STrib: Gophers coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. will test retooled offense against Miami (Ohio)

[BleedGopher]

per Randy:

So, what now?

Well, if you listen to Mike Sanford Jr., the Gophers offensive coordinator, Minnesota will move forward with tweaks, diversification and a lot of playing to its strengths. He's not about to channel Barry Switzer and run the Oklahoma wishbone of the 1970s.

"We're not going to wholesale change and become a triple-option team because Mo Ibrahim not a part of it,'' Sanford said. "We're still gonna run the football, still gonna take what the defense gives us out on the perimeter.''

The retooling starts Saturday when the Gophers are host to Miami (Ohio). They'll face a team that's expected to contend for the Mid-American Conference title, but the Gophers will have more pressing matters on their mind – making sure they remain who they are without one of the pieces that made them.

"We need to play with an identity,'' said Sanford, pointing to the lessons learned in the 45-31 loss to the Buckeyes. "We need to do that for four full quarters. We did that in fits and starts. We played with an identity of being a physical football team, being a physical offense, taking care of the football.''

Gophers coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. will test retooled offense against Miami (Ohio)

Minnesota will have some new offensive wrinkles in its first game without injured tailback Mohamed Ibrahim.

www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[UpAndUnder43]

Why would losing Ibrahim cause them to not throw?

 

[matt]

"We're not going to wholesale change and become a triple-option team because Mo Ibrahim not a part of it,''

I don’t love this quote. This insinuates the option will be used in a smaller capacity. I would much rather they take it out of the playbook altogether. It didn’t work last week, and they’ve had little success the few times they have tried to run it. While they’re at it, they should throw out all of the empty set plays. Morgan is not mobile enough to be back there on his own.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

I don’t love this quote. This insinuates the option will be used in a smaller capacity. I would much rather they take it out of the playbook altogether. It didn’t work last week, and they’ve had little success the few times they have tried to run it. While they’re at it, they should throw out all of the empty set plays. Morgan is not mobile enough to be back there on his own.

I think he was just saying that they are not going to change the offense dramatically. I don’t believe we will run many QB options (unless the defense essentially gives us the lanes) because Morgan isn’t a real running threat. And he might get massacred acting as a RB in the option. It’s not playing to his strengths.

Sanford did say that it is likely they will attack the perimeter more often (rather than mostly do inside zone). Potts is good on inside zone, I think, but both Wiley and Williams have had a lot of success either bouncing outside or on designed outside plays. Let’s hope there are plentiful ways to spring those guys outside other than QB options plays.

 

[Flash30]

It must of have been one of those ol Soviet block nuclear tests. “Not great, not terrible.”