Nate Sandell: Blame for Gophers loss to TCU goes beyond QB Leidner

BleedGopher

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per Sandell:

Blame for the loss goes well beyond just Leidner. Minnesota's offensive line struggled to match up with TCU's athletic defense. Senior running back David Cobb and his running mates were ineffective, which made Minnesota's current issues as a one-dimensional offense even more apparent. Cobb, playing through a sprained ankle, ran for a team-high 41 yards and committed a fumble.

The Gophers didn't pass TCU's 40-yard line until the final play of the third quarter.

The defense had its missteps, but the unit wasn't as flimsy as the final score may indicate. After falling into a 24-0 hole at halftime, Minnesota held the Horned Frogs to six points in the final two quarters. As has been a repeated issue for Jerry Kill's Gophers, the offense's struggles overtaxed a defense that was trying to stay with TCU's frenetic hurry-up offense.

Even after an eight-win campaign in 2013, the Gophers have still not proven they can consistently contend against higher-level competition, especially when in unfamiliar territory. Minnesota is now 5-13 under Kill in games away from TCF Bank Stadium.

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/...loss_to_TCU_goes_well_beyond_QB_Leidner091414

Go Gophers!!
 




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