Is the Gophers’ offense starting to evolve?

DanielHouse

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Offensive success seemed like a distant thought when the Gophers left TCF Bank Stadium last November. They were shut out for the second straight week and could barely muster a first down through the air.

In 2017, the Minnesota offense averaged just 157 yards per game over the final two weeks. They didn’t score a single point and passed for a combined 83 yards and three interceptions during two blowout conference losses. The Gophers’ quarterback play was poor, they were running out of healthy wide receivers and the offense had no balance or firepower. P.J. Fleck and his staff had to inject more talent at the skill spots, while adding necessary offensive line depth.

It meant 2018 would feature young players at nearly every position group, especially at wide receiver and quarterback. The Gophers play eight underclassmen in prominent roles throughout their offense. Things didn’t completely click early in the season, but as young players have started to gain experience, the offense is trending upward. It’s been particularly noticeable in recent weeks.

The Gophers are averaging 450.7 yards per game during the past three matchups, which ranks 30th among all FBS programs. The recent rise of quarterback Tanner Morgan has added another dimension to the offense. Minnesota’s young wide receivers are starting to become comfortable and the offensive line has been playing at a high level since inserting freshman Daniel Faalele into the lineup. Some of these areas of growth have been overshadowed by a defense allowing explosive plays at an extremely high rate. Last Friday’s 38-31 win over Indiana was fueled by the Gophers’ offense managing to compensate for late-game defensive struggles. Quarterback Tanner Morgan found freshman Rashod Bateman for a 67-yard game-winning touchdown as the Gophers offense tallied 482 yards of total offense.

There are several factors related to the sudden offensive growth, specifically related to player development and scheming.

Offensive Line is quietly playing well

Since the addition of true freshman Daniel Faalele at right tackle, the Gophers’ offensive line has elevated their play to another level. During the first two Big Ten matchups, Minnesota was averaging just 90 rushing yards and surrendered 4.5 sacks per game. Following a 48-31 loss to Iowa, the coaches decided to insert the 6-foot-9, 400-pound tackle into the starting lineup. Faalele’s play, combined with the cohesiveness of the Minnesota offensive line has helped them turn the corner in recent weeks. Since he started playing, the Gophers allowing just over one sack per game. This has helped keep the pocket clean for the quarterbacks and maximizes the creativity of the offense.

Not only that, but the improved play of redshirt freshman right guard Blaise Andries has helped an otherwise experienced unit open big rushing lanes. Since the Ohio State game, the Gophers are now averaging 161 rushing yards per game. Between Mohamed Ibrahim, Shannon Brooks and Bryce Williams’ rushing styles, the Gophers have started to develop balance offensively. Minnesota’s rushing offense has featured four running backs who have rushed for more than 100 yards this season. When the quarterback can make throws at all levels, the skill players are threats off a variety of route concepts. If the offensive line plays well, everything starts to click. All three of those phases are interlocked together when trying to create an explosive offensive attack.

The Wide Receiver talent injection

The Gophers’ are averaging 231.4 passing yards per game, which ranks 66th among 130 FBS programs. Last year, they had the ninth-worst average in 2017 (126.1 yards per game). Minnesota also threw just nine touchdowns passing the entire season. Seven of those scores were tallied by a wide receiver and all of them were thrown to Tyler Johnson. The Gophers have added more talented pass catchers to bolster their passing attack. They have already tossed 13 passing touchdowns to four different wide receivers this season.

Minnesota added freshmen Rashod Bateman, Chris Autman-Bell and Demetrius Douglas for a much-needed talent injection at the position. The trio has already tallied a combined 60 receptions for 799 yards and five touchdowns. Outside of Tyler Johnson, Phillip Howard was the only Gophers’ receiver to post more than 100 receiving yards (132) in 2017. The recruiting efforts at wide receiver have paid off in a big way as the Gophers have improved or exceeded almost every receiving category from last season. This has not only helped the young quarterbacks, but has achieved a level of offensive balance the Gophers haven’t witnessed in quite some time.

MORE: http://www.1500espn.com/gophers-2/2018/10/gophers-offense-starting-evolve/
 

All I know is that it has been a hell of a lot more exciting this year than ... most years I can remember offensively.
 

as an old-timer, the Gophers did have some strong offensive teams under Mason - which were admittedly skewed toward the ground game - but they usually had QB's who were at least functional and could operate as an occasional dual-threat.

The Wacker teams put up some good passing yardage, but didn't run all that well.

So, potentially, this could be one of the more balanced offenses the Gophers have had in a long time. But, that will depend on the continued improvement of the offensive line, and may hinge on how Smith (and hopefully Brooks) return from injury.
 

Nice article. Hopefully we can get one on the improved Defense and reasons behind it, instead of fix the defense
 

All I know is that it has been a hell of a lot more exciting this year than ... most years I can remember offensively.

I did like RB Chris Darkins under Wacker, though. He was a good one. Mason's offense absolutely rocked - we could run on the very best rush defenses in the country, including Alabama and Ohio St. We never should have gotten rid of it! But Brew wanted to try a new offense every year - lol.

This offense is definitely a lot better than last year - passing for over 100 yards more a game - that's a huge upswing. Their running game would sure be a lot better without our top 3 running backs missing time but I am very interested in seeing if we can continue to evolve. Next year could be very interesting for the Gophers - we are definitely getting better!
 


The Gophers are averaging 450.7 yards per game during the past three matchups, which ranks 30th among all FBS programs. The recent rise of quarterback Tanner Morgan has added another dimension to the offense. Minnesota’s young wide receivers are starting to become comfortable and the offensive line has been playing at a high level since inserting freshman Daniel Faalele into the lineup. Some of these areas of growth have been overshadowed by a defense allowing explosive plays at an extremely high rate. Last Friday’s 38-31 win over Indiana was fueled by the Gophers’ offense managing to compensate for late-game defensive struggles. Quarterback Tanner Morgan found freshman Rashod Bateman for a 67-yard game-winning touchdown as the Gophers offense tallied 482 yards of total offense.

Good writeup, only part I would take issue with is the part in bold. Yes the defense struggled late against Indiana but the Indiana comeback was fueled in large part by turnovers and 3 and outs by the offense. To their credit the offense came up with the game winning drive and the defense got the stop to close the door.

I am extremely excited about our offensive prospects. We have capable QB's, some big time potential at WR, will hopefully be getting back a couple of really good RB to go along with the development of the new guys and there is reason to believe the O-Line could be really good as well.

Next year's offense in particular has the potential to be one of the best ever for the Gophers if the key players are able to stay healthy. Could be a ton of fun to watch and a nightmare for defenses to try and stop with the weapons they may have in Smith, Brooks, Johnson, Bateman, Douglas, Autman-Bell and can probably even toss Ibrahim into that mix as well. We have not had that kind of firepower on offense here in a long long time if ever.
 

I did like RB Chris Darkins under Wacker, though. He was a good one. Mason's offense absolutely rocked - we could run on the very best rush defenses in the country, including Alabama and Ohio St. We never should have gotten rid of it! But Brew wanted to try a new offense every year - lol.

This offense is definitely a lot better than last year - passing for over 100 yards more a game - that's a huge upswing. Their running game would sure be a lot better without our top 3 running backs missing time but I am very interested in seeing if we can continue to evolve. Next year could be very interesting for the Gophers - we are definitely getting better!

We haven't had the sustained success just due to time, but I feel like there are more big plays / possibilities now compared to Mason's offense. I liked Mason's offense but if you could stack the box ... we got bogged down and didn't really have much of a big play capability. Holding penalty? Can't run our way out of it? Drive over almost by default.
 

Good writeup, only part I would take issue with is the part in bold. Yes the defense struggled late against Indiana but the Indiana comeback was fueled in large part by turnovers and 3 and outs by the offense. To their credit the offense came up with the game winning drive and the defense got the stop to close the door.

I am extremely excited about our offensive prospects. We have capable QB's, some big time potential at WR, will hopefully be getting back a couple of really good RB to go along with the development of the new guys and there is reason to believe the O-Line could be really good as well.

Next year's offense in particular has the potential to be one of the best ever for the Gophers if the key players are able to stay healthy. Could be a ton of fun to watch and a nightmare for defenses to try and stop with the weapons they may have in Smith, Brooks, Johnson, Bateman, Douglas, Autman-Bell and can probably even toss Ibrahim into that mix as well. We have not had that kind of firepower on offense here in a long long time if ever.

Beat me to it. The collapse had more to do with the offense than the defense.

JTG
 

We haven't had the sustained success just due to time, but I feel like there are more big plays / possibilities now compared to Mason's offense. I liked Mason's offense but if you could stack the box ... we got bogged down and didn't really have much of a big play capability. Holding penalty? Can't run our way out of it? Drive over almost by default.

We also struggled if we got down, our offense wasn't quick score, we were methodical

In end though, our defense under Mason was biggest issue. We ran the ball like nobody's business
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88nLh3qykbU
 



Beat me to it. The collapse had more to do with the offense than the defense.

JTG

Brooks doesn't fumble and we go up 38-9 (or was it 16 by that point) Indiana probably mails it in
 

Brooks doesn't fumble and we go up 38-9 (or was it 16 by that point) Indiana probably mails it in

Yep. And that was followed by the interception and another fumble. I suppose a guy could fault the defense for not getting a stop, but the offense put 'em behind the eight ball.

JTG
 

Daniel House is usually spot on. I agree he messed up a bit as the offense kept putting the defense back on the field. The offense needs to work on not giving the ball away. Vikings discovered that last weekend as well.
 

We've given up a lot of big plays this year - Indiana had three in the last quarter or so - two long passes and a long QB run - all resulted in scores, plus a two-point conversion. Smith played one full game, got about 150 yards and Brooks played one full game, got about 150 yards. This is what we need for a balanced offense. Ibrahim got 150 against Ohio State, and Gophers have to do that every game, but with Smith and Brooks playing only one game? The passing and receiving have been hugely improved this year - can't recall anything like it since Maxx was around.
 



Daniel House is usually spot on. I agree he messed up a bit as the offense kept putting the defense back on the field. The offense needs to work on not giving the ball away. Vikings discovered that last weekend as well.

I'm a big fan of young Mr. House's reporting. He slipped up a bit with this one. It happens. Won't stop me from reading his next report.

JTG
 

as an old-timer, the Gophers did have some strong offensive teams under Mason - which were admittedly skewed toward the ground game - but they usually had QB's who were at least functional and could operate as an occasional dual-threat.

The Wacker teams put up some good passing yardage, but didn't run all that well.

So, potentially, this could be one of the more balanced offenses the Gophers have had in a long time. But, that will depend on the continued improvement of the offensive line, and may hinge on how Smith (and hopefully Brooks) return from injury.

The Mason ground game came about because Gordy Shaw was the offensive line coach. Biggest mistake Kill made was not hiring him. Certainly the best offensive line coach in my 50+ years of following Gopher football.
 

Yep. And that was followed by the interception and another fumble. I suppose a guy could fault the defense for not getting a stop, but the offense put 'em behind the eight ball.

JTG

I wonder if the ball couldn't have been changed out a little more? IIRC. The rain intensified during that stretch. Just curious if this was a factor at all.

Back to the topic, I also think that the offensive miscues played a role in how the defense played in the fourth quarter.
 

The Mason ground game came about because Gordy Shaw was the offensive line coach. Biggest mistake Kill made was not hiring him. Certainly the best offensive line coach in my 50+ years of following Gopher football.

Yup, Kill's tenure was destined to fail because he didn't hire the current OL coach at Maple Grove.
 

#80 in scoring offense, #87 in total offense.
 

As the running game go, so does the entire offense. The Gophers need the running game to open up the passing game which can become explosive with Tanner Morgan demonstration he can pose a long bomb threat.

Inserting Faalele made the offensive line better as a unit with some stability. So protection is a little better for Tanner Morgan with his ability to get out of the pocket to avoid pass rushers.

Why didn't PJ Fleck insert Faalele sooner? Zack Annexstad's injury made him less mobile and opposing defenses were able to shut down the Gophers more without the running threat.

Shannon Brooks's insertion demonstrated how effective the Gophers' offense can be with a credible running game.

Ultimately, the rest of this season and next season my biggest worry is the defense. They have managed to get only one sack as far as I know. Other than Carter Coughlin due to injuries, the defense has allowed explosive plays. All they need is two or three mistakes like that and the game is lost.
 

30+ points ought to be good enough to get a win with a decent defense vs an average offense in Indiana. Both sides of the ball neeed some work to be a competitive team in the Big Ten. Signs of improvement are there but the team has to finish the season strong.
 

I'll believe the offense is better when we can put 37 on Wisconsin.
 

30+ points ought to be good enough to get a win with a decent defense vs an average offense in Indiana. Both sides of the ball neeed some work to be a competitive team in the Big Ten. Signs of improvement are there but the team has to finish the season strong.

We could have gone to the Rose Bowl with Mason's offense and Kill's defense and been a very good team. You can see where the team is showing signs of improvement and that is encouraging. We may not be in full break out just yet but the early signs are there that things might be looking up!
 

Had Mason been given a bigger budget, he could have revamp his Defensive Coaching Staff like Patterson did at TCU. He would have been able to coach the Gophers in the new TCF Bank Stadium that he helped push for.

His Offense was mid tier teetering on the next level. However, his Defense killed any chance of longevity after the epic melt down against TTU.

I think PJ Fleck can learn from Glenn Mason's mistakes.
 

As the running game go, so does the entire offense. The Gophers need the running game to open up the passing game which can become explosive with Tanner Morgan demonstration he can pose a long bomb threat.

Inserting Faalele made the offensive line better as a unit with some stability. So protection is a little better for Tanner Morgan with his ability to get out of the pocket to avoid pass rushers.

Why didn't PJ Fleck insert Faalele sooner? Zack Annexstad's injury made him less mobile and opposing defenses were able to shut down the Gophers more without the running threat.

Shannon Brooks's insertion demonstrated how effective the Gophers' offense can be with a credible running game.

Ultimately, the rest of this season and next season my biggest worry is the defense. They have managed to get only one sack as far as I know. Other than Carter Coughlin due to injuries, the defense has allowed explosive plays. All they need is two or three mistakes like that and the game is lost.

PJ wanted to red shirt Faalele
 


I did like RB Chris Darkins under Wacker, though. He was a good one. Mason's offense absolutely rocked - we could run on the very best rush defenses in the country, including Alabama and Ohio St. We never should have gotten rid of it! But Brew wanted to try a new offense every year - lol.

This offense is definitely a lot better than last year - passing for over 100 yards more a game - that's a huge upswing. Their running game would sure be a lot better without our top 3 running backs missing time but I am very interested in seeing if we can continue to evolve. Next year could be very interesting for the Gophers - we are definitely getting better!

There were many times Gophs needed a couple yards on 3rd down and could not get them to seal the win. Witness Wisconsin at the Dome circa 2002/3? Meltdown because the running game couldn't do it when it mattered most. Needed a balanced offense and Mason did not put any effort into the passing game.
 

There were many times Gophs needed a couple yards on 3rd down and could not get them to seal the win. Witness Wisconsin at the Dome circa 2002/3? Meltdown because the running game couldn't do it when it mattered most. Needed a balanced offense and Mason did not put any effort into the passing game.

This has happened several times over the years. Hungan1 blames the defense for the TTU meltdown, but had we been able to get a few more first downs on offense we would very likely have won that game, and others. Kill could have defeated TTU in that Houston bowl game had we got one more first down, but our running back got stuffed in the backfield.
 

There has not been as much to be proud of with the Gopher football team over my lifetime as I would have liked but the Gopher ground game of the early and mid 00's was something I was really proud of. Always had the feeling they could run on anyone, and they often did. The only rough edge was already mentioned here. The team had a hard time riding that running game to victory in some very notorious come-from-ahead losses in that era. And, as also mentioned - the defense was particularly frustrating.

Like many fans, I tend to overreact to both wins and losses but overall I have liked the direction of the offense this season. It is a shame that there have been RB injury issues through multiple players because with a little more consistency there, the offense might even be at a whole 'nuther level by now. But, the improvement in the passing game - particularly because of a huge upgrade in receiving group is impossible to miss.

There is SO much to play for in these final games. If things sputter and the team fails to make a bowl, the excitement needle will be buried to the far left during the offseason. If the offense continues to improve and the team makes it to a bowl, it will be fun to speculate what can be accomplished next season. If the offense really takes off, the defense finally gets consistently good, and the team marches beyond bowl eligibility to finally retrieve the axe - the anticipation will spread beyond diehards to the fickle bandwagon fans prior to next season.
 
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I'll believe the offense is better when we can put 37 on Wisconsin.

Understood. I'll add that our defense needs to give up less than 37 in that scenario.[video]https://media1.tenor.com/images/e5e91360089456411ef660428fb48270/tenor.gif?itemid=9900289[/video]
 

Unless you have a good line and/or a 240+pound mobile QB that can run off tackle like Seth Green third and short can always be tenuous. Barring a ton of turnovers you’d like a defense to average around 20 points per game or less. That would make most teams pretty competitive. Defense is a concern. Can’t win championships unless we get better there.
 




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