What is the Gophers' Offensive identity in 2023?

[hungan1]

What is the Gophers' Offensive identity in 2023?

With Athan Kaliakmanis at the helm, the Gophers will exploit his passing and running skills. Will the Gophers remain an RPO team heavier on passing?

The dismal and almost non-existent running game against Nebraska is disconcerting. Run-blocking and the offensive line play need to be better.

The Offensive Line is still gelling together. PJ Fleck said the best players will play. Will he consider playing the Freshman Greg Johnson?

 

[Gophergrandpa]

Offensive Identity: To Be Determined. We had best be in a point scoring mood by the time we take on the Tar Heels, however.

 

[hungan1]

I'd like to see the Gophers offense be more explosive. The run game definitely has to improve. The fifty-five rushing yards against Nebraska are hard to stomach.

The Gophers need to open the field with credible rushing and passing threats.

 

[btowngopher]

I'd like to see the Gophers offense be more explosive. The run game definitely has to improve. The fifty-five rushing yards against Nebraska are hard to stomach.

The Gophers need to open the field with credible rushing and passing threats.

The score board didn’t show it, but it was nice to see they were still able to sustain drives despite the poor run game. The three first half drives were all 9 plays or more, but only came away with 3 points. We didn’t have a single play go over 20 yards, which is pretty unusual.

 

[Gopherchase]

TBD. I will say if arguably your three worst starters are your center and two guards sending a small (2) or marginally talented (21) running back straight up the middle seems like a bad idea.

 

[Doc1001]

Each team only had three possessions in the first half? Not sure i like this new clock thing.

 

[SHGopher]

-Running game is hard to assess. Nebraska ran a good defense, the same system that slowed Mo against Syracuse last year (71 on 16). <-- Double read that. I'm on the record as liking #2 RB Tyler against Nebraska despite the Gophers' inability to run.

-I'm going to guess that defenses will play the run more and dare the new Gophers QB to beat them. So we will see more passing when that's what the defense gives the Gophers.

-#8 QB Kaliakmanis threw some passes late, leading to a pick and passes arriving a bit late to the end zone or sideline. He is new and will need to improve that. Otherwise, I don't think anyone can express any complaints. He looks like he can throw all the passes. We'll see if he can put the ball right on the money on long, tough ones...

-I am a huge proponent of the short passing game that some disparage. A 5 yard pass is the same as a 5 yard run. I have no idea what the Gophers want to do but I'll raise my hand and say, "This!"

-College football has shifted mostly to the spread offense. Gophers are no different. With Mo gone we will see more and more wide open attacks and running backs catching the ball.

-The future is the freshman running back #1 Taylor who actually played some receiver in high school.

-So I guess the heat will come back to Kaliakmanis.


-Offensive line took losses in the offseason. Most blocking schemes did not work against Nebraska. We don't know what or why. Keep an eye on this. Few QB's can orchestrate drives on their backs. Runners need holes and seams.


UPDATE: Reminder that four Pacific Coast teams are coming into the Big Ten with their Pacific Coast weather -- plus maybe UNC after that. We live in a passing era of football.


-The defense was awesome against Nebraska. Those big plays were manufactured, not given to the Gophers. They willed themselves to explode the game and take the win. Secondary looks very good. Secondary is opportunistic. Really good defense!!! Defensive line got pressure when needed. People are talking about linebackers being the unknown. The Nebraska QB was able to run on them.

 

[beavergopher]

Zack Evans please!!

 

[Vandy]

Each team only had three possessions in the first half? Not sure i like this new clock thing.

All that new rule resulted in was an A** load more time for excessive TV timeouts.

 

[LesBolstad]

Let's settle down after 1 game vs. an underrated experienced NE defense

The offense will be more balanced than last couple years. They will put up some points with a nice QB/WR combo

 

[upnorthkid]

Each team only had three possessions in the first half? Not sure i like this new clock thing.

Part of that was they were long drives (9, 6, 13, 7, 12, and 11 plays) and we both chose to play slow as molasses

 

[GopherTakes]

I would love to see some more vertical passing from our offense, although we passed it 40+ times, so many of them were dig and flat routes, why cant we see DJack in a deep post route. Also would love some more east west designed runs for Sean Tyler because of his speed. Overall just need to be more creative. Hopefully we open the playbook more as we hit NC and the middle of the season.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Part of that was they were long drives (9, 6, 13, 7, 12, and 11 plays) and we both chose to play slow as molasses

Yeah the clock rule change is not the major factor some want to make it out to be. It is the difference of a few seconds in most cases since the clock used to start once the ball was spotted anyway after a first down in most cases.

As for offensive identity - TBD is the only correct answer. We will know more after the next couple of games.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

I think - or I hope - that the Gophers' offensive identity is this:

"Find something that works."

If you have to throw the ball 50 times, then throw the ball 50 times. If you can establish a running game, then establish the running game.

In the past, there were times when it seemed as if the Gophers went into the game with one plan - "run Mo on the inside zone 35 times" and they were unwilling or unable to shift gears if the plan wasn't working.

now, I hope that we are seeing a new flexibility in play-calling, along with a willingness to deviate from the game plan if and when that plan is not working.

 

[Arnold Babar]

Question:
Do you think the coaches knew the running game would struggle so much and planned to throw 40+ times?

Or:

Were the coaches surprised by the lack of running attack and had to throw it 40+ times out of need?

Count me as surprised and they were improvising the game plan.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

-Running game is hard to assess. Nebraska ran a good defense, the same system that slowed Mo against Syracuse last year (71 on 16). <-- Double read that. I'm on the record as liking #2 RB Tyler against Nebraska despite the Gophers' inability to run.

-I'm going to guess that defenses will play the run more and dare the new Gophers QB to beat them. So we will see more passing when that's what the defense gives the Gophers.

-#8 QB Kaliakmanis threw some passes late, leading to a pick and passes arriving a bit late to the end zone or sideline. He is new and will need to improve that. Otherwise, I don't think anyone can express any complaints. He looks like he can throw all the passes. We'll see if he can put the ball right on the money on long, tough ones...

-I am a huge proponent of the short passing game that some disparage. A 5 yard pass is the same as a 5 yard run. I have no idea what the Gophers want to do but I'll raise my hand and say, "This!"

-College football has shifted mostly to the spread offense. Gophers are no different. With Mo gone we will see more and more wide open attacks and running backs catching the ball.

-The future is the freshman running back #1 Taylor who actually played some receiver in high school.

-So I guess the heat will come back to Kaliakmanis.


-Offensive line took losses in the offseason. Most blocking schemes did not work against Nebraska. We don't know what or why. Keep an eye on this. Few QB's can orchestrate drives on their backs. Runners need holes and seams.


UPDATE: Reminder that four Pacific Coast teams are coming into the Big Ten with their Pacific Coast weather -- plus maybe UNC after that. We live in a passing era of football.


-The defense was awesome against Nebraska. Those big plays were manufactured, not given to the Gophers. They willed themselves to explode the game and take the win. Secondary looks very good. Secondary is opportunistic. Really good defense!!! Defensive line got pressure when needed. People are talking about linebackers being the unknown. The Nebraska QB was able to run on them.

^ Yep, the new OC may decide to utilize Crooms et al if that’s what’s going to work. Even before the losses on the offensive line the run game chugged at times if Mo wasn’t available as teams brought extra numbers down assuming run and the other RBs struggled. MN was pretty dogmatic about it maybe too much at times - but that could be an indictment of receiver talent. Mo could even up the numbers on his own finding a seam or trucking a DB. Remains to be seen if the new guys can do that, maybe Evans or Taylor.

Nothing wrong with 50/50 or 55/45 or 60/40 pass/rush on any given day. Might have to pass to open the run.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

Question:
Do you think the coaches knew the running game would struggle so much and planned to throw 40+ times?

Or:

Were the coaches surprised by the lack of running attack and had to throw it 40+ times out of need?

Count me as surprised and they were improvising the game plan.

I think we threw 44 times because Nebraska stacked the box, meaning they dared us to beat them with the pass. Last year we would run Mo into stacked boxes, even though the defense dictated pass, because Mo had a special ability to gain yards even when the defense had numbers at the LOS. I believe our strategy of 2022 (and 2021) also reflected some lack of confidence in Tanner and/or receivers to execute the defense-beating pass. So, we often didn’t do what the defense gave us. This year, with Athan and more breadth in our receiver corps, I think we pass when the defense is stacking the box. For the first time in a few years, we will actually take what an unbalanced defense is giving us.