Five Gophers Football Storylines That Will Continue to Unfold in Week Two

[GopherHole Staff]

Five Gophers Football Storylines That Will Continue to Unfold in Week Two
By Luke Gildemeister

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/551246?referrer_id=

In front of a standing-room only crowd at TCF Bank Stadium, the Minnesota Gophers hung around with second-ranked Texas Christian University in week one. The game, although a small sample size, provided plenty of intrigue and thick plotlines heading into week two of the season. Here are five storylines to look for when the Gophers travel to face Colorado State in Fort Collins on Saturday:

Offensive Line Issues
TCU’s defensive line simply exploited Minnesota’s offensive line issues in week one. The left side, which is essential because it covers Leidner’s blindside, looked especially weak with senior Josh Campion absent due to concussion symptoms. Hopefully Campion and fellow offensive lineman Ben Lauer can return to full health shortly, because they are keys to the entire offensive operation.

The Primary Ball-Carrier is…
Redshirt freshman Rodney Smith seems to be the logical answer heading into week two. He ran for 88 yards on 16 carries against TCU, averaging an impressive 5.5 yards per carry. Senior Rodrick Williams Jr. saw just nine carries throughout the game. His longest rush of the night was eight yards, and his goal line fumble proved to be costly. His downhill running style seems to fit best, ironically, in the red zone. I am curious as to where the coaching staff will use Williams on Saturday.

Quarterback Play
Keep the imaginary pitchforks at home for now. Mitch Leidner had an average game, completing 19 of 35 passes for 197 yards and one touchdown. He ran for an additional 23 yards and actually had a chance to lead his offense on a game-winning drive in the final seconds. It doesn’t take an elite college football mind to assume that Leidner’s play will improve with a more consistent offensive line and less dropped passes from wideouts.

Gritty Defense
Is it just me, or was that defensive performance extremely encouraging? Similar to the 2014 season, the Gopher defense played downright solid. Minnesota forced two TCU turnovers and limited the effect of receiving weapons Josh Doctson and Kolby Listenbee. Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell could have had an interception that may have changed the narrative of the game. This defense has the potential to be elite, and it should be exciting to see how well it will contain Colorado State receiver Rashard Higgins in week two.

Offensive Playmakers Needed
Senior KJ Maye led the way in week one, totaling 73 yards and one touchdown on four receptions. Redshirt sophomore Eric Carter led the younger receivers with four receptions for 25 yards. If Melvin Holland Jr., Isaiah Gentry and Jeff Jones can soon enter the picture, it seems like Minnesota will have some plausible offensive options. After one week, however, nobody has really emerged. Patience please, people. Look for the receiving core to gain more separation in week two against a manageable defense.

I’m sure there are many more topics we could spend time analyzing. But with only one chapter of the 2015 novel complete, these subjects struck me as the most urgent. No college football team in the nation is without some sort of issue(s) at this point, but improving in some of the areas mentioned above will help the Gophers immensely in week two.

 

[Stan]

Another good read Luke. Fair analysis on Mitch, O-line, etc. Agreed on the need for playmakers. It will make everyone look better.

 

[Mulligan]

Quarterback Play
Keep the imaginary pitchforks at home for now. Mitch Leidner had an average game, completing 19 of 35 passes for 197 yards and one touchdown. He ran for an additional 23 yards and actually had a chance to lead his offense on a game-winning drive in the final seconds. It doesn’t take an elite college football mind to assume that Leidner’s play will improve with a more consistent offensive line and less dropped passes from wideouts.

So you're saying there are a whole bunch of GH'ers who aren't elite college football minds? I'll be damned. Great analysis by the way.

 

[nsmike]

Along with the pitchforks they need to stow the tar, feathers, rail and torches. Mitch played a decent game, not great, but not bad either.

 

[Go4]

thx for the article.

i really hope we aren't battling ongoing nagging injuries on the o-line all season. that can be hard to deal with each week.

 

[denguegopher]

I too want to see how Rodrick is handled. He fumbled once, I don't think that he should be buried for that.

 

[Iceland12]

I too want to see how Rodrick is handled. He fumbled once, I don't think that he should be buried for that.

Dropping the pass didn't help him either.

 

[matt]

Dropping the pass didn't help him either.

Neither did his low YPC.

 

[killme]

Way too calm, concise, clear, and well thought out, Luke. Aren't we supposed to wave our arms and scream about the sky falling? We lost! We haven't won a game all year. We may never win. All our players are pathetic. Are you new here?

Seriously, good job! As you pointed out, issues are present for every team that took the field over the weekend. Too much can be made about the bad, as well as the good. Many teams that won are likely too happy and those that lost overly concerned.

While your article lays out the tangibles quite well, what has struck me during Kill's tenure here is the change in the culture, the demeanor of the program. It's very evident to me that we have come a long way and I am even more convinced after seeing this team unveiled that this can be a special season. But, the key, because of the depth of challenge in this rebuilding project is injuries. Evidenced by the number of true freshmen who played significantly, we are not flush and deep. The injury bug could derail our dreams. Next man up remains a vital component and, as your point about playmakers illustrates, we fell short in the TCU game. Possibly the magnitude of the opponent was a bit overemphasized. Hopefully, in hindsight, this team will gain confidence in it's ability to achieve great things.

 

[Lakeville Goldy]

Great analysis overall!

Offensive Line Issues
TCU’s defensive line simply exploited Minnesota’s offensive line issues in week one. The left side, which is essential because it covers Leidner’s blindside, looked especially weak with senior Josh Campion absent due to concussion symptoms. Hopefully Campion and fellow offensive lineman Ben Lauer can return to full health shortly, because they are keys to the entire offensive operation.

Quarterback Play
Keep the imaginary pitchforks at home for now. Mitch Leidner had an average game, completing 19 of 35 passes for 197 yards and one touchdown. He ran for an additional 23 yards and actually had a chance to lead his offense on a game-winning drive in the final seconds. It doesn’t take an elite college football mind to assume that Leidner’s play will improve with a more consistent offensive line and less dropped passes from wideouts.

Offensive Playmakers Needed
Senior KJ Maye led the way in week one, totaling 73 yards and one touchdown on four receptions. Redshirt sophomore Eric Carter led the younger receivers with four receptions for 25 yards. If Melvin Holland Jr., Isaiah Gentry and Jeff Jones can soon enter the picture, it seems like Minnesota will have some plausible offensive options. After one week, however, nobody has really emerged. Patience please, people. Look for the receiving core to gain more separation in week two against a manageable defense.

These three things are obviously inter-related. Mitch didn't have a great night, but was hurried several times and had at least 3 blatent drops that I recall (Maye, Carter and Williams each with one if I remember right). Not to mention a couple of balls that would have been "great" catches that weren't caught (not that we should expect that, just saying). I'm not saying Mitch should be on top of anyone's Heisman voting. He didn't play very well, especially in the first half. But I don't blame him for the fumble, I don't blame him for guys dropping balls. And with Williams ineffective running for the most part, it put a lot more pressure on the passing game, which isn't this team's strong point. I think if the receivers and line play solid (not out of their minds, just solid) the team will be fine.

The Primary Ball-Carrier is…
Redshirt freshman Rodney Smith seems to be the logical answer heading into week two. He ran for 88 yards on 16 carries against TCU, averaging an impressive 5.5 yards per carry. Senior Rodrick Williams Jr. saw just nine carries throughout the game. His longest rush of the night was eight yards, and his goal line fumble proved to be costly. His downhill running style seems to fit best, ironically, in the red zone. I am curious as to where the coaching staff will use Williams on Saturday.

I think Rodney Smith earned the starting job Thursday regardless. I agree it's going to be interesting to see how much (or if) Williams plays. Williams has been benched in the past for lack of effort and fumbling ("according to reports"). I like the guy, I want him to succeed, but how many chances does a guy get? I hope Williams can still add value to the team, I don't want to see him end his career as a bench-warmer. I'm just not sure how much patience Coach Kill/Coach Limegrover are going to have with him. Different question - did Berkley Edwards play? If so, I missed him. Will we see him much this year?