The Minnesota Gophers won resoundingly against the Rhode Island Rams last Saturday. Besides the win, the team’s biggest benefit from the 48-0 score was the feel-good confidence vibe that they played well and dominated a team per expectations.
They next play the University of Nevada Wolf Pack in another home game at Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday, and once again, they are prohibitive favorites to win. We’ll take a quick look at the game against the Rams and preview the Wolf Pack tilt.
Gophers Roll, and Coach Fleck is Smiling
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After a slow start, the Gophers offense put it in another gear and never slowed down. Transfer quarterback Max Brosmer atoned for his Week 1 struggles with an outstanding performance. Brosmer went 24-30 for 271 passing yards and two touchdown passes. He looked poised and in control as he distributed the ball to nine different Gophers receivers. And the offensive line, which had been so maligned in Week 1, gave him ample time all day to hit his targets.
While the Rams stacked the box when the Gophers attempted to run, it was still great to have celebrated running back Darius Taylor return from the injured list. He and Oklahoma transfer Marcus Major will be a dynamic one-two punch for the Gophers’ offense all season. After the game, when this reporter asked Gophers coach P.J. Fleck about his balanced offense, he said, “I thought today we had a really good flow. It was a really good vibe, and we were always on track. That’s what I felt we did, and what type of team we’re going to have to be, we’re going to have to stay on track.”
Defense and Youth Are a Fine Elixir
The Gophers defense gave Rhode Island’s offense very little room to breathe all day. They kept the Rams double-threat quarterback Devin Farrell in check throughout the game, limiting him to just 76 passing yards and another 9 yards on the ground. Overall, Rhode Island rushed for only 18 yards for the entire game.
And while wide receiver Marquis Buchanan had a nice day for the Rams, the Gophers’ defense was sharp, causing four Rhode Island turnovers. Safety Aidan Gousby had a big interception that shut down a promising second-quarter Rams drive. Freshman Koi Perich made his mark intercepting a ball tipped by Gophers middle linebacker Cody Lindenberg. And Mr. Do Everything Jack Henderson recovered a fumble and returned a fourth-quarter pick-six.
Next Up, Nevada
Nevada comes to Minnesota tomorrow sporting a 1-2 record. However, they do have some offensive weapons that the Gopher defense must contain. Like last week, they will face another dual-action quarterback in the Wolf Pack’s Brendon Lewis. Lewis is 54-81, with 561 passing yards and 5 touchdowns through the air this season. On the ground, he has 44 carries for 232 yards and a touchdown. The defensive priority has to be shutting him down, similar to what they did against Rhode Island’s Farrell.
And they have a balanced attack. Texas transfer Savion Red is a slashing runner who has gained 254 rushing yards this season while posting an impressive 7.5 yards a carry. He did, however, have a costly fumble in the loss to Georga Southern last week. Lewis likes to spread the ball around through the air, but his favorite targets are wideouts Jaden Smith and Cortez Braham Jr.
Nevada’s Defense
Nevada’s strength defensively is up the middle. Linebackers Drue Watts and Tongiaki Mateialona have been very effective at stopping the run through their first three games. The most lethal pass rusher is six-year senior Henry Ikahihifo. And another Texas transfer. safety Kitan Crawford is putting together a fine season for Nevada. He is third on the team with 18 tackles and has solidified a position, missing several key players from last season.
Gophers offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh said this about the Wolf Pack’s defense, “They play with an edge, and I think that’s a credit to their coaching staff. Coach Ioane does an awesome job running that defense, and obviously Coach Choate is involved with it as well. I think they get their guys to play hard because the first thing that you look at when you study of defense is how they run to the football. And those guys run to the football, they play extremely hard.”
“Go Gophers”
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