It wasn’t pretty, but the Gophers escaped Kent State with a 10-7 win on Saturday. However, the team has its fair share of problems right now, mostly on the offensive side of the ball. Coach Jerry Kill admitted in his press conference that the offensive line is struggling with guard Jon Christenson out, and that some tinkering with the personnel in that unit might happen this week. Christenson’s replacement Joe Bjorklund has also been injured this season, and Kill said he only practices about once a week right now. It’s about simplifying things, he added, mentioning that the coaching staff had gotten feedback from players this week but declining to go into specifics about what that feedback was. Kill was adamant that he wouldn’t single out individuals for criticism, and defended quarterback Mitch Leidner, who was 17/27 for 184 yards, one touchdown, and two picks on Saturday.
Minnesota Football Week 3 Recap and Look Ahead
The Positive
-The Gophers’ defense continues to be outstanding. They held KSU to 79 yards on the ground and 63 through the air, pitching a shutout; the Golden Flashes’ sole touchdown came on defense as they recovered a fumble.
-Kill praised punter Peter Mortell, who punted seven times and averaged just under 42 yards per punt, with a long of 51 yards.
-The offense, for all its struggles, is starting to spread the ball around. Seven different players had at least one reception.
The Negative
-The offense looks to have taken a step backward from the second half against Colorado State. The Gophers rang up just 104 rushing yards, fifteen of them by Leidner. In too many instances, the blocking just wasn’t there.
-Kicker Ryan Santoso made a 42-yard field goal, but missed from 44 with 1:12 to go in the game. He’s got a huge leg, but his consistency- or lack thereof- can be maddening.
The Bottom Line
That one-loss record will be a thing of the past once conference play starts, or maybe even by Sunday, if the offense can’t get it together.
I’m starting to feel like a broken record (ask your parents, kids) but as I’ve said the last two weeks, the Gopher defense just needs to keep doing what they’re doing. The offense needs to find some kind of rhythm in both the passing and running games. I’ll be interested to see if Kill’s tinkering with the offensive line results in better blocking and more success on the ground. The Ohio Bobcats have a lot of experience throughout the lineup on both sides of the ball, so I don’t expect this to be an easy game for Minnesota.
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