MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (West
Division)
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Stadium: TCF Bank Stadium (50,805)
Coach: Tracy Claeys (2nd year): 2-4 at Minnesota/overall, 1-4 v B1G
2015 Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-7)(2-6) 2016
Minnesota Golden Gophers
17 Texas Christian 23 S1 Oregon State (Thursday)
23 at Colorado State 20 (OT) S10 Indiana State
10 Kent State 7 S17
27 Ohio University 24 S24 Colorado State
0 at
Northwestern 27 O1 at Penn State
41 at Purdue 13 O8 Iowa
25 Nebraska 48 O15 at Maryland
26 Michigan 29 O22 Rutgers
14 at Ohio State 28 O29 at Illinois
35 at Iowa 40 N5 Purdue
32 Illinois 23 N12 at Nebraska
21 Wisconsin 31 N19 Northwestern
21 Central Michigan 14 N26 at Wisconsin
(Quick Lane Bowl)
The
Minnesota football program is in the midst of a total makeover that began when
Coach Jerry Kill resigned for health reasons with five games left in the
regular season. Interim coach Tracy
Claeys was named the full-time replacement coach and led the Gophers to a win
in the Quick Lane Bowl over Central Michigan.
Claeys first off-season move was to bring in Jay Johnson from
Louisiana-Lafayette as offensive coordinator to get more production from an
offense that averaged a woeful 22.5 points per game last year (13th
in the B1G).
Johnson
figures to make the most out of senior quarterback Mitch Leidner’s dual-threat
talents. Leidner’s rushing yards went
down last year and his interceptions went up as compared to 2014, but he has
been a starter for the past 29 games and that experience will be counted
on. Leidner will be handing off to
sophomore running back Shannon Brooks, who will carry the workload as the
Gophers still look to be a run-first offense.
He averaged six yards per carry last year with seven touchdowns. Last year’s leading receiver, KJ Maye and his
73 receptions a year ago, have departed, but the Gophers have a couple of good
ones in senior Drew Wolitarsky and junior Eric Carter. Wolitarsky was second on the team a year ago
with 39 catches for 524 yards and three TDs and will look to become Leidner’s
favorite target this year, particularly on the medium and deep routes. Carter placed fourth a year ago with 23
receptions for 255 yards and a touchdown.
Carter can be a “possession receiver” on third downs or go deep with
equal ability. Minnesota may
occasionally utilize two tight ends in their offense and they have two good
ones in juniors Brandon Lingen and Nate Wozniak. Lingen, known for being an excellent blocker
and receiver, was third on the team in receptions in 2015 with 33 for 428 yards
and three scores and will be an essential part of Minnesota’s passing
game. Wozniak, known as the “second
tight end”, hauled in eight passes for 75 yards. Minnesota will have to replace three departed
starters on the offensive line, which is anchored by the two returnees,
sophomore center Tyler Moore and senior RT Jonah Pirsig. Freshman Nick Connelly graduated high school
early to take part in spring practice and impressed enough to apparently lock
down the starting job at LT alongside junior LG Garrison Wright. Junior Vincent Calhoun played well as a
backup last year and in spring ball to get the starting nod at RG. It will be interesting to see how the line
develops as the season progresses and how Coach Claeys will balance the
old-school power running attack that Coach Kill developed there, with the
spread his new offensive coordinator, the aforementioned Jay Johnson will bring
in.
Minnesota
needs to find a few playmakers on defense, which managed only 22 sacks in 2015
(11th in the B1G). The line
returns starters Steven Richardson at DT (junior) and Hendrick Ekpe at DE
(senior) next to Richardson. Richardson
managed 26 tackles a year ago along with a very respectable eight tackles for
loss, 3.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery.
Ekpe ,who started the last seven games,
had 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, and also recovered a
fumble. Senior Scott Ekpe will take over full time at the other DE spot after
getting 15 tackles, and two tackles for loss, while junior Andrew Stelter
figures to have the starting job at the other DT spot. He performed well in his backup role a year
ago, appearing in all 13 games and garnering 26 tackles. The Gophers return two starting linebackers
in junior Cody Poock, who was second on the team with 99 tackles, and senior
Jack Lynn, fourth on the team with 76 tackles.
Junior Jonathan Celestin played in all 13 games a year ago and got 43
tackles and figures to start at MLB. The
secondary loses all-B1G performer CB Brien Boddy-Calhoun, but return junior SS
Adekunie Ayinde who moves over from FS.
Ayinde was all over the field last year, with 43 tackles and 2.5 tackles
for loss. The coaching staff hopes to
utilize him more in their run blitz calls .
The other three will be new to starting roles as senior Damarius Travis
will step into the FS role after garnering 10 tackles a year ago. Senior Jalen Myrick and sophomore Kiante
Hardin have apparently locked down the starting roles at the corner position at
the conclusion of spring practice.
Myrick played very well in his backup role with 27 tackles, 3.5 tackles
for loss, a sack and three interceptions.
Hardin managed 13 tackles in somewhat limited playing time a year
ago.
The Gophers
will welcome back a solid kicker in junior Ryan Santoso, who was 17 of 21 on
his field goal tries and has a 50-yarder to his credit. He also hit six out of eight from 40-49
yards. Sophomore Logan McElfresh appears
to have won the competition for the punting duties, as he will be attempting to
fill the shoes of departed punter Peter Mortell.
The schedule
should be kinder to Minnesota this year.
They start out with Oregon State, Indiana State, and Colorado State, all
at home, which are all very winnable.
Even the B1G schedule appears kinder, as the Gophers will not have to
contend with heavyweights Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State this
year. Iowa and Northwestern have to
visit, but they’ll have to deal with Penn State, Nebraska, and Wisconsin on the
road. The Gophers can certainly get back
to a bowl game and have a decent shot at a winning record.
PROJECTION: 6-6 (3-6) 5th
in West Division
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