transfer portal this offseason and he stayed within the Big Ten and decided to join former Gophers offensive coordinator Kirk Cirrocca at Rutgers.

There were a lot of rumors about his decision to leave Minnesota, but ultimately it seemed like a mutual choice between both parties. The Gophers opted to replace him with a more experienced Max Brosmer from New Hampshire.

Saturday's game was Kaliakmanis' first chance to get revenge, as Rutgers hosted the Gophers in a pivotal Big Ten clash. He clearly played with something to prove, as it was arguably his best performance in a Scarlet Knights uniform.

Kaliakmanis was 17-33 for 240 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. It was his third time with three touchdown passes this season and his fourth time with at least 240 passing yards. The combination of both made it one of his most complete performances this year.

"Athan made some really nice throws and they made some really nice catches. They executed at a high level," Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck said after the game. "We kept things in front of us. There was one down at the goal line that they hit. That was contested, kid makes a really good catch, Athan makes a really good throw."

Roughly 11 months after Kaliakmanis entered the transfer portal, I think both he and the Gophers are happy with how things turned out. Brosmer has proven to be an important pickup for Minnesota's offense and Kaliakmanis is still a starting quarterback in the Big Ten.

Minnesota's frustrating loss to Rutgers was due to much more than Kaliakmanis' solid performance. But, when this year's schedule came out, people immediately pointed at this game due to all of the connections. Today's game showed that Kaliakmanis is a talented quarterback and fit can dramatically impact a player's development.