College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Minnesota Golden Gophers season with what you need to know.
CFN in 60 Podcast: 2020 Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota preview in 60 seconds
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Minnesota Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 11-2 overall, 7-2 in Big Ten
Head Coach: PJ Fleck, 4th year, 23-15
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 8
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 25
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 43
NOTE: Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Minnesota Golden Gophers Offense 3 Things To Know
– The offense was good, efficient, and explosive. This wasn’t the normal Minnesota team with a good running game that was able to control games from time to time. This O was able to throw haymakers and stretch the field.
The Gophers finished sixth in the nation in yards per completion, was fourth in the Big Ten in total offense, and it was still able to stick to the brand finishing fourth in college football in time of possession. With nine starters expected back, expect the machine – no more boat rowing mentions – to be even more productive.
CFN in 60 Video: Minnesota Golden Gophers Preview
– Joe Burrow, Justin Fields, Jalen Hurts … Tanner Morgan? Those were the four most efficient quarterbacks in the country last year. Not Tua, not Justin Herbert, not Trevor Lawrence – Morgan, was up there with the superstars of superstars, completing 66% of his passes, averaging over ten yards per throw, and hitting 30 touchdown passes with seven picks. He’s got the receiving corps to do it all over again.
Leading receiver Tyler Johnson is off catching passes from Tom Brady at Tampa Bay, but Rashod Bateman is even more dangerous – averaging over 20 yards per catch – and six of the top seven pass catchers overall return. The tight ends – like 6-5, 270-pound junior Jake Paulson – are very big, and so is the physical receiving corps.
– The offensive line was just okay in pass protection, but it was able to pound away for 178 rushing yards per game. 6-6, 325-pound junior Blaise Andries anchors a group that should get back all five starters along with most of the key backups.
Running back Rodney Smith is finally done after seemingly starting out his career in the Joe Salem era, but Mohamed Ibrahim is a more-than-capable No. 1 back who’s ready for an even bigger role. Losing Smith and Shannon Brooks, though, will hurt a bit – more backs have to rise up right away to rotate in with Ibrahim. New star recruit Ky Thomas will get a shot to take on an early role.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Minnesota Golden Gophers Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Minnesota Golden Gophers Defense 3 Things To Know
– The offense is loaded with veterans and stars from the breakthrough season ready to do a whole lot more. The defense … not so much.
Five Gophers were drafted, four of them were from the defensive side that finished tenth in the nation in total defense and was ninth in pass D. Seven of the top eight tacklers and nine of the top 12 are done, starting with do-it-all safety Antoine Winfield who’s now a Tampa Bay Buccaneer.
Fellow defensive back Chris Williamson is gone, as are linebacking stars Kamal Martin and Thomas Barber. However, the biggest early concern is a defensive front that has to find more killers on the outside and options in the interior.
– Top end Carter Coughlin is done along with two other starters on the line. 6-4, 315-pound former Notre Dame transfer Micah Dew-Treadway is back to be the anchor on the inside after making 13 tackles in the rotation. There’s size among the depth, but the pass rushers have to emerge.
6-6, 275-pound junior Esezi Otomewo and 6-4, 260-pound junior Boye Mafe bring the size, but they have to get it into the backfield in their bigger roles.
– Jordan Howden is back. The Las Vegas native finished fourth on the team with 57 tackles, and now he becomes the veteran main man for a secondary that loses several key parts – including Kiondre Thomas, who transferred to Kansas State – but has enough back to be okay in time. Senior Koney Durr was a broken up pass machine at one corner job, but it’s going to take some work to get the safeties right – there isn’t another Winfield.
Even with some next-level losses, the linebacking corps should be fine with the combination of Braelen Oliver, Thomas Rush, and Mariano Sari-Marin just experienced enough to be okay right away. 6-5, 225-pound Itayvion Brown was the team’s top recruit – he’s going to be a linebacking star early in his career.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Minnesota Golden Gophers Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Minnesota Golden Gophers Players
Best Minnesota Golden Gophers Offensive Player
WR Rashod Bateman, Jr.
Tyler Johnson might have been the team’s leading target, but Bateman was the killer. The 6-2, 210-pounder showed off his potential in a 51-catch freshman season, and then he turned it up a few notches with 60 grabs for 1,219 yards and 11 scores, averaging more than 20 yards per catch.
He ripped up Penn State for 203 yards, hit Northwestern for three touchdowns, and came up with 100 yards or more five times. He’s not going to have to do it all with all the talent back in the receiving corps, but another year like 2019 will be more than fine.
2. QB Tanner Morgan, Jr.
3. OG Blaise Andries, Jr.
4. WR Chris Autman-Bell, Jr.
5. RB Mohamed Ibrahim, Jr.
Best Minnesota Golden Gophers Defensive Player
CB Coney Durr, Sr.
It was Antoine Winfield’s secondary, but the 5-10, 200-pound Durr did his part to make a whole lot of plays, too. All back full two years after missing most of the 2017 season with a torn ACL, the All-Big Ten performer in the classroom and on the field made 33 tackles and picked off a pass for a score against Maryland. He’s at his best balling out when the ball is thrown his way with ten broken up passes, but he only made the one pick.
2. S Jordan Howden, Jr.
3. S Benjamin St. Juste, Sr.
4. LB Mariano Sori-Marin, Jr.
5. DE Esezi Otomoewo, Jr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Minnesota Golden Gophers Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Minnesota Golden Gophers Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Minnesota Golden Gophers Offense
Get the ground game going right away, and don’t stop.
For all of the fun of the high-powered passing game that turned into one of the nation’s most efficient, it was the rushing attack that turned out to be the biggest difference.
It struggled way too much to start last year against mediocre teams – the Gophers failed to average more than three yards per carry in three of the first four games – but the O line took over late when it absolutely had to in the wins. However, the Gophers ran for a season-low 63 yards against Iowa, and 76 yards against Wisconsin – those were the two losses.
Going back to 2009, the program has lost 25 of its last 27 games – the two wins over Georgia Southern and Purdue last year when it ran for 93 yards and 92, respectively, were the outliers – when it failed to hit the 100-yard mark.
Biggest Key To The Minnesota Golden Gophers Defense
More plays in the backfield would be a plus. It’s hard to argue with the success the Gopher D enjoyed last year, but even with plenty of experience and a few NFL-caliber players, it was like pulling teeth to make plays behind the line.
The defense only came up with 62 tackles for loss. There weren’t enough forced fumbles and being 115th in the nation in TFLs wasn’t okay for a group that talented. It’ll be a bit tougher with all the new starters and new parts, but there are two games against Florida Atlantic and Tennessee Tech to warm up for Iowa.
Key Minnesota Golden Gophers Player To A Successful Season
DT Micah Dew-Treadway, Sr.
The 6-4, 315-pounder didn’t have much of a role in his time at Notre Dame, but he graduated, came to Minnesota, and became a big body on the inside. He only made 13 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, but his job was to take on blockers and serve as a true anchor. With so many big changes on the front seven, he’s going to have to hold up and do even more as one of the few veteran leaders returning.
Key Game To The Minnesota Golden Gophers Season
Iowa, Sept. 18
The 2019 Gophers had plenty of time to build up momentum and steam against a light and breezy schedule. This year, Iowa comes to town in Week 3 for the Big Ten opener, and it’s a must-win for both sides to have any hopes of being in the West race.
Minnesota has lost five in a row to That Team Down There, including a 23-19 thriller for the first loss of last season. Lose, and with at Wisconsin, Michigan, at Michigan State and at Nebraska still to go, uh oh.
– Minnesota Golden Gophers Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Minnesota Fun Stats
– Time of Possession: Minnesota 34:12 – Opponents 25:48
– Punt Returns: Minnesota 11 for 37 yards – Opponents 6 for 1 yard
– Average Yards Per Pass: Minnesota 10.2 – Opponents 6..7
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Minnesota Golden Gophers Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Minnesota Golden Gophers Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
Beating Auburn in the Outback Bowl legitimized the greatest season of Minnesota Golden Gopher football since 1961.
The Gophers fattened up on an easy schedule – six of the first eight games were against teams that didn’t go bowling, and Georgia Southern and Illinois were the ones that did – there was the one giant win over a brand-name team at home against Penn State, and that was it.
Until the Outback.
That was a talented Auburn team that 1) beat Alabama and Oregon, 2) tried, and 3) was outplayed and outcoached in the 31-24 loss. It proved that Minnesota does have what it takes under PJ Fleck to win despite the lack of five-star talent.
Now do it all over again.
Last year was great, but those easy early games allowed the Gophers to survive bad performances against mediocre teams. There won’t be that luxury this year, but this version should be great right away.
The offense will be every bit as strong. As long as the running backs produce with a good rotation, the balance and efficiency won’t be a problem. The defensive losses are bad, but they’re not totally devastating. The production will take a step back, but the entire team is about to show that 2019 wasn’t a fluke.
Set The Minnesota Golden Gophers Regular Season Win Total At … 8
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 9
There are just enough tricky games to set the win total a wee bit lower than what’s being put out there.
There’s no Ohio State or Penn State on the schedule this season, but with a defense that loses almost all of the key parts, the Gophers are replacing Georgia Southern with BYU, have to go on the road to face Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan State and Nebraska, and have to hows Iowa, Michigan Purdue and Northwestern.
It’s all manageable, and there isn’t a game on the slate they can’t win, there are way too many 50/50 games, and the assumption has to be that Purdue, Northwestern, and Nebraska are going to be stronger.
That doesn’t mean this won’t be another great year with another wonderful team. It means the schedule won’t be quite as forgiving.
