Gophers pound Toledo

The Gophers got off to a bad start. Really! The offense was stopped three-and-out in the first series of the game. However, Rhys Lloyd changed everything on the next play. He received the snap and went into his rugby-style side motion, presumably to punt the ball. Rhys saw an opening and ran 21 yards for a first down. Sophomore quarterback Bryan Cupito got the offense going and the Gophers scored the first touchdown of the game.

The Rockets, with their high-powered passing attack, were not flustered responding with a TD on the next series. Bruce Gradkowski connected on a 25-yard pass down the middle on what looked like a broken play. Toledo definitely bent and broke from there. The Minnesota offense was unstoppable, scoring 42 points on their first six possessions.

The question mark at quarterback was answered last might with a resounding “œYES”. Cupito passed like no other QB we have seen at Minnesota for a very long time. Cupito’s 10-for-12 passing for 279 yards was a clear indication of how on he was last night. It seemed every pass was laid in the hands of the receiver like a gift from above. Cupito’s effectiveness was indeed a key to this blowout. The Toledo defense was “œcheating” against the run early and it was working. Cupito changed everything.

The Gopher running attack opened up from there. Four Minnesota running backs had over 75 yards rushing. Laurence Maroney led the way with 108 yards, two touchdowns, and an average of 7.7 yards a carry ““ a career day for anyone but Maroney.

Another very pleasant surprise was the defense. Make no mistake. Toledo does have a very dangerous offense. Their short passing game can be deadly and we all know how vulnerable the Gopher defense has been against that. This game had all the earmarks of an offensive slugfest, but the Gopher defense wasn’t having any of it. Never mind the 14 points the Rockets scored late in the fourth quarter. The first team defense, and even the reserves, shut the door when it mattered. Trumaine Banks was one of the leading tacklers for the Gophers and also had one of the biggest hits of the game. The only possible negative: The pass rush appeared to be a little weak but that could be explained by the defense having to play Toledo’s short passing game.

Yes, the offense, defense, and special teams were all in midseason form last night. With 42 points on the board at halftime the Gophers had every chance to surpass the 66 points they put up against Murray State in 2001. However, Glen Mason called off the dogs for the remainder of the game.

The 45,144 who came to the game last night made up the second largest home crowd during the Mason era. About 55,000 saw the Gophers dismantle Iowa State in 1997. It was a spirited crowd that definitely got its money’s worth. It was great seeing all the high school football players in the jerseys last night. No doubt, the Gophers won a few fans last night. However, the attendance is still not up to Big Ten Standards. This team needs and deserves attendance over 60,000 for each and every game to reach that standard.

Last night this Gopher squad looked like they were on a serious quest. They sought and obtained revenge for the debacle in Toledo of 2001. This team definitely looked ready to be a serious contender in the Big Ten.