Minnesota travels to Lincoln this weekend as the Gophers look for their second straight win. On the line in this game is the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy. (Who says college football fans have no sense of humor?)
Again this week, it’s unclear who will be behind center for the opposition. The Huskers’ Casey Thompson is day-to-day after leaving the team’s last game with an arm injury. Backups Logan Smothers and Chubba Purdy have reportedly split reps evenly in practice. Smothers is considered a better runner, and Purdy is a more polished passer, so the game plan on defense may change slightly depending on who starts. (You may remember Purdy’s brother Brock, formerly of Iowa State, now with the San Francisco 49ers).
Take the Ball Away
In the Gopher backfield, the plan should be to keep doing what they’ve been doing- namely, taking the ball away. Nebraska is one of six teams with 12 interceptions this season. Only Utah State and Texas Tech have more. Add in the possibility of an inexperienced quarterback starting, and Justin Walley and the company must be salivating. But the biggest threat on the Husker offense is running back Anthony Grant. He has 743 rushing yards and six touchdowns. It’s a safe bet Nebraska will want to run the ball a lot, especially if Thompson can’t go, so the 16th-best run defense in FBS needs to get ready.
Give It To Mo
As for the Minnesota offense, we’re starting to sound like a broken record, but just give it to number 24. Nebraska’s run defense ranks 115th in FBS, and Mohamed Ibrahim seemingly gets better every week. He ran for 159 yards and three touchdowns in the blanking of Rutgers. The offensive line, an area of concern coming into the season with four new starters, has been a pleasant surprise (for the most part). The Huskers struggle against the pass too (110th), so the Gophers should continue the trend of involving Brevyn Spann-Ford in the passing game. Spann-Ford racked up some nice stats during the three-game losing streak; maybe the Gophers could start getting him involved before they have no choice but to throw. It would be great if this game could help Dylan Wright get back on track as well, much like the Rutgers game seemed to do for Daniel Jackson (six catches, 51 yards). And no turnovers!
Bottom Line:
This is by no means a sure win for the Gophers. On the off chance, Nebraska manages to bottle up Ibrahim, things could get dicey. However, it is a winnable game. The Minnesota defense is playing very well this season, save for the second half against Penn State. The offense needs to play smart football, avoid turnovers, and get yards on the ground as the Gophers look for their second straight win.
