Starting OL vs Michigan?

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If this kid is starting, isn't it possible that he essentially beat out Ruschmeyer for a job and that the other four (Schlueter, Andries, JMS and Olsen) are all still in play?

Andries' versatility kind of allows you to move him all over the line, so maybe the difference between him at guard with the freshman is worth it compared to him at tackle with Ruschmeyer?

This is all assuming no COVID sit-outs plus Dunlap and Faalele both out (which Burnsie has not-so-subtly hinted at numerous times on his pod)
 

There isn't a published 2-Deep? What is this 1970?
 


My impression was that Dunlap didn't work out due to Covid concerns and is not in football shape. I don't think he starts ,but he may be available, for certain jumbo/short yardage packages.
 

Id expect Dunlap to be in street clothes tommorrow night
 




If he isn't in playing shape, why take the chance of getting him injured?
 





WriterGoph said:
And we will likely not ever know.
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This is the one thing I want to give Fleck the middle finger for.

Sure, keep things under wraps for Michigan (or the first game generally). Fine. After that, F you!! People have a right to know. This is the state of Minnesota's team!
 

MplsGopher said:
This is the one thing I want to give Fleck the middle finger for.

Sure, keep things under wraps for Michigan (or the first game generally). Fine. After that, F you!! People have a right to know. This is the state of Minnesota's team!
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I'm not that worried about it. It will prob come out at some point through a leak or a Dunlap announcement
 

Thomasthetank said:
If you guys have been paying attention, big Dan likely wont play the entire season.

Likely starting lineup for tomorrow is Schueter, Olson, JMS, Ruschmeyer, Andries.
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If that holds true I'd look for Dan to get back to playing in a bowl game again. You know the old addage (sp?) that the bowl game isn't the end of a year but the beginning of the next year. Lets hope last year's bowl game was too. Go Gophers!
 



Just got word that Faalele and Dunlap are both done for the season.

HOWEVER, also hearing that the Gophers picked up a new transfer, late in the summer ......
...... named Dantis Faalap.

Goku-and-Vegeta-fusion-dance.jpg
 

MplsGopher said:
This is the one thing I want to give Fleck the middle finger for.

Sure, keep things under wraps for Michigan (or the first game generally). Fine. After that, F you!! People have a right to know. This is the state of Minnesota's team!
Click to expand...
Screenshot_20201024-133240_Samsung Internet.jpg
 

https://www.startribune.com/gophers-notes-line-loses-two-starters-for-opener/572860181/

Turns out, two starters on the offensive line — guard Curtis Dunlap Jr. and tackle Daniel Faalele — weren’t available to play. Dunlap was on the sideline at TCF Bank Stadium with a cast on his left foot and using a scooter during pregame warmups, but there was no sign of Faalele.

Their absence tested the team’s depth up front in a 49-24 loss. The 6-9, 400-pound Faalele started 11 games last year at right tackle and eight the year before. Dunlap, 6-5 and 345 pounds, briefly entered the NCAA transfer portal in the offseason but returned to the Gophers. He started 12 games last year and one in 2018.

The Gophers went with the starting offensive line of Sam Schlueter at left tackle, Axel Ruschmeyer at left guard, John Michael Schmitz at center, Conner Olson at right guard and Blaise Andries at right tackle.


Bolded: so we knew Less was full of crap. Dunlap did not tear his ACL, as claimed (later pretended to have a player source).

Would however suck if he broke something in his foot or ankle and was out for an extended period of time.

Quite obvious that Faalele is not with the program, at this time.

Fleck will never confirm. Silly. He'll lie and say that sports injuries are protected under medical privacy laws, and therefore his hands are tied. Liar
 

Could Faalele be stuck out of the country unable to return due to COVID immigration and travel quarantine matters??
 

The Canadian OL we got seems to be here. Could be irrelevant though, if their situations are very different.
 

Some of the missing players - at all positions - are clearly injuries. (Oliver, Dunlap).

Some are clearly covid-related. (special teams)

Faalele seems to be the one that is shrouded in mystery? Did he opt out? Flunk out? covid? secret injury? Ran away and joined the circus?

I understand privacy rights, but at the least, you would think that Fleck could give some kind of general response - just so people know whether the kid is OK.

the longer this goes, the more likely I am to think it's something negative.
 

I think he just had concerns about covid, and opted out of the season. People got in his ear about how he's a future draft pick, don't risk it.

Maybe he's home in Australia now, training and staying safe? Who knows.
 

As of yesterday, Big Dan was still on the football roster at Gophersports.com.
 

Without Faalele and Dunlap success this season will be limited, especially given the defense we saw last night and the problems we had on the right side of the line.
 

cncmin said:
Without Faalele and Dunlap success this season will be limited, especially given the defense we saw last night and the problems we had on the right side of the line.
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Our OL played ok. Fairly well on running plays, not so well on pass plays. They will get better at pass protection now that they have a set line-up and a game under their belt in their new spots. 4 of 5 OL with plenty of experience, we should have much success all year on that side of the ball - even without Big Dan and Curtis.
The D on the other hand has a long ways to go.
 

We probably played the best DL we'll see all year - arguably also the best LBs as well. And our O moved the ball relatively well. That side of the ball is not a concern for me anyway. They'll play better as the year goes on, no doubt about it.
 

Ok, have to mention one thing now that I had a chance to sit down and watch the game.

Because, holy crap ..... Ruschmeyer was playing with a bum left ankle the whole game.

He was hobbling around like a pirate on a stump, whenever he had to get out in space. And he still actually did a pretty decent job. No Dunlap that's for sure, but he'll be serviceable ... when he has two healthy ankles.

They must've had his left ankle wrapped in an inch-thick of tape. He couldn't even bend it. Guessing he rolled it either last week or early this week.


But what does that say about our depth at interior OL???? Ans: none.

That is disappointing. Obviously you don't anticipate losing Dunlap and Faalele. That is a major blow. But Boe and Beier are in their 3rd fall now, and clearly the coaching staff doesn't trust either of them.

Like I said, Ruschmeyer will be serviceable. But he is definitely a walk-on compared to the other starters, right now.
 

MplsGopher said:
Ok, have to mention one thing now that I had a chance to sit down and watch the game.

Because, holy crap ..... Ruschmeyer was playing with a bum left ankle the whole game.

He was hobbling around like a pirate on a stump, whenever he had to get out in space. And he still actually did a pretty decent job. No Dunlap that's for sure, but he'll be serviceable ... when he has two healthy ankles.

They must've had his left ankle wrapped in an inch-thick of tape. He couldn't even bend it. Guessing he rolled it either last week or early this week.


But what does that say about our depth at interior OL???? Ans: none.

That is disappointing. Obviously you don't anticipate losing Dunlap and Faalele. That is a major blow. But Boe and Beier are in their 3rd fall now, and clearly the coaching staff doesn't trust either of them.

Like I said, Ruschmeyer will be serviceable. But he is definitely a walk-on compared to the other starters, right now.
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Thanks. That's good intel. I wonder if they'll sit him vs. Maryland to heal up...or just use him as an emergency sub. I hate to slight the Terps, but you'd like to have guys at 100% for Iowa and onwards.
 


SixBySix said:
Didn't his family move to the cities with him? Was pretty sure his younger brother was playing at Benilde.
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Did not know that. That is great, if so. Great for him to have that support system here.

If it wasn't obvious (my apologies), I was just throwing out wild guesses. That's most of what I (and I venture most folks here) do to varying degrees, when we don't include links.
 

MGGopher said:
Thanks. That's good intel. I wonder if they'll sit him vs. Maryland to heal up...or just use him as an emergency sub. I hate to slight the Terps, but you'd like to have guys at 100% for Iowa and onwards.
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To correct myself, Boe actually did go in at LG on the last two series. Morgan threw the pick on the first place of the first one, then they had a somewhat sustained drive on the second where it mostly just looked like Boe didn't make any mistakes (but didn't really contribute much). Wide eyed, I'm sure.
 

I tell you what ... that #18 for Michigan, Paye, was a ___ing war daddy in there.

Think he made each and every one of our OL look silly, at times.


Came with Don Brown from BC. He certainly knew what to do against us: max pressure on our OL and Morgan. They ran every stunt, twist, and blitz in the book.
 

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