The Minnesota Gophers Football team travels to Piscataway, New Jersey, today to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a game contrasting two teams heading in different directions. After a 4-0 start, Rutgers has now dropped four straight, including a 42-20 drubbing by USC two weeks ago.
Conversely, the Gophers could not be hotter as they are going after their fifth straight win. Included in this streak are wins over two Top 25 ranked teams: the USC Trojans and last week against the previously #25th ranked team, the Illinois Fighting Illini
Many individuals are linking these teams together, starting with the Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, who was at the helm of the Gophers offense last season. Rutgers offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca has coached for eight years under Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck at two different institutions.
And the teams have swapped defensive coordinators. Coach Greg Schiano also hired Rutgers defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak away from Fleck after the 2021 season. And Fleck returned the favor by hiring Harasymiak assistant Corey Hetherman as the Gophers’ defensive coordinator this past offseason. Rutgers is looking for respectability, and the Gophers hope to improve their Bowl position. Here’s the matchup.
Gophers Offense vs. Illini Defense
Quarterback Max Brosmer leads an inspired Gophers offense. He has completed 191-280 passes for 1,989 yards and 13 passing touchdowns. He also has four rushing touchdowns so far this season. His favorite receivers are Daniel Jackson and Elijah Spencer, who have combined 90 catches, over 1,000 receiving yards, and 7 touchdowns through nine games.
The second leading receiver on the team is running back Darius Taylor, with 43 receptions and 2 touchdowns. And increasingly, Brosmer has been calling on his tight ends Jameson Geers and Nick Kalllerup, especially in critical third-down situations. And while it has been slow for the Gopher’s rushing attack to date, Taylor ripped off 131 yards and a touchdown last week against the Fighting Illini.
Marcus Major is a competent second option and a threat in the passing game. All-American candidate tackle Aireontae Ersery and the versatile Quinn Carroll lead the improving offensive line.
Injuries have decimated the Rutgers defense. Linebacker Mohamed Toure, who led the team in sacks and tackles for loss last season, is out for the entire 2024 campaign with a torn ACL. The other starting linebacker, Tyreem Powell, is injured again after missing the beginning of the season with an Achilles injury.
And now the Scarlet Knights have also seen defensive linemen Aaron Lewis and Wesley Bailey and defensive backs Flip Dixon, Eric Rogers, and Robert Longerbeam slowed because of injuries. Powell and Lewis will be counted on to lead the defensive effort today against Minnesota.
Gophers Defense vs. Illini Offense
The book on Kaliakamanis has not changed much. After a fantastic start, he has fallen back into his pattern of tossing the ball effectively down the field but also missing on some short and intermediate passes. He is an effective running threat, but his decisiveness as a field general is still limited. When he goes to the air, his favorite targets are wideout Dymere Miller (37 receptions) and tight end Kenny Fletcher (20 receptions).
But Rutgers is in a world of hurt on offense because star running back Kyle Monangai will miss the game. He left the USC game with an undisclosed injury. They will deeply miss his 931 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
And they are also playing without his backup, Samuel Brown. The task of leading the Scarlet Knights’ rushing attack will now be entrusted to freshman Antwan Raymond, who has gained 179 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns this season.
The Gophers’ defense is a perfect mix of youth and experience, and they have been a major factor in the team’s turnaround. The Gophers are second in the FBS with 15 interceptions, and the team is led by true freshman Koi Perich with five.
Freshman safety Kerry Brown has made a couple of big stops on rushing plays that have been a catalyst for this defense. Minnesota is also aided by their talented starting cornerbacks, Justin Walley and Ethan Robinson.
Inside linebacker Cody Lindenberg has been all over the field this season, leading the team with 62 tackles while providing valuable senior leadership to the more youthful members of the defense. And Jah Joyner leads the Gopher’s pass rush.
The unit does not look statistically dominant, but they have been quite effective at pressuring and getting hits on opposing quarterbacks. Joyner leads the team in sacks with 4.5, with Jack Henerson right behind him with 3.5.
Tease
Bowl options for the Gophers include the Citrus Bowl, the ReliaQuest Bowl, Duke’s Mayo Bowl, the Music City Bowl, the Pinstripe Bowl, the Rate Bowl, and the GameAbove Sports Bowl, depending on their final record.
The Gophers/Rutgers game kickoff time is 11:oo am CST at SHI Stadium.
