BleedGopher
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per Randy:
It's the simplest formula for winning football games but one that's not easily executed against a powerful foe: Keep the ball away from the opponent's offense by using long, time-consuming drives, and on defense, make the opponent take time to score rather than giving up long TD plays.
In Fleck's time as Gophers coach, this approach worked in two of his team's biggest victories: the 2018 game at Wisconsin and the Outback Bowl vs. Auburn following the 2019 season.
2018, Gophers 37, Wisconsin 15: Minnesota entered the road game with 14 consecutive losses in the battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe and was a 10½-point underdog. Instead, the Gophers left Madison victorious after holding the ball for 10:50 of the first quarter and 35:06 to the Badgers' 24:54 for the game.
Minnesota had drives of 10, nine, eight and nine plays in building a 23-7 lead entering the fourth quarter. Then the Gophers delivered the dagger with a 15-play, 55-yard march that lasted 9:16. It ended with a missed field goal, but by munching that much time off the clock, the Gophers guaranteed they'd go home with the Axe. Mohamed Ibrahim did much of the damage, rushing 21 times for 121 yards and one TD.
2020 Outback Bowl, No. 13 Gophers 31, No. 9 Auburn 24: In a game that featured Tyler Johnson's 12-catch, 204-yard, two-TD performance, ball control still was huge for the Gophers against an SEC power that was favored by 6½ points. Minnesota held the ball for 37:35 to Auburn's 22:25, and a dominant fourth-quarter march sealed the win.
Up seven points with 8:38 to play after an Auburn punt, the Gophers never let the Tigers touch the ball again. Minnesota reeled off 16 plays for 68 yards, keyed by a fourth-down conversion from Tanner Morgan to tight end Bryce Witham and Ibrahim's six consecutive rushes — the final one pushing Auburn defenders in a rugby-like scrum. Ibrahim finished with 140 rushing yards and one TD.
"It's a huge emphasis,'' Gophers offensive lineman Blaise Andries said. "… During the fourth quarter against both Wisco and Auburn, we had to pound the ball, get that first down and dominate up front. That's our style of ball.''
Gophers offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. appreciates what those long drives can do, but he knows he must be prepared for any type of game.
"We've got to move the football offensively,'' he said. "We're not going to be thinking about, 'Let's hold onto the ball for X amount of minutes,' because if you start getting tied up with that, you lose sight of where the defense is giving you opportunities.''
2. Get big plays, feast on turnovers
2019, No. 13 Gophers 31, No. 5 Penn State 26: In the signature win of Fleck's Gophers career, Morgan threw TD passes of 66 yards to Rashod Bateman, 21 yards to Chris Autman-Bell and 38 yards to Johnson to beat the Nittany Lions, who were 6½-point favorites. Still, the Gophers needed a pair of interceptions by Antoine Winfield Jr., and one to end the final Penn State threat by Jordan Howden before fans could rush the field.
3. Get a timely special teams score
Flash back to the 2018 win over Wisconsin. With the Gophers up 10-0 with 1:05 left in the first half, Demetrius Douglas returned a punt 69 yards for a TD, a play that became more important when the Badgers cut the lead to 17-7 with one second left before intermission.
Go Gophers!!
How the Gophers might win
1. Become ball hogsIt's the simplest formula for winning football games but one that's not easily executed against a powerful foe: Keep the ball away from the opponent's offense by using long, time-consuming drives, and on defense, make the opponent take time to score rather than giving up long TD plays.
In Fleck's time as Gophers coach, this approach worked in two of his team's biggest victories: the 2018 game at Wisconsin and the Outback Bowl vs. Auburn following the 2019 season.
2018, Gophers 37, Wisconsin 15: Minnesota entered the road game with 14 consecutive losses in the battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe and was a 10½-point underdog. Instead, the Gophers left Madison victorious after holding the ball for 10:50 of the first quarter and 35:06 to the Badgers' 24:54 for the game.
Minnesota had drives of 10, nine, eight and nine plays in building a 23-7 lead entering the fourth quarter. Then the Gophers delivered the dagger with a 15-play, 55-yard march that lasted 9:16. It ended with a missed field goal, but by munching that much time off the clock, the Gophers guaranteed they'd go home with the Axe. Mohamed Ibrahim did much of the damage, rushing 21 times for 121 yards and one TD.
2020 Outback Bowl, No. 13 Gophers 31, No. 9 Auburn 24: In a game that featured Tyler Johnson's 12-catch, 204-yard, two-TD performance, ball control still was huge for the Gophers against an SEC power that was favored by 6½ points. Minnesota held the ball for 37:35 to Auburn's 22:25, and a dominant fourth-quarter march sealed the win.
Up seven points with 8:38 to play after an Auburn punt, the Gophers never let the Tigers touch the ball again. Minnesota reeled off 16 plays for 68 yards, keyed by a fourth-down conversion from Tanner Morgan to tight end Bryce Witham and Ibrahim's six consecutive rushes — the final one pushing Auburn defenders in a rugby-like scrum. Ibrahim finished with 140 rushing yards and one TD.
"It's a huge emphasis,'' Gophers offensive lineman Blaise Andries said. "… During the fourth quarter against both Wisco and Auburn, we had to pound the ball, get that first down and dominate up front. That's our style of ball.''
Gophers offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. appreciates what those long drives can do, but he knows he must be prepared for any type of game.
"We've got to move the football offensively,'' he said. "We're not going to be thinking about, 'Let's hold onto the ball for X amount of minutes,' because if you start getting tied up with that, you lose sight of where the defense is giving you opportunities.''
2. Get big plays, feast on turnovers
2019, No. 13 Gophers 31, No. 5 Penn State 26: In the signature win of Fleck's Gophers career, Morgan threw TD passes of 66 yards to Rashod Bateman, 21 yards to Chris Autman-Bell and 38 yards to Johnson to beat the Nittany Lions, who were 6½-point favorites. Still, the Gophers needed a pair of interceptions by Antoine Winfield Jr., and one to end the final Penn State threat by Jordan Howden before fans could rush the field.
3. Get a timely special teams score
Flash back to the 2018 win over Wisconsin. With the Gophers up 10-0 with 1:05 left in the first half, Demetrius Douglas returned a punt 69 yards for a TD, a play that became more important when the Badgers cut the lead to 17-7 with one second left before intermission.
Gophers-Ohio State preview: Anatomy of an upset
Here's a few ways the Gophers could win — or No. 4 Ohio State could lose — using lessons learned from football games in both teams' recent past.
www.startribune.com
Gophers-Ohio State preview: Anatomy of an upset
Here's a few ways the Gophers could win — or No. 4 Ohio State could lose — using lessons learned from football games in both teams' recent past.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!