Gopher Football
Colorado State has been abysmal against the run thus far this season, surrendering 322 yards on the ground against the #1 USC Trojans last week, and giving up 255 rushing yards to Colorado in week 1. The linebackers are overall rather small (they average only 6’0″, 214 lbs.), but do have some returning experience. Jahmal Hall and Courtney Jones return for their junior seasons and will be joined by Chris Davis, a junior college player who registered 100 tackles last season. Jones leads the team in the early going with two tackles for loss through two games.
For the Gophers, Marion Barber and Laurence Maroney have been as good as advertised so far, albeit against not-so-stellar competition. Through two games, Barber is averaging 7.1 yards per carry and Maroney is averaging 7.8. If the game gets out of hand, expect to see backups Gary Russell and Amir Pinnix receive some carries in the second half.
The surprise for the Gophers this season has been the play of quarterback Bryan Cupito. His first start against Toledo was a complete success, completing 10 of 12 passes for over 270 yards and a touchdown. Cupito cooled off considerably last week against Illinois State, struggling at times to complete just 10 of 22 passes. He did, however, have 2 touchdown throws and zero interceptions. Many times this season Bryan Cupito has been able to complete the long passes for big gains, but he will have to work on his short passing game in time for the Big Ten season. The Colorado State linebackers should provide a good opportunity for Cupito to hone his skills on the quick passes.
Summary:
Colorado State does return two linebackers and has promise in their third. However, against a rushing attack as skilled as Minnesota’s, they will more than likely concede well over 250 yards rushing. If, and that’s a big if, Colorado State can have a great week of practice, work out the issues they’ve had in this young season, and play out of their minds on Saturday night, they should slow down the Gopher backfield and at least contain them from running wild.
Advantage: Minnesota
Minnesota O-Line vs. Colorado State D-Line
The Rams have a decently sized defensive line, with big Delroy Parker (6’2″, 298) and Jonathan Simon (6’6″, 285) plugging up the middle. The star of their line, however, is end Patrick Goodpaster, whose ability to rush the quarterback showed last season as he recorded five sacks. This season, the line has not been able to bring down either Joel Klatt or Matt Leinart. If Bryan Cupito gets some sort of protection, he shouldn’t have many problems against this pass rush. However “¦
Last week was a wake up call of sorts for the Minnesota offensive line. The great pass protection which was there against a smallish Toledo line evaporated against division 1-AA Illinois State. Bryan Cupito felt pressure all game long from a defensive line that, quite frankly, should not have even sniffed the quarterback. Last week was a step backwards for the Gophers offensive line, and if they suffer another set back this weekend, Colorado State could be in the backfield and Cupito could be forced into some bad passes. Yet, with the experience that this line has, don’t expect the same lackluster performance two weeks in a row.
Summary:
Backwards progression is not what coach Glen Mason is expecting, nor is it what he’ll see. The line should be back to Toledo form against Colorado State’s inexperienced line, and should provide Bryan Cupito with enough time to read his routes and find the open man. Also, the offensive line should be able to use their strength and athleticism to open adequate holes for the running back tandem of Maroney and Barber.
Advantage: Minnesota
Minnesota Receivers vs. Colorado State Secondary
The Colorado State secondary performed admirably in their first game. Colorado’s Joel Klatt was held to just 117 yards on 13 completions and was intercepted once. However in the second game, Heisman candidate Matt Leinart had an easy time, completing 20 passes for 231 yards in just less than three quarters of work. Junior free safety Ben Stratton will look to figure into the Colorado State defense heavily, as he leads the team with 19 tackles so far this season. Also stepping up in the first two games has been cornerback Miles Kochevar, recording 14 tackles and the team’s only interception so far.
For the Gophers, the best big play threat in the first two contests has been freshman Ernie Wheelwright, who was forced to sit last season due to academic problems. Against Toledo, Wheelwright had a 42 yard touchdown reception and a circus catch over the back off a Rocket defender. In the game versus Illinois State, Wheelwright only caught one pass but took it 80 yards for a touchdown. Opposite Wheelwright will be steady Jared Ellerson, whose play this season has been stellar at times. After going for 140 yards in the first contest, Ellerson cooled off slightly against the Redbirds, catching 6 balls for over 60 yards. The biggest advantage the Gopher receivers will have is their size. The Rams starting cornerbacks are each only 5’10″ tall, compared to Jared Ellerson’s 6’1″ and Ernie Wheelwright’s astonishing 6’5″ frame. If the receivers can get into one on one coverage and Bryan Cupito can throw the ball in the general vicinity of the receivers, they should be able to get some yardage in the downfield passing game.
Summary:
Colorado State’s secondary has had an up and down year. If the Gopher receivers can execute their routes and find holes in the coverage, this could be a huge contest for the passing game. If the Rams are able to prevent the big plays, however, the receivers could be in for a long day if they’re not aggressive enough. This is the closest match-up as far as the Minnesota offense vs. Colorado State defense goes, but the Gophers have the better tools to take advantage of the situation.
Advantage: Minnesota
Overall Summary:
Minnesota’s offense has been fairly two-faced this season, as has the Ram defense. Both have been solid at points, and both have been downright ugly at points. If Minnesota comes to play and executes their game plan, there is no reason why they shouldn’t have over 500 yards of total offense. However, if they fail to execute early as they did against Illinois State, the Colorado State defense could gain confidence and make the rest of the game very close. Pressure on Cupito and preventing long plays will be key for the Rams; if they can do this, they will be in the game in the fourth quarter. If not, look out. I believe Mason will have his squad back on track, and the Gopher offensive machine will roll.
Overall Advantage: Minnesota