Chip Scoggins: Gophers can't pass on opportunities to pass

[BleedGopher]

per Chip:

How about airing it out?

A loss at Nebraska knocked the Gophers out of a first-place tie in the Big Ten West division. With two games remaining, the Gophers need a win and some help to stay in contention.

Saturday’s game against Northwestern at TCF Bank Stadium marks their home finale.

Here are three things the Gophers must accomplish to earn their eighth victory. First, the passing game: One of the more ironic developments for the Gophers this season is that their offense has made dramatic improvement in scoring even though the passing game has provided minuscule production.

The Gophers have increased their scoring average from 22.5 points last season to 31.8 points this season.

They finished 105th nationally in scoring a year ago; they’re ranked 49th now.

http://www.startribune.com/gophers-can-t-pass-on-opportunities-to-pass/401813135/

Go Gophers!!

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

How about airing it out?


Well maybe because we have smith and brooks?

I get folks want to see dramatic change and etc but you also gotta go with your best players too....

It becomes a big problem fast if you pass like mad, fail, and then have to try to play catch up with a running game.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

How about airing it out?


Well maybe because we have smith and brooks?

I get folks want to see dramatic change and etc but you also gotta go with your best players too....

It becomes a big problem fast if you pass like mad, fail, and then have to try to play catch up with a running game.

We have to be able to pass the ball with how we are being defensed. Not being able to pass well is the reason we may lose games, not because we didn't run 80% of the time vs P5 defenses. This has been a problem most years under the KC regime.

 

[GophersInIowa]

I'm not sure what the numbers have shown, but it seems many times we've had success moving the ball early on because we're mixing it up a good amount: Throwing on first downs, mixing in a jet sweep, throwing deep, etc. Then as the game goes on we are getting extremely predictable.

Maybe I'm wrong, it has just felt that way to me.

 

[gopher7]

How about airing it out?


Well maybe because we have smith and brooks?

I get folks want to see dramatic change and etc but you also gotta go with your best players too....

It becomes a big problem fast if you pass like mad, fail, and then have to try to play catch up with a running game.

Smith and brooks combined for 70 yards against Nebraska. They are both really good, but our OL is simply not good enough to control the types of defense we see at the end of the schedule, especially when everyone knows the way to defend us is to commit to stopping the run. If we come out with the mentality that we are going to establish the run, we are going to get stuffed and lose. We need to be able to throw. So you may as well do it early and often to try and catch Northwestern off guard and loosen them up.

 

[Jack jones]

Unless the offensive line eat some "nasty pills" for Saturday, we will have trouble moving the ball. Can't tell you how disappointed I am in the new hires. Perhaps the down fall is the S and C part of the equation. No pressure on QB, no victory.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Smith and brooks combined for 70 yards against Nebraska. They are both really good, but our OL is simply not good enough to control the types of defense we see at the end of the schedule, especially when everyone knows the way to defend us is to commit to stopping the run. If we come out with the mentality that we are going to establish the run, we are going to get stuffed and lose. We need to be able to throw. So you may as well do it early and often to try and catch Northwestern off guard and loosen them up.

I think that's more about adjustments. You could easy out think yourself and go "oh man they're gonna stop us like neb" and pass the game away early too.

 

[Vandy]

Better consider the predicted 17-20 mph NW wind, but agree... some passing always needs to be mixed in.