BleedGopher
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per Chip:
Kirk Ciarrocca gathered the Gophers offensive players last January to dissect their season. He put their statistics on a board for them to see.
He should have handed out vomit bags.
“It was horrifying,” the Gophers offensive coordinator said.
They ranked 108th nationally in scoring offense, 122nd in passing offense, 123rd in total offense.
That’s out of 130 FBS teams, meaning the Gophers had one of the worst offenses in college football last season.
Ciarrocca didn’t run from it. Or sugarcoat it. If his players didn’t already know it, those statistics confirmed it.
“I told them, we stink,” Ciarrocca said. “That’s the truth. Those are the facts. Now, what are we going to do about it?”
Here’s what: tied for 67th in scoring offense and 87th in total offense this season.
Those are pedestrian numbers on the surface, but seismic improvement based on where they started. The Gophers averaged a touchdown more per game despite playing almost the entire season without two of their best players — running backs Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks — and a two-deep filled with freshman.
P.J. Fleck’s daily reminders about his team’s youth became a broken record, but his plan went deeper than even he originally envisioned because of injuries.
The Gophers likely will start eight freshmen on offense in Wednesday’s Quick Lane Bowl, including quarterback Tanner Morgan and three linemen.
That’s hardly ideal in the present tense, but a payoff should come as soon as next season.
http://www.startribune.com/gophers-offense-made-huge-strides-from-awful-2017-season/503486562/
Go Gophers!!
Kirk Ciarrocca gathered the Gophers offensive players last January to dissect their season. He put their statistics on a board for them to see.
He should have handed out vomit bags.
“It was horrifying,” the Gophers offensive coordinator said.
They ranked 108th nationally in scoring offense, 122nd in passing offense, 123rd in total offense.
That’s out of 130 FBS teams, meaning the Gophers had one of the worst offenses in college football last season.
Ciarrocca didn’t run from it. Or sugarcoat it. If his players didn’t already know it, those statistics confirmed it.
“I told them, we stink,” Ciarrocca said. “That’s the truth. Those are the facts. Now, what are we going to do about it?”
Here’s what: tied for 67th in scoring offense and 87th in total offense this season.
Those are pedestrian numbers on the surface, but seismic improvement based on where they started. The Gophers averaged a touchdown more per game despite playing almost the entire season without two of their best players — running backs Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks — and a two-deep filled with freshman.
P.J. Fleck’s daily reminders about his team’s youth became a broken record, but his plan went deeper than even he originally envisioned because of injuries.
The Gophers likely will start eight freshmen on offense in Wednesday’s Quick Lane Bowl, including quarterback Tanner Morgan and three linemen.
That’s hardly ideal in the present tense, but a payoff should come as soon as next season.
http://www.startribune.com/gophers-offense-made-huge-strides-from-awful-2017-season/503486562/
Go Gophers!!