Travelin’ Gophers enjoy lunch in Floyd on way to big game

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

The Minnesota Gophers weren’t able to reclaim the “Floyd of Rosedale” trophy Saturday, but a busload of their biggest fans was able to spend some time in the city of Floyd on Friday.

About 50 maroon-and-gold-clad Gopher fans stopped at Dugan’s Restaurant in Floyd Friday for lunch with the mayor, some City Council members and other local residents.

“Where else would you go?” Gopher fan Steve Erban asked. “There’s no place better than the county of Floyd, and the city of Floyd.”

Steve and his wife, Dorothy Erban, are part of Creative Charters, a motor coach service that has taken the “Travelin’ Gophers” to every away football game, and every bowl game, since 1992. Friday was the third time the group has made a stop in Floyd, the first time they dined at Dugan’s.

“With the Floyd of Rosedale trophy on the line, it only makes sense to stop in Floyd,” Erban said. He said that since Minnesota hasn’t won at Iowa since 1999, the Travelin’ Gophers needed to “pull out every stop.”

“This is, maybe, the biggest game the Gophers have played in 50 years, because of what it means,” Erban said. “It’s a trip to the Rose Bowl if we win this game.”

The Floyd of Rosedale trophy, introduced in 1935, is a 98-pound bronze trophy in the shape of a pig which is awarded to the winner of the Iowa-Minnesota game each year. By tradition, the victor is entitled to keep the trophy until the following year’s contest.

The name of the trophy actually has nothing to do with the city of Floyd, which was named for Charles Floyd from the Lewis and Clark expedition. The Floyd of Rosedale pig was named for Floyd Olson, the Minnesota governor at the time of the original bet between the two states. The original live pig came from Rosedale Farms in Fort Dodge.

Erban said he thought the Gophers — unbeaten and ranked in the top 10 heading into Saturday’s game in Iowa City — had a “helluva shot” of winning Floyd back. Unfortunately for the Travelin’ Gophers, the Hawkeyes held off a Minnesota comeback Saturday and took a 23-19 win to keep Floyd in Iowa.

Erban said that regardless of whether the Gophers win or lose, the trips to different communities are something of a goodwill tour for the Travelin’ Gophers. He said it’s good for people from Minnesota and people from Iowa to get together and get to know each other.

“These are hard-working people that are making this a good community,” he said. “Our final goal, if you cut through the mustard, is we want the mayor to cheer for Minnesota tomorrow.”

Floyd Mayor Trevis O’Connell wouldn’t commit to cheering for Minnesota, although he didn’t completely rule it out.

“Oh, I don’t know, could be. It might be good luck if I did,” O’Connell said.

O’Connell said that he enjoyed the company of the Gopher fans, and appreciated them stopping in Floyd.

“I think it’s really nice,” he said. “We’ve got a nice restaurant here, and this is the third time they’ve been here. We may be Hawkeye fans, but they have taken the trophy back a few times.”

Erban said that the group took a tour of Floyd and the surrounding area before they stopped at Dugan’s for lunch.

“We tour every town we come to,” Erban said. “Things have changed in Floyd, like they do in Minneapolis, but I can see that the streets are all paved, so I think things are pretty good here right now.”