STrib: Gophers pass rusher Boye Mafe getting to quarterbacks at high rate

BleedGopher

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
60,867
Reaction score
16,408
Points
113
per Megan:

Boye Mafe has a simple philosophy about happiness.

"I just try to make one person smile," the Gophers defensive end said. "If I see someone who's down or is having a hard day or somebody who's frustrated, just by making somebody smile, that makes my day. … If I'm in a room with 20 people and one person in the room is sad, I can't be happy."

Of course, that doesn't necessarily apply to those in football stadiums on the road. Mafe, a former Hopkins standout, certainly didn't put a smile on the face of Nebraska's Adrian Martinez last Saturday. Instead, he helped make sure the Cornhuskers quarterback was down, frustrated and having a hard day.

The 6-4, 265-pound Mafe forced a fumble by Martinez late in the third quarter and sacked the quarterback early in the fourth, two plays that were instrumental in the Gophers securing a 24-17 victory at Memorial Stadium. Playing in his first game since Nov. 13, the junior from Golden Valley continued his improvement as a pass rusher and ran his sacks total to 4½ in five games played this season.

On Wednesday, Mafe, whose 0.90 sacks per game is the best rate in the Big Ten, earned all-conference honorable mention.

"He's certainly taking his pass-rush game to the next level," Gophers defensive coordinator Joe Rossi said. "Basically, every game he's played … he's gotten home [sacked the QB] in those games."


Go Gophers!!
 




Top Bottom