The season pivots after Saturday’s final non-conference game and TMP is tepid as the Gophers head into Big Ten play. With each passing week we learn a little bit more about this team and the expectations for the rest of the season come into focus…at least a little bit.
Saturday’s win over Akron was a little bit comforting because Minnesota did exactly what it was supposed to do. From the opening kickoff, the result of the game never felt in question. The Akron offense was unable to move the ball and posed one minor threat before back-to-back 15-yard penalties moved them back to midfield. And the Gopher offense wasn’t setting any records, but they still managed a 20-point lead at halftime and were in control.
So why did a game where the favored team was in total control throughout feel so much like it was almost a disappointment?
I blame it on the run game.
In the second half of the Mississippi State game, Minnesota didn’t even try to run the football. For the game they finished with 13 total yards rushing, 25 if you factor out Drake Lindsey. With a middle-of-the-pack MAC team coming to your house, one would have expected a concerted effort to re-establish a productive rushing attack, right?
Wrong.
The Gophers managed just 13 yards on 10 carries in the first half and once again looked content to never run the ball again. Six consecutive quarters and officially 26 yards rushing on 25 attempts.
You may recall that the Gophers finished last in the Big Ten in rushing last season. We assumed it had to be an improvement, primarily because it couldn’t get much worse. But it was beginning to look as though it definetely is worse.
Sure, maybe it was difficult to run the ball against Mississippi State. That was a game of poor execution and likely a gameplan that was not sufficient. But to repeat the same production against Akron? It was time to start sounding the alarm bells.
PJ Fleck praised their defensive front and credited Akron for committing to stopping the run.
I think that’s one of the best MAC defensive fronts I’ve seen in the last ten years. I’m not just saying that. The way they move, how big they are, how strong they are, the guys they brought in. They’re really active and very good.
But also, the Zips were routinely playing with six players in the box. With the arm of Drake Lindsey and the way the Gopher receivers were getting open, I’m not exactly buying the idea that the Zips were focused on our vaunted run game.
This became a point of emphasis for my eyes throughout this game. The boxes were light on defenders and the Gophers were unable to generate any rushing attack and it was making me very nervous. Alarm bells.
But then something strange happened. Greg Harbaugh and the Gopher offense flipped the script. With just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter, they committed to running the ball and they blew the top off of this game.
With the starters in the game, the offense ran the ball on 12 consecutive plays and racked up 141 yards and two rushing touchdowns. That stretch included runs of 20, 17 and 71. After the TJ Thomas 71-yard run, it was time for the backups to come in and the running continued. The Gophers did not pass for the rest of the game and ended up with 191 yards rushing.
Now the question is…was this a mirrage? Did the Big Ten offense eventually wear down the MAC defensive front-seven and then the floodgates opened up? Or was there a schematic change that resulted in some success that can put some confidence into this offense as they head to Washintgon next week?
This is where my tepidation comes into play. I think the obvious answer is that it is somewhere in between, but one quarter of successfully running the ball is not enough to instill confidence.
On the other hand, this program routinely instills very little confidence in the non-conference portion of the season. Then they manage to play surprisingly well against a very good team to surprise us all. That is usually followed by Iowa dominating. And then the rest of the season plays out with a path to six or seven wins, including a win over Wisconsin.
This is the floor, unfortunately we keep waiting for a breakout season, even if it it just a singular breakout season.
We may have something special with Drake Lindsey. But until the ground game improves, expect the floor. Until shown otherwise, I’m hoping for the best, but expecting the same.
