as was spelled out in an earlier post:
running the ball this season resulted in an average gain of just over 4 yards per attempt.
passing the ball resulted in an average gain of just under 6 yards per attempt.
the last I checked, 6 yards is more than 4 yards.
If it's 3rd and 5, would you rather gain 4 yards or 6 yards?
Look - the passing game this year was inconsistent and often ineffective. IF you can improve the passing game to be more consistent and effective, then the average gain per attempt goes up.
I am not saying "if you're bad at something, keep doing it." I AM saying, if you're bad at something, you need to find a way to become better at it by changes in personnel or scheme.
far too often, the Gopher coaches seem to take the attitude that, well, we don't throw the ball well, so let's just not throw the ball. ignoring a problem doesn't fix the problem.