Gophers cruise to a 46-7 win

Less than two minutes into the game Laurence Maroney ran 38 yards for a touchdown. Maroney followed that up with a 37-yard TD on the Gophers’ next possession. Maroney had over 100 yards rushing by halftime, which has become routine lately. Garry Russell then got into the action with a 47-yard TD on the team’s third possession. The onslaught continued in the second quarter, resulting in a 40-0 halftime lead. The Minnesota subs played for the most part in the second half and the Gophers cruised to a 46-7 win.

Yes, this was the most over-matched team the Gophers have played maybe since the Murray State game in 2001. Florida Atlantic definitely looked like a newcomer to Division I-A. Apparently, the Gophers took to heart Glen Mason’s criticisms after their blowout win last week against Colorado State. This was a sharp performance and we have seen sluggish performances before against teams like this, as was the case last year against Illinois State.

The Gopher offense was not just about running. Bryan Cupito was effective passing, completing 10-of-17 passes. Maroney played a key role there too. He had 55 yards receiving, including one for a touchdown, giving him a total of 200 all-purpose yards. Logan Payne led the receivers with four receptions and Jared Ellerson had 88 yards receiving, which includes a 56-yard catch for a touchdown.

The overall offensive statistics were very similar to what was compiled in the first two games. Minnesota had nearly 600 yards in total offense with 349 of them coming on the ground. The offense averaged 7.3 yards per play. When the starters played in the first half the offense scored on all seven of their possessions. In the second half the ground game continued strong and passes were rare. Amir Pinnix looked good rushing and nearly had 100 yards of his own. Tony Mortensen threw four incomplete passes in the second half and Mike Maceijowski didn’t throw a single pass.

Defensively, the Gophers were just as dominating. The Owls didn’t come close to scoring in the first half. The Gopher backups did not have the letdown they did last week. FAU improved their first downs to only eight in the second half, from five against the Gopher starters. Brandon Owens continued to look like the superstar on defense with a team-leading 10 tackles. Mike Sherels followed up his terrific game last week with seven tackles. Trumaine Banks’ interception was the only turnover forced by the defense.

The only nagging concern coming out of this game regards one of the most routine things in football, the extra point. Jason Giannini missed two of them after missing three last week. Oddly enough, Giannini is 5-for-5 on field goals this year. He has also been very effective kicking off. Apparently, the extra points are a mental thing with him, as there appears to be nothing else going wrong on those plays.

Well, a game like this doesn’t tell you too much, other than the Gophers are taking every opponent seriously. Next week the real fun begins against Purdue. The way this Big Ten is looking, with Indiana even at 3-0 and the expected top three contenders (Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa) all with a loss, the Gophers have a real chance to win every game or they could lose every game.