BleedGopher
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Per Andrew:
Next up on our list of opponent previews, we have the Minnesota Golden Gophers, with whom Rutgers will square off in week five. Minnesota has found consistent winning under head coach PJ Fleck, as they have made a bowl game 7 out of his nine seasons at the helm. The Scarlet Knights and the Gophers played late in the season last year, with the Knights winning 26-19. That game marked a turnaround in Rutgers’ season as it ended a four game losing streak and helped the Knights finish with a record of 3-1 in their last four games.
Minnesota’s offense will look a lot different than last year as former starting quarterback Max Brosmer is now in the NFL. QB Drake Lindsey won the starting job in spring practice; however, his experience is limited as he is a sophomore who only has four completions at the college level.
With Wide Receiver Danial Jackson signing with the Texans in the offseason, Elijah Johnson most likely becomes Lindsey’s No.1 option. Last season, Johnson hauled in 52 catches for 684 yards and six touchdowns. Another solid pass-catching option, especially in the red zone, is tight end Jameson Geers, who caught 28 passes last year for 290 yards and four touchdowns.
The Gophers will have Darius Taylor carrying most of the load in the ground game. Last season, Taylor ran for 986 yards on 205 carries, scoring 10 touchdowns on the ground. He also added 350 yards on 54 catches for two touchdowns. It was clear by his numbers last season that when Taylor is going, the whole offense is going. In all of Minnesota’s losses last year, Taylor was held under 60 yards. Against Rutgers, Taylor only rushed for 28 yards and had his second worst yards per rush on the season. The Knights should look to repeat that this season to shut down Minnesota’s offense.
Minnesota lost some of its production on defense during the offseason as tackles leader Cody Lindenberg signed with the Las Vegas Raiders and sack leader Jack Henderson left for the NFL as well. They are, however, returning defensive lineman Anthony Smith, who was tied for the most sacks on the team, and Koi Perich, who had the most interceptions last season. Minneota’s defense was fourth in the Big Ten in scoring defense last season and doesn’t look to be taking much of a step back this year.
Minnesota presents an interesting matchup for Rutgers this season, as their defense could be one of the best in the conference, but their offense doesn’t seem like it will have as much punch as it did last year. If Rutgers can keep the ball in their hands and wear down the defense, they should be able to pull off the win here.
www.onthebanks.com
Go Gophers!!
Next up on our list of opponent previews, we have the Minnesota Golden Gophers, with whom Rutgers will square off in week five. Minnesota has found consistent winning under head coach PJ Fleck, as they have made a bowl game 7 out of his nine seasons at the helm. The Scarlet Knights and the Gophers played late in the season last year, with the Knights winning 26-19. That game marked a turnaround in Rutgers’ season as it ended a four game losing streak and helped the Knights finish with a record of 3-1 in their last four games.
Minnesota’s offense will look a lot different than last year as former starting quarterback Max Brosmer is now in the NFL. QB Drake Lindsey won the starting job in spring practice; however, his experience is limited as he is a sophomore who only has four completions at the college level.
With Wide Receiver Danial Jackson signing with the Texans in the offseason, Elijah Johnson most likely becomes Lindsey’s No.1 option. Last season, Johnson hauled in 52 catches for 684 yards and six touchdowns. Another solid pass-catching option, especially in the red zone, is tight end Jameson Geers, who caught 28 passes last year for 290 yards and four touchdowns.
The Gophers will have Darius Taylor carrying most of the load in the ground game. Last season, Taylor ran for 986 yards on 205 carries, scoring 10 touchdowns on the ground. He also added 350 yards on 54 catches for two touchdowns. It was clear by his numbers last season that when Taylor is going, the whole offense is going. In all of Minnesota’s losses last year, Taylor was held under 60 yards. Against Rutgers, Taylor only rushed for 28 yards and had his second worst yards per rush on the season. The Knights should look to repeat that this season to shut down Minnesota’s offense.
Minnesota lost some of its production on defense during the offseason as tackles leader Cody Lindenberg signed with the Las Vegas Raiders and sack leader Jack Henderson left for the NFL as well. They are, however, returning defensive lineman Anthony Smith, who was tied for the most sacks on the team, and Koi Perich, who had the most interceptions last season. Minneota’s defense was fourth in the Big Ten in scoring defense last season and doesn’t look to be taking much of a step back this year.
Minnesota presents an interesting matchup for Rutgers this season, as their defense could be one of the best in the conference, but their offense doesn’t seem like it will have as much punch as it did last year. If Rutgers can keep the ball in their hands and wear down the defense, they should be able to pull off the win here.
Rutgers Football 2025 Opponent Preview: Minnesota
What can we expect from the Gophers this season?
www.onthebanks.com
Go Gophers!!
