Football
Big Ten Preseason Previews - No. 11 Minnesota
By Tony GerdemanPredicted Finish 5-7 (1-7)
Two-Cent Overview
The Gophers will again be a very young team fielding an offense with likely only one senior starter. The defense was the focus of the recruiting season and it shows with nine newcomers, including six junior-college transfers in the initial fall two-deep. The special teams return both specialists, but must replace their top punt and kick returner.
Schedule
Aug. 30 Northern Illinois (W)
Sept. 6 at Bowling Green (W)
Sept. 13 Montana State (W)
Sept. 20 Florida Atlantic (W)
Sept. 27 at Ohio State (L)
Oct. 4 Indiana (L)
Oct. 11 at Illinois (L)
Oct. 25 at Purdue (L)
Nov. 1 Northwestern (L)
Nov. 8 Michigan (L)
Nov. 15 at Wisconsin (L)
Nov. 22 Iowa (W)Goal
The Rose Bowl. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, and probably not even the day after that--but one day...
Five Questions Looking For Answers
1. Can quarterback Adam Weber cut down on his turnovers.
2. Is there a workhorse running back on this roster?
3. Does there need to be?
4. When does the recruiting pay dividends?
5. Are the JUCO players ready to go?Something To Look For
Head coach Tim Brewster has promised a more "expanded" Spread Coast Offense. With Adam Weber having an entire season under his feet, he is now poised to digest more of offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar's offense. Weber put up some tremendous numbers last season (617 yards rushing and 2,895 yards passing), and it doesn't look like there are any plans to rein him in. (Unless he keeps throwing interceptions like he did last season--19 total.) What exactly "expanded" means, who knows, but expect an offense that moves the ball better than it did last season, and provided everybody remains healthy, this could be one of the top three offenses in the conference.
Returning Starters
Eight on offense, seven on defense and both the kicker and punter.
Best Player
Wide Receiver Eric Decker. Decker led the team with 67 receptions for 909 yards and 9 touchdowns last season. Included in that was a six catch, 125-yard and two touchdown effort against Wisconsin in one of the Gophers' many near misses. Decker has tremendous hands and is a very strong receiver. His athleticism was evident in the offseason when he tried out for the baseball team and ended up becoming the starting left-fielder, batting .329 over the course of the season.
Second Best Player
Quarterback Adam Weber. Weber took a beating last season. The Gopher offensive line only gave up 13 sacks last season, but that doesn't tell the story of Adam Weber's season. He was learning a new offense on the fly last year, and he was asked to do more than most redshirt freshmen. And Tim Brewster thinks it will pay off this season. Weber, now a redshirt sophomore, was an elected captain and his teammates need to emulate his toughness and tenacity. If Weber cuts down on his turnovers, he could turn out to be one of the conferences best players this season.
Best Chance For a Big Loss
At Ohio State. It's a young team against the exact opposite. The Gophers were last in the nation in defense last year, and while they have addressed that in recruiting, it still takes time for roots to take hold. There are very few roots here, and their hold is very, very weak.
Most Important Game
At Bowling Green. I know what you're thinking: How can a game against a MAC opponent be a Big Ten team's most important game? Well, the Gophers have no hope of winning the Big Ten, and have a very slim chance of winning more than two games in the conference. So, this makes the Bowling Green game a must-win game. If they lose on the road to a MAC team in week two, momentum is shot. However, if they win this game, and then manage to beat Montana State, the Gophers will be 3-0 with their arch-nemesis Florida Atlantic coming to town.
Best Road Game To Pack Up The Family Truckster And Travel To
Having been to four of the five road venues where the Gophers play this season, I would have to say the best place to pack it up and hit the open road would be Purdue. But keep in mind that at Purdue there is no open road for the first six hours following the game. After that, though, smooth intermittent sailing will follow.
Best Reason They Won't Be Undefeated
Youth. This will be a more talented team this season than last, but they're still way too young.
Best Reason They Will Be Undefeated
The Big Ten goes to "Raffle Format" and Minnesota's name is pulled out of a hat.
Game They Shouldn't Lose, But Could
Speaking of picking names out of a hat... They shouldn't lose to Florida Atlantic, but it wouldn't be the first time. Last season, the Owls beat the Gophers 42-39, utilizing a +7 turnover ratio in the process.
Player People Are Expecting Too Much From
Quarterback Adam Weber. They say the greatest leap of talent is from a player's first year to his second. Tim Brewster is echoing that mantra, saying Weber's progression from year one to year two will be strong. A high-powered offense will once again be placed in Weber's hands, but it's an offense with underclassmen lining the two-deep. Sophomore running back Duane Bennett looks to be the heir apparent, but he has exactly one twenty-carry game in his brief career. Eric Decker has been mentioned, but he's the only receiver that you can call experienced. The right side of the offensive line has two redshirt freshman slated to start if we are to believe the depth chart. Yes, Weber looks to be a talented and productive player, but the offense is just so young, that his mistakes (whether they're actually his or not) will be magnified because the Gophers cannot afford the turnovers that they're going to incur.
Player People Will Be Pleasantly Surprised By
Running back Jay Thomas. When healthy, Jay Thomas can be a dynamic back. Unfortunately, he's only been healthy on occasion. Thomas was lost for the year during the North Dakota State game last season. Prior to that, he had shown very well over the previous two weeks and Tim Brewster was looking for a running back that he could rely on. It looked like it was going to be Thomas, until his ACL went AWOL. This season, Thomas gets to try and pick up where he left off. There are plenty of carries available in this offense, and expect Thomas to earn his share.
Best Newcomer
Free Safety Tramaine Brock. Brock is a junior college transfer and one of Brewster's prized recruits. Brock was named an All-American last season and finished the year with seven interceptions. He is already at the top of the depth chart at free safety and much is expected of him this season. He is fast and his stat sheet shows a nose for the ball. The Gophers need to see Brock's skills in full display this season in order to make a move in the Big Ten.
Something They Do Well
Play very balanced defense. Last season in Big Ten play, the Gophers allowed 247.8 yards rushing and 248.5 yards passing per game. Amazing consistency! Expect the consistency to continue, but the numbers should come down with better players and new defensive coordinator Ted Roof in charge. There is no wheel to reinvent here, they just need to smooth out the corners. Literally.
Something They Don't Do So Well
Get over the hump. The Gophers lost six games by a touchdown or less last season. If they can start 4-0, perhaps the momentum and the tantalizing nearness of bowl eligibility will be enough to enable them to reach the top of the hump. Whether or not they'll be able to get over it remains to be seen.
What's Improved?
Talent. There is no question that Tim Brewster is improving the talent level on his team. Just as an example, he has brought in nationally-recruited quarterback Marqueis Gray, and he's likely to redshirt because of the presence of Adam Weber. There aren't many teams that would allow a player like Gray to gather dust for a season. Had Gray arrived a year ago, things would be different. As it stands now, he's going to be waiting for a couple of years for his chance. Also, the players are a year more familiar with the Spread Coast Offense, stupid mistakes are less likely to happen in the abundance in which they happened last season. And the influx of junior college players on defense gives the team experience and a talent-upgrade, which is hard to do with brand new players.
What's Gotten Worse?
Experience on the offensive line. The Gophers return just one full-time starter on the offensive line in left guard D.J. Burris. There are, however, 18 starts from last year spread among the ranks of the depth chart battlers. As of now, there are four redshirt freshmen in the two-deep, though the accuracy of depth charts this early is specious at best.
Anything Else We Should Know About?
Quarterback David Pittman. Pittman is another junior college transfer, but one that doesn't necessarily have a defined position. He led California junior colleges in passing in both of his seasons at Pasadena City College. But he isn't just a quarterback. At 5'11" 185, he is also fast and elusive. In the spring he returned kicks, and it's expected that he'll be part of the wide receiver corps, and also get some carries at quarterback and tailback. If Weber struggles at all, things could get interesting at quarterback this season.
Anything Else?
The starting secondary will be nearly entirely new--which isn't necessarily a bad thing considering last year's secondary gave up 289 yards passing per game. The lone holdover will be strong safety Kyle Theret who started five games as a freshman last season. Cornerback Marcus Sherels moves over from wide receiver, so the fact that he's already at the top of the depth chart tells you what he was up against. The other cornerback will be junior college standout Traye Simmons. And we've already talked about Tramaine Brock. Everybody will have to play to their potential--and a little beyond, to make this one of the best units in the Big Ten.
One Prediction
Michigan at Minnesota will be in the 2009 rotation of the Big Ten Network's replays of the season's best games. (And if you have Time Warner, you still won't be able to see it.)
Did you know (Media Guide factoid)
Quarterback Adam Weber's career touchdown-to-interception ratio of 1.26 (24 touchdowns to 19 interceptions) is good enough for third all-time in Minnesota history. Seriously?
Coach Speak
What they say: "I want kids to know that I care about them as people. If kids genuinely believe you care about them as people, then they're going to give you their heart and soul on Saturday afternoon."
What they mean: "I want starters to know that I care about them as people. If starters genuinely believe you care about them as people, then they're going to give you their heart and soul on Saturday afternoon."
(Tim Brewster's son, Clint--a redshirt freshman quarterback--unable to give his heart and soul to his own father, transferred from Minnesota in June due to a glut of quarterbacks and is currently enrolled at College of the Sequoias.)
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