5 things we learned in the Gophers' win over Western Illinois
The Minnesota Golden Gophers improved to 2-0 on Saturday afternoon after dismantling Western Illinois 62-10. There's not much to glean from a win over a FCS opponent but there were positive traits that should benefit P.J. Fleck's squad as they head into next week's matchup with Colorado.
Tanner Morgan is a different quarterback under Kirk Ciarrocca
Morgan's 2019 season was one of the best in school history but over the past two years, he hasn't been able to replicate that success. The return of offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca has helped, but the sixth-year senior looks like a different quarterback through his first two games.
Morgan looked confident in the season opener against New Mexico State and built off that performance on Saturday. He completed 14-of-18 passes for 287 yards and a 45-yard touchdown to Brevyn Spann-Ford in the third quarter.
Easy. 😎@brevyn_ x @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/FBIrPdy66R
— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) September 10, 2022
The Gophers still used a run-oriented game plan but Morgan showed he has the arm to attack defenses downfield. That's something the Gophers didn't have last year and could be a benefit as they go though the season.
The Gophers have one of the best backfield duos in the Big Ten
Mohamed Ibrahim's return was one of the big storylines coming into the season, but the star running back is just half of an extremely dangerous backfield.
Trey Potts was a huge part of the win on Saturday, running for 79 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. After missing the final eight games last season, Potts looks like an explosive change-of-pace back that should pair nicely with Ibrahim.
Trey Potts joining the party. 😤@PottsTreyson x @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/OOp4wJszzn
— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) September 10, 2022
With Ibrahim running for 130 yards and two touchdowns, the duo set the tone for the Gophers to run for six touchdowns on the afternoon. If Potts and Ibrahim can continue to run like this against tougher competition, Minnesota could have one of the best rushing attacks in the Big Ten.
The Gophers' offense is historically elite
With Morgan, Ibrahim, and Potts leading the way, the Gophers have plenty of talent on offense, but the sum of their parts may be even greater as they put forth a historic effort on Saturday.
The Gophers racked up 679 yards of total offense on Saturday, their highest output since they put up 704 yards in a 63-21 win over Toledo on Sept. 4, 2004. Their 62 points was also the highest total since a 62-0 win over Temple on Sept. 16, 2006.
Throw it up, and let @chrisautmanbell do the rest. 😎@B1Gfootball x @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/rax8BZ0lmX
— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) September 10, 2022
Chris Autman-Bell was another key part of the effort, making six catches for 118 yards on the afternoon and Minnesota didn't lose a beat when the second string came into the game. Freshman Ethan Kaliakmanis completed all three passes for 67 yards and ran for a touchdown while Preston Jellen bulled his way into the end zone on a 30-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to cap off a dominant effort from Minnesota.
The Gophers defense might be even better
One of the most impressive parts of Minnesota's first two games has been the performance of its defense. The Gophers limited New Mexico State to just 91 yards of total offense in the opener and picked up where they left off on Saturday.
Minnesota held the Leathernecks to 194 yards on the afternoon and Western Illinois gained nearly half of their yards on a 75-yard yard drive late in the fourth quarter.Â
The Gophers' defense ranked third in the nation last season with 279.0 yards allowed per game and even after losing some key pieces, they have the talent to do it again this season.
The Gophers aren't messing around in non-conference play
P.J. Fleck has had plenty of success during his time at Minnesota, but he's also produced some stressful non-conference games. Since 2019, the Gophers had an average margin of victory of 5.8 points in eight non-conference games (including bowl games) and 2.4 points if you exclude last year's 30-0 victory over Colorado.
This season has had a different tone as the Gophers outscored their opponents 100-10 in their first two games. The effort should build a foundation as the Gophers look to contend for a division title and has them feeling good heading into next week's matchup with the Buffaloes.
