This week the Minnesota Golden Gophers head out on the road to take on a Pac-12 opponent, the Oregon State Beavers. This is the first look at the challenge ahead of a Minnesota squad fresh off their first win.
Oregon State has already shown an inclination to slinging the ball all over the field — for better or worse. Quarterback Jake Luton has amassed 539 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions through two games. He has completed 45-of-72 passes (62.5 percent). This makes the offense very dangerous against a Minnesota team that had to really fight to get 17 points on the board.
The two games the Beavers have played saw them average 422.5 yards and 31 points. The team is a pass-first team, but they can also run the ball efficiently as well. Starting running back Ryan Nall has averaged 5.6 yards per carry on his 31 attempts. The second-string back, Artavis Pierce, also averages 5.6 yards per carry while the back behind him (Darell Garretson) averages 4.8 per carry. While the team wants to throw, they can run the ball well and have rushed for four of the team’s seven touchdowns, which gives the team a relatively balanced attack.
The receiving corps also presents another set of problems for the Gophers defense. Noah Togiai is clearly the favorite target, with 12 receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown. But the receiving corps is a well-balanced bunch, with four receivers already recording more than five catches and five topping the 60-yard mark. The team has a healthy dose of every kind of receiver. Togiai is the No. 1 man, Timmy Hernandez averages 24.7 yards per catch on his three grabs while Jordan Villamin (11) and Isaiah Hodgins (11.7) average at least 11 yards on their seven and six receptions, respectively.
This is a diverse group that has the dependable receiver along with deep threat and the sure-handed, underneath men who pick apart defenses. This means that walling off one receiver will not cripple Luton and it also means that the secondary has to be a sure-tackling bunch. Why? When every receiver on the field is a threat, it becomes harder to anticipate where the ball ends up meaning everyone needs to stick to their man, no cheating over to one or two players on the field.
How does the Gophers defense take on an explosive offense that can run and go over the top?
Check back later in the week.
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