Sporting News: Top 3 Questions for Minnesota at Big Ten Media Days

[BleedGopher]

Per the Sporting News:

Minnesota went 5-7 in last year's regular season, generously landed a bowl bid, and closed with a 30-24 Quick Lane Bowl win over Bowling Green. Disappointing after back-to-back nine-win seasons. But P.J. Fleck is still a Gopher (instead of leaving for UCLA) and the coach feels this might be his most complete team.

3. How much will Joe Rossi be missed?​

Rossi is an underrated defensive coordinator, so good on Jonathan Smith for luring him to Michigan State. Corey Hetherman has an experienced D but big shoes to fill in his first year as a Gopher.

2. Is this Fleck's deepest backfield?​

Minnesota's backs might be the next best thing to Ohio State in the Big Ten. Darius Taylor is an emerging star and Marcus Major (Oklahoma) and Sieh Bangura (Ohio) were cagey portal pickups.

1. What's Max Brosmer's ceiling?​

In dire need of improved QB play, Fleck landed New Hampshire QB Max Brosmer, a Payton Award finalist. Fleck loves Brosmer's smarts, accuracy, and leadership, so the passing game should be dramatically better than 2023.

Top 3 Questions for Minnesota at Big Ten Media Days | Sporting News

Minnesota is looking to bounce back from its worst season since P.J. Fleck's 2017 debut. The Gophers went all the way to New Hampshire to help find answers for an offense that was a big reason for last year's decline.

www.sportingnews.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[Arminius]

Per the Sporting News:

Minnesota went 5-7 in last year's regular season, generously landed a bowl bid, and closed with a 30-24 Quick Lane Bowl win over Bowling Green. Disappointing after back-to-back nine-win seasons. But P.J. Fleck is still a Gopher (instead of leaving for UCLA) and the coach feels this might be his most complete team.

3. How much will Joe Rossi be missed?​

Rossi is an underrated defensive coordinator, so good on Jonathan Smith for luring him to Michigan State. Corey Hetherman has an experienced D but big shoes to fill in his first year as a Gopher.

2. Is this Fleck's deepest backfield?​

Minnesota's backs might be the next best thing to Ohio State in the Big Ten. Darius Taylor is an emerging star and Marcus Major (Oklahoma) and Sieh Bangura (Ohio) were cagey portal pickups.

1. What's Max Brosmer's ceiling?​

In dire need of improved QB play, Fleck landed New Hampshire QB Max Brosmer, a Payton Award finalist. Fleck loves Brosmer's smarts, accuracy, and leadership, so the passing game should be dramatically better than 2023.

Top 3 Questions for Minnesota at Big Ten Media Days | Sporting News

Minnesota is looking to bounce back from its worst season since P.J. Fleck's 2017 debut. The Gophers went all the way to New Hampshire to help find answers for an offense that was a big reason for last year's decline.

www.sportingnews.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[Arminius]

#3 Who?
#2 Yes!
#1 High enough to give us hope... I'd hate to be Purdue or Indiana this season

 

[BTChamp]

#3 Who?
#2 Yes!
#1 High enough to give us hope... I'd hate to be Purdue or Indiana this season

Agree on all but will add:

I'd hate to be shitsconsin or whyowa every season....... Records be damned!!!

 

[short ornery norwegian]

on the backfield - it's hard to say "deepest" when we haven't seen most of these guys play for the Gophers.

we've seen 5 games of Darius Taylor when healthy. we've seen what Jordan Nubin can provide as a power back/short yardage threat. every other back on the roster is new to the Gophers or unproven.

just for fun - went back and looked at stats -- # of RB's who had at least 100 net yards for season

2023 - 5
2022 - 3 (+ 1 QB)
2021 - 5 (+ 1 QB)
2020 - 3 (in 7 games)
2019 - 3
2018 - 4 (+ 1 QB)
2017 - 3 (+ 1 QB).....Demry Croft with 311 yds rushing

based on the numbers, you could say that 2023 and 2021 showed the most depth with 5 RB's who totaled at least 100 yds rushing.

so depth in part depends on usage. if guys don't play or don't get opportunities, do they count as depth?

 

[Dano564]

I'll take the Shannon Brooks, Rodney Smith, Mo Ibrahim backfield as the deepest.

Rodney may have been the best as far as NFL prospects, but Shannon Brooks was my favorite to watch, and Mo is a legend.

 

[MilosRevenge]

I'll take 2003....

Barber 1196
Freshman Maroney 1121
Tapeh 570
QB Abdul-Khaliq 370
Jackson II 256
WR Ellerson 147

Somehow that team was down 40-6 at Iowa in the regular season finale.

 

[IceBoxGopher]

I'll take the Shannon Brooks, Rodney Smith, Mo Ibrahim backfield as the deepest.

Rodney may have been the best as far as NFL prospects, but Shannon Brooks was my favorite to watch, and Mo is a legend.

I was thinking the same thing, that backfield has to be it for Fleck. The passing game of course was great in 2019, but those three made a perfect ground game for the season. They were able to basically steamroll Nebraska just with that trio running all night.