Saturday afternoon was a final tune-up for the Gophers football team before conference play begins next week in Maryland.
Minnesota used three touchdowns from wide receiver Tyler Johnson and another strong defensive performance to run past the Miami (OH) Redhawks for a 26-3 win.
The Gophers will enter Big Ten play 3-0 for the second straight season. Now, the real question is how the young team will respond when the competition bar is raised in the Big Ten.
Tyler Johnson has a big day
On the first drive of the game, quarterback Zack Annexstad was sacked for a loss of 13 yards. Two players later, he managed to find wide receiver Tyler Johnson for a gain of 20 yards off a dig route. Throughout the game, Johnson ran numerous “digs” to gain extensive separation. He had three catches for 38 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown on the opening drive. The trend continued for the entire afternoon. Johnson was dynamic off a variety of different route concepts as he hauled in nine passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns.
Johnson had concentration drop and didn’t get his head around out of the break, resulting in a second pass falling off his hands. Despite those mistakes, he managed to finish some important grabs, especially in third down situations. He is continuing to show how much he has improved technically. Johnson is one of three players in the nation to post multiple games with at least 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns this season, according to Big Ten Network.
Williams looks comfortable in extended action
True freshman running back Bryce Williams was tasked with filling the shoes of senior Rodney Smith. Smith will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. Williams was key to Minnesota’s success on Saturday afternoon. He ran with excellent patience and burst, but also kept his feet moving to pick up additional yards. Williams was flashing his ability to hit the hole, make one cut and accelerate. He had 33 carries for 141 yards, averaging 4.3 yards per carry.
Williams had open lanes the entire day with help from the interior offensive line and great blocking on the edge by tight end Ko Kieft. Hr also corralled a 34-yard screen pass late in the first half to fuel a 5-play, 68-yard drive. His performance in Saturday’s game is encouraging as the Gophers search for a new identity on the ground. There are still areas Williams needs to improve, such as overall vision, but this is expected from a true freshman.
Gophers’ pass protection was up-and-down
The Gophers’ pass protection was less impressive. Both sides of the offensive line were allowing pressure, even when the Gophers were providing help on the edge. The tight ends lost a few reps, while right tackle Sam Schuleter was responsible for at least one sack. With the Gophers being in max protection for a few of these pressures, it’s apparent how much they will need to improve before entering Big Ten play. The unit settled down in the second half, but there were still inconsistent stretches.