The Minnesota Golden Gophers take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in what could very well be the last chance for a Gophers victory. From this point on, the Gophers face teams above .500, which adds a bit of desperation to Saturday’s game for the home team.
After a demoralizing loss to Michigan, in which the Gophers were run over in a literal way, the team needs a strong showing on both ends to regain some confidence.
What To Like About The Cornhuskers
The Gophers offense will face an opponent much like Illinois in the Cornhuskers, namely a team willing to give up plenty of yards and points.
The Cornhuskers give up 401 yards and 30.1 points per game, with 176.9 of those yards coming on the ground. The Gophers have a real chance to pound the running game, making their money in the passing game playing off their running backs via play action and read-option.
This is where Kobe McCrary comes in. McCrary is the power back in the offense and the only back who has brought it every game when he receives starting reps. He can run the ball right down the throat of the Nebraska defense with his 5.1 yards per carry.
The running game is the part of the offense that will have to carry the workload, as the passing attack under Demry Croft has withered in the spotlight. The wide receiving corps has not offered much support for the struggling quarterback, with the entire group dropping way too many catchable balls.
Despite how well wide receiver Tyler Johnson has started, he has disappeared for quarters at a time and has not filled in the role of a true No. 1 receiver as far as dominating opposing secondaries. Eric Carter has disappeared for games and Philip Howard has been a solid possession receiver, but cannot stay healthy.
Not only is the passing spotty at best, Donnell Greene will be out after throwing a punch last weekend. The offense was a young unit already, and losing a key player like Greene will not help a squad dependent on the running game. If the game has to swing back into the hands of the passing attack, the Gophers are in trouble.
Nebraska’s offense is the flip side, averaging 268.9 passing yards per game and 25.6 points per game. The offense is placed squarely between the shoulders of quarterback Tanner Lee, who has had a mixed bag of results. He has passed for 2,365 yards and 17 touchdowns, posting 7.2 yards per attempt.
The flip side is Lee’s 13 interceptions.
Outside of Lee, J.D. Spielman is a freshman receiver to watch. He is a dynamic, do-it-all player in the passing, rushing and return game. He’s racked up 1,154 all-purpose yards and three total scores, giving the Cornhuskers offense and special teams an explosive factor to throw at the Gophers.
The Huskers have the advantage between two off-and-on offensive units because they have the far more reliable quarterback. And while Nebraska coughs up the rock plenty, so do the Gophers. On offense, Nebraska looks to have the Gophers beat.
What To Like About The Gophers
The Gophers defense was an extreme letdown last weekend against Michigan, but it is still the best part of this team. The secondary will have to put forth a very solid game and look for turnovers, via the interception-happy Lee.
Safety Jacob Huff leads the team in interceptions with three, and finding at least one or two more would be huge. With the youth at cornerback, both Huff and Duke McGhee have to play great games at safety, doing all they can into trapping Lee into ill-advised throws.
The linebackers will be big in this game as well, especially Kamal Martin. He has done a great job in space and in pass coverage, probably finding himself on Nebraska tight ends or picking up players like Spielman on his way out of the backfield. Grabbing a turnover when Lee is trying to get the ball to his safety blanket is a way to grab the edge for the Gophers.
Nebraska only has 32 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. The Cornhuskers do not create a lot of pressure on the opponent’s backfield, and as the No. 27-ranked defense in college, the Gophers have the advantage here.
Yet again, the Gophers will be able to win this game if they are able to capitalize on the turnovers the defense is sure to give them against the Cornhuskers. The problem the Gophers face time and again is position groups disappearing for stretches of games. If the Gophers want to have a shot at competing with Big Ten teams, they need to show up as a team for every game on the schedule.
This should be a win, but can they take it?
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