Minnesota football: 10 takeaways from the 2022 regular season (10. Is this the best it’ll get?)

BleedGopher

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Per Cole:

Here are 10 takeaways from Minnesota’s 2022 regular season.

1. Mohamed Ibrahim will be hard to replace​

He was the face of the program. He was the heart of the locker room. Most of all, he was the one constant of Minnesota’s offense.

Ibrahim was a bit of everything for the Golden Gophers during his time in Minneapolis. He tallied 3 1,000-yard campaigns — the first 1 way back in 2018 — and totaled 19 consecutive games with over 100 yards. If not for an Achilles injury, 4 1K seasons likely would be on his resume.

The leadership provided on offense might be more challenging to replace. A player beloved by coaches and fans, he’ll be deeply missed. Of course, losing a player who totaled over 55% of the team’s carries is also daunting.

2. Tanner Morgan did not get his storybook ending​

With the offense looking like a juggernaut in the offseason, Morgan elected to use his COVID-19 eligibility waiver and return for another season. It was expected to be the year when things finally clicked.

In a sense, 8-4 should be considered a win. The problem? A loss likely came because Morgan was out due to an upper-body injury suffered against Northwestern. And that injury lasted the final 2 games, meaning his time in Minneapolis ended on the sidelines.

There’s no telling if Morgan would have been able to defeat Iowa at home. If so, he’d be playing on Saturday in Indianapolis for a shot at the B1G title. Instead, he’ll finish short of 10,000 career passing yards.

3. Athan Kaliakmanis should get a shot as QB1​

Kaliakmanis should have a case to at least be in the running to take over for Morgan. After going 2-2 as a starter, there’s potential, but Fleck shouldn’t be afraid to explore all options.

When Kaliakmanis is on point, he can be dangerous. Take for instance the Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe when he threw for 319 yards and 2 touchdowns against Wisconsin. On the flip side, when it’s ugly, it’s ugly. Does anyone else remember the Iowa game? How about the ending of Northwestern?

Kaliakmanis will have experience working in offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca’s system, so making the transition from backup to full-time starter should come naturally for the 2021 4-star recruit. Bit it’s such a limited sample that nothing should be off the table.

4. Hiring Kirk Ciarrocca was the right move​

Moving off Mike Sanford seemed appropriate after last season’s inconsistencies. Bringing back Ciarrocca, who left to become Penn State’s offensive coordinator in 2020, might have seemed risky at the time, but man, did it pay off.

Here were the national numbers for Minnesota’s offense with Sanford calling the shots last season:

  • 23rd 3rd-down conversion rate (44.7%)
  • 27th rushing (198 yards per game)
  • 83rd scoring (25.5 points per game)
  • 98th total (360 yards per game)
  • 118th passing (162 yards per game)
Now here are the numbers in Ciarrocca’s first season back in Minneapolis:

  • 3rd 3rd-down conversion rating (52.6%)
  • 11th rushing (218.4 yards per game)
  • 68th scoring (28.3 points per game)
  • 57th total (404.3 yards per game)
  • 114th passing (185.9 yards per game)
Outside of passing (an issue going into the season exacerbated by the early-season injury to Chris Autman-Bell), the Gophers drastically improved.

5. Wanted: A new No. 1 WR​

Minnesota needs a legit No. 1 weapon. The Gophers aren’t going to land a Marvin Harrison Jr. or Jordan Addison via the transfer portal, but they need a bona fide top weapon.

Daniel Jackson led the team with 484 yards off 33 catches. Tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford finished with a team-high 44 catches and finished 2nd in yards with 481. Three other receivers totaled over 10 catches for 200+ yards and combined for 2 touchdowns.

That won’t cut it in B1G play. Especially with the dissolvent of divisions in the coming years, the Gophers’ offense will need to be more dynamic in the coming years if they want to be legitimate players.

6. John Michael Schmitz might be the next great NFL star​

Schmitz’s last season with the program was a good one. Pro Football Focus graded him as the nation’s top offensive linemen entering Week 12. The 6th-year senior center did not allow a sack the entire season, and helped produce one of the nation’s better run offenses.

Schmitz likely will make a household name for himself at the next level. For now, he firmly has planted himself as a front-runner for the Rimington Trophy.

7. Tyler Nubin will be missed in the secondary​

Nubin likely is headed pro after Saturday’s win. Could he return due to the COVID-19 eligibility waiver? Sure. Will he? His numbers would suggest that perhaps he’s ready to move on.

Should Week 13’s win over Wisconsin mark the last time Nubin wears a Gophers uniform, at least it was a quality final season. He totaled 55 tackles and finished with a career-best 4 interceptions. He also forced a fumble against Purdue that led to a recovery.

The Gophers will certainly miss his veteran presence in coverage if he leaves. Few safeties have been as impactful as him.

8. Matthew Trickett was a special teams bright spot​

It’s not about how you start, but rather how you finish. Trickett likely could have been benched last season after making just 68% of his kicks.

Instead, he used last season as a building block for 2022. The numbers improved because of it. Trickett ended up making 83.3% of his kicks, including a career-long 50-yard bomb in the Golden Gophers’ win over Wisconsin.

Speical teams needa s tune-up this offseason. Trickett’s departure likely factors into the need to add competition in the kicking game.

9. Paul Bunyan remains in Minneapolis​

Winners of 14 straight in 1 stretch, Wisconsin has dominated the Paul Bunyan rivalry over the century. Since 2000, the Badgers have kept Paul Bunyan’s Axe in Madison 17 times.

As of late, the Axe has made more trips to Minneapolis. The Golden Gophers picked up the trophy in 2018 thanks to a 37-15 win. For the 1st time since 1994, the Axe will remain in the Land of 10,000 Lakes for back-to-back seasons.

With the arrival of Luke Fickell, the Badgers could be trending upward. Then again, so could Minnesota with the morale boost and the record trending its way.

10. Is this the best it’ll get?​

Maybe there’s another reality for Minnesota moving into 2023. Perhaps this truly is the best it’ll get for the program.

Every blue moon, a school will explode onto the scene. The program will record 10-plus wins, fight for a conference title and play in a big bowl game, only to turn back into the middle-tier school it likely always has been. Last season, Michigan State went 11-2 and picked up a Peach Bowl victory under Mel Tucker. This season, the Spartans finished 5-7.

Minnesota’s best season under Fleck came in 2019 when the Gophers finished 11-2 and No. 10 in the country. Since then? Three consecutive 4-loss seasons. Now, Ibrahim, Morgan, Schmitz and other mainstays are on the way out.

The Gophers are a good program. Every once and a while, Minnesota will be in the running for a B1G title game appearance. It’ll fight for a spot in a New Year’s 6 bowl and potentially finish with double-digit wins. In reality, 8-4 for the program might be serviceable.

And at this point, it might be the best Minnesota will get with the changes coming internally and to the conference.


Go Gophers!!
 



Interesting that he excuses the poor passing in a KC offense due to an injury to CAB but he doesn't excuse his predecessor's lack of scoring due to Mo's injury.
 

#3 is weird - AK will get more than a shot to be the starter, he will head into the off season as the presumed starter at QB and someone else will have to beat him out for the job.

#5 - Cole clearly missed the fact that CRAB is planning to come back next year. There is your #1 receiver right there.
 


MN has to actually win the division or finish in the top 3 of the conference once in a great while. Purdue winning the west was a gut punch. NU doing so twice and MN always bring a game shy is a gut punch. #10 may be true and ok if we actually get to the top of the hill now and again. Every season we can say we were “that close”. We need a season every decade or so where we just get it and someone else was “that close“.
 

Why on earth would this season be seen as "as good as it gets"? Next year will be transitional, but it will be better than people think.

OFFENSE: The performance of any offensive team starts with the offensive line.
If our o-line can remain approximately as effective next year as they were this year, I think we'll be fine. Kaliakmanis brings a dynamic quality at QB, which should be enough to make up for the loss of Ibrahim. Assuming Autman-Bell comes back (and hopefully Spann-Ford as well), I would expect the pass part of the offense to duplicate or even surpass the 2019 team's passing attack. As far as the run game goes, I'd assume we'll see more of a committee approach, a la 2019 (Smith, Brooks, Ibrahim) and 2021 (Potts, Irving, Thomas). Potts, Evans and a third option next season.

DEFENSE: Rossi has shown the ability to coach this group and will continue to put an effective unit on the field. Joyner and Striggow look like budding stars, and I love Lindenberg and Oliver as well as Walley and Dixon. We'll once again be stalwart on defense.

The kicking game has been less than great overall in 2022. Hopefully, we can improve there.

The schedule looks tougher, but it is laid out in such a way to lend itself to steadily building confidence and cohesiveness from game to game We can gather momentum as we go.
 
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#3 is weird - AK will get more than a shot to be the starter, he will head into the off season as the presumed starter at QB and someone else will have to beat him out for the job.

#5 - Cole clearly missed the fact that CRAB is planning to come back next year. There is your #1 receiver right there.
Good points - also find #3 odd become he’s not cutting AK any slack for being. freshman QB. Most struggle at some point/ are inconsistent, not to have those challenges is the exception to the rule.
 



It's going to get better once PJ approaches the Iowa game the way he approaches the Wisconsin game: playing from the opening kick-off "to win" rather "not to lose."

I have to disagree.

Both Iowa and Wisconsin have good defenses this season, but they are not the same animal. Unless he's coaching for Ohio State or Michigan, any coach would be wise to attack Iowa's defense exactly as the Gophers did — especially considering...

— Gophers have one of the best rushing attacks in the nation, and it was rolling successfully against Iowa's defense that day...

— Extremely cold, quite windy conditions that are detrimental to passing...

— Inexperienced QB with only two previous starts under his belt...

— Iowa's entire formula for success depends on creating turnovers, and scoring off of them, particularly in the passing game.
 

DEFENSE: Rossi has shown the ability to coach this group and will continue to put an effective unit on the field. Joyner and Striggow look like budding stars, and I love Lindenberg and Oliver as well as Walley and Dixon. We'll once again be stalwart on defense.
This is what gets me the second most excited for 2023 gopher fb related. Of course Athan K gives straight up goose bumps..
 

A lot of players left after last season too and the Gophers got a similar outcome.

Having a bunch of players leave every offseason is a feature and not a bug in college football. Finally we got to hear about all of our old man players and not the forever lament of a "really young team".

A lot of why Minnesota lost so much to wisconsin was that wisconsin kept trotting out Jr and Sr dominated offensive and defensive lines against Brew and Kill's underclassmen. Now that Minnesota has lots of older players each year rotating through, they are beating wisconsin.

I'm a little concerned about USC, UCLA, and the possible end of divisions hurting the Gopher path to a Big Ten title, but I don't see signs of the program taking a step back on a game-to-game basis.
 

A lot of players left after last season too and the Gophers got a similar outcome.

Having a bunch of players leave every offseason is a feature and not a bug in college football. Finally we got to hear about all of our old man players and not the forever lament of a "really young team".

A lot of why Minnesota lost so much to wisconsin was that wisconsin kept trotting out Jr and Sr dominated offensive and defensive lines against Brew and Kill's underclassmen. Now that Minnesota has lots of older players each year rotating through, they are beating wisconsin.

I'm a little concerned about USC, UCLA, and the possible end of divisions hurting the Gopher path to a Big Ten title, but I don't see signs of the program taking a step back on a game-to-game basis.

I'm less concerned with USC/UCLA. There are only so many BG10 games on a schedule and everyone will have the same difficulty in the long run. Adding USC/UCLA to the mix just means that MN plays Ohio State, Michigan, and PSU fewer times. Plus, UCLA has been decent but far from dominant.
 



anything is possible. The Gophers might put together a magical season where they win the B1G.

Or, with the expanded CFP system, the Gophers might make it into the playoffs as the #2 or #3 team in the B1G.

But - in 6 years under Fleck, they haven't done that yet.

So, I think it's fair to conclude the following:
You can tweak schemes and systems, but Fleck is who he is. The Gophers are not going to morph into a Big-12 style offense.

So, to win big with the current system, Gophers need better athletes.

and in today's college football reality, if you want game-changing talent, that means NIL to get those types of players from HS or the Portal.

the Gophers will have as good a team as they can afford. and if they can not or will not compete in the NIL world, then get used to 7- and 8-win seasons as the best-case scenario.
 

We do have a very tough schedule next year. That being said, I think with AK8 and this receiver group, we can have an amazing season. I feel there is no middle ground for next year, it's either gonna be 9-10 wins or struggling to make a bowl game. I am very hopeful with Athan on our side, the sky is the limit.
 

I have to disagree.

Both Iowa and Wisconsin have good defenses this season, but they are not the same animal. Unless he's coaching for Ohio State or Michigan, any coach would be wise to attack Iowa's defense exactly as the Gophers did — especially considering...

— Gophers have one of the best rushing attacks in the nation, and it was rolling successfully against Iowa's defense that day...

— Extremely cold, quite windy conditions that are detrimental to passing...

— Inexperienced QB with only two previous starts under his belt...

— Iowa's entire formula for success depends on creating turnovers, and scoring off of them, particularly in the passing game.
Iowa did manage to pass quite successfully in this year’s game, weather notwithstanding. Our one touchdown in the Iowa game came in a drive where we passed several times. We have a lot of baskets on offense. In our drive that ended with a fumble, we put all our eggs in one basket.
 
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Iowa did manage to pass quite successfully in this year’s game, weather notwithstanding. Our one touchdown in the Iowa game came in a drive where we passed several times. We have a lot of baskets on offense. In our drive that ended with a fumble, we put all our eggs in one basket.

Iowa's successful passing produced 221 yards.

Meanwhile, Minnesota's running racked up 312 yards.

Iowa's offense (with it's passing) totaled 280 yards.

Minnesota's (run-heavy) offense rolled to 399 yards.

The Gophers game plan was very effective. It was failures in execution on three key plays — the INT, the fumble, and the missed chip-shot field goal — that cost Minnesota the game. Not failures in game-planning.

Would more passing by the Gophers have led to a different outcome? It's certainly possible.... but it's also far from a certainty! Second-guessers are blessed with 20-20 hindsight, though.
 

I have to disagree.

Both Iowa and Wisconsin have good defenses this season, but they are not the same animal. Unless he's coaching for Ohio State or Michigan, any coach would be wise to attack Iowa's defense exactly as the Gophers did — especially considering...

— Gophers have one of the best rushing attacks in the nation, and it was rolling successfully against Iowa's defense that day...

— Extremely cold, quite windy conditions that are detrimental to passing...

— Inexperienced QB with only two previous starts under his belt...

— Iowa's entire formula for success depends on creating turnovers, and scoring off of them, particularly in the passing game.
Your points tend to confirm he played not to lose, thanks. Iowa sure seemed to be able to make completed passes when needed.
 

Your points tend to confirm he played not to lose, thanks. Iowa sure seemed to be able to make completed passes when needed.

Iowa was very fortunate to win that game. Barrierro might have said "Lucky!"

But, hey... you aren't alone in your opinion. More than a few here would have stopped feeding the ball to Mo, and put the game in Kaliakmanis' hands.

I'm probably in the minority.
 

Iowa was very fortunate to win that game. Barrierro might have said "Lucky!"

But, hey... you aren't alone in your opinion. More than a few here would have stopped feeding the ball to Mo, and put the game in Kaliakmanis' hands.

I'm probably in the minority.
Anyone who watches Iowa at all knows...cover the frickin' TE.
 

Iowa was very fortunate to win that game. Barrierro might have said "Lucky!"

But, hey... you aren't alone in your opinion. More than a few here would have stopped feeding the ball to Mo, and put the game in Kaliakmanis' hands.

I'm probably in the minority.
When you frame your point as all or nothing it lacks seriousness. Nobody suggests Kaliakmanis should have thrown 14 straight times and Mo should have watched from the sideline.
 

When you frame your point as all or nothing it lacks seriousness. Nobody suggests Kaliakmanis should have thrown 14 straight times and Mo should have watched from the sideline.

What they're suggesting (actually, asserting) is that offensive play-calling lost the game. Specifically, they believe we didn't call enough pass plays, we were too conservative, we were 'playing not to lose' (whatever that means) and that approach is what cost us the game.

This assertion is dubious, based on the objective facts at hand... facts which I presented in previous posts.
 



Why on earth would this season be seen as "as good as it gets"? Next year will be transitional, but it will be better than people think.

OFFENSE: The performance of any offensive team starts with the offensive line.
If our o-line can remain approximately as effective next year as they were this year, I think we'll be fine. Kaliakmanis brings a dynamic quality at QB, which should be enough to make up for the loss of Ibrahim. Assuming Autman-Bell comes back (and hopefully Spann-Ford as well), I would expect the pass part of the offense to duplicate or even surpass the 2019 team's passing attack. As far as the run game goes, I'd assume we'll see more of a committee approach, a la 2019 (Smith, Brooks, Ibrahim) and 2021 (Potts, Irving, Thomas). Potts, Evans and a third option next season.

DEFENSE: Rossi has shown the ability to coach this group and will continue to put an effective unit on the field. Joyner and Striggow look like budding stars, and I love Lindenberg and Oliver as well as Walley and Dixon. We'll once again be stalwart on defense.

The kicking game has been less than great overall in 2022. Hopefully, we can improve there.

The schedule looks tougher, but it is laid out in such a way to lend itself to steadily building confidence and cohesiveness from game to game We can gather momentum as we go.
I think he can replicate 2021 which was in my opinion better than 2022
So I’m going to go with,
No, it isn’t as good as it gets.
 

So much of this is...strange.

What loss occurred because of Tanner Morgan's injury? The writer says "there is no telling if Morgan would have beaten Iowa at home". Is he suggesting Morgan would have won at Penn State, but there was "no telling" if he would have beat Iowa? They also would not be in Indy had they won that game because Purdue would still own the tiebreaker.

Claiming bringing back Ciarrocca was the right move and then listing a bunch of stats that were not that much better than '21? Some of the differences could possibly be explained by Mo playing a full season and the Big Ten West being down. The Purdue, Illinois, and Iowa games were all lost in large part due to the offense failing to score (and Tricket missing chip shots). I am not suggesting that bringing back Ciarrocca was a mistake, just that I would say the jury is very much out on that decision.

Calling Tricket a bright spot was a stretch. He was fine. He also missed the previously mentioned chip shots at home and missed the clincher against Wisconsin. If you are going to call out a kicker as a bright spot it was the kickoff specialist in Dragan.

The ceiling talk is just silly. Nobody knows. If Minnesota handles business this year and goes 10-2 or 11-1 or even if MBS simply catches the easiest TD pass of the season and they go 9-3 and are in the Big Ten Championship game...the narrative is completely different. TCU was firing Gary Patterson last year and is a game away from playing in the CFP this season.
 


Iowa's successful passing produced 221 yards.

Meanwhile, Minnesota's running racked up 312 yards.

Iowa's offense (with it's passing) totaled 280 yards.

Minnesota's (run-heavy) offense rolled to 399 yards.

The Gophers game plan was very effective. It was failures in execution on three key plays — the INT, the fumble, and the missed chip-shot field goal — that cost Minnesota the game. Not failures in game-planning.

Would more passing by the Gophers have led to a different outcome? It's certainly possible.... but it's also far from a certainty! Second-guessers are blessed with 20-20 hindsight, though.

Giving up 221 passing yards to Iowa without their top WR and TE (for 3 quarters) has got to be the biggest failure of the season for Minnesota's D.
 




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