I think anyone familiar with South Dakota State expected the Jacks to hang with Minnesota for a little while — I did — but it was more surprising to see them hold a lead into the final six minutes of the game. The close score said as much about SDSU's talent and effective strategy as it did Minnesota's deficiencies.
Even with those deficiencies, though, the Gophers won. As in any win, there were positives. Here's what we learned Thursday.
1. The Minnesota offense leaned on its signature style to win the game late.
Tanner Morgan threw just five passes in the second half after throwing 13 in the first. This was partly because the Gophers held the ball significantly less: Minnesota's time of possession went from 19:50 in the first half to 12:22 in the second — and that's counting the final drive, in which Morgan knelt three times to kill the clock. The Gophers ran 17 fewer plays. (That's not counting the kneel downs.) Naturally, they'd throw fewer passes.
However, a closer look reveals how offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca changed his playcalls.
In the third quarter, Minnesota struggled in a small sample throwing the ball. Morgan's first throw of the quarter was a screen pass to Johnson, who couldn't go anywhere when Seth Green whiffed on his block:
On Morgan's second dropback, left tackle Sam Schlueter and guard Blaise Andries failed to deal with a twist, and Jackrabbits end Ryan Earith got the third down sack. Minnesota punted.
On the following drive, Ciarrocca called a play-action pass that counted on the SDSU defense biting hard on the fake and becoming vulnerable deep. The defense didn't bite hard. Bateman, one of two players running routes, ran a hitch-and-go, and Morgan forced the throw into tight coverage.
Johnson dropped the next pass but had an 18-yard gain on the one after it.
In the fourth, when Minnesota went to Demetrius Douglas on a tunnel screen on 3rd down, Andries was flagged for an illegal blindside block. On third-and-23, Morgan tried to hit a crossing Bateman, but the left side of his line let him down again when Schlueter let Earith into the backfield on a bull rush.
However, a closer look reveals how offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca changed his playcalls.
In the third quarter, Minnesota struggled in a small sample throwing the ball. Morgan's first throw of the quarter was a screen pass to Johnson, who couldn't go anywhere when Seth Green whiffed on his block:
On Morgan's second dropback, left tackle Sam Schlueter and guard Blaise Andries failed to deal with a twist, and Jackrabbits end Ryan Earith got the third down sack. Minnesota punted.
On the following drive, Ciarrocca called a play-action pass that counted on the SDSU defense biting hard on the fake and becoming vulnerable deep. The defense didn't bite hard. Bateman, one of two players running routes, ran a hitch-and-go, and Morgan forced the throw into tight coverage.
Johnson dropped the next pass but had an 18-yard gain on the one after it.
In the fourth, when Minnesota went to Demetrius Douglas on a tunnel screen on 3rd down, Andries was flagged for an illegal blindside block. On third-and-23, Morgan tried to hit a crossing Bateman, but the left side of his line let him down again when Schlueter let Earith into the backfield on a bull rush.
Meanwhile, the ground game was highly effective, averaging 5.2 yards per carry in the second half. For most of the game, Rodney Smith and Mohamed Ibrahim were seldom stopped at the line but struggled to break into the second level. Here are the Gophers' advanced rushing statistics for the whole game, as well as last year's national averages:
Late, however, the line started making bigger holes; Smith had runs of 7, 14, 5, and 9 yards in the fourth quarter. Morgan gained 14 on this brilliantly executed read option play:
Ciarrocca relied on what was working, upping the Gophers' run rate from 62 percent in the first half to 70 percent in the second. On the game-winning drive, he called the same inside zone play to Smith three consecutive times, with tight end Jake Paulson cutting across the formation to seal off the edge:
A 2-yard run and a penalty set up the cherry on top: an inside zone run to Ibrahim (out of 13 personnel) while his linemen collapsed the SDSU front with low blocks. Note that guards Andries and Curtis Dunlap start this play from four-point stances to stay low and get more leverage against the opposing linemen.
That is what manball looks like.
This style of offense is how the Gophers moved the ball last season. I'm unsure that Ciarrocca should have abandoned the pass because of a few unsuccessful plays, but running the ball was likely the safer option. With how SDSU controlled possession in the second half, and how seldom the O-line had failed to move the ball against a smaller and less athletic defense, it made sense to stick to what Minnesota knows best.
3. Paulson delivered a number of important blocks. This was not one of them.
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| Averages via Bill Connelly, who included them in his advanced box scores, which you can find in the schedule sections of every team page through this link. You can find explanations for each stat in the advanced box scores or through this link. |
Late, however, the line started making bigger holes; Smith had runs of 7, 14, 5, and 9 yards in the fourth quarter. Morgan gained 14 on this brilliantly executed read option play:
Ciarrocca relied on what was working, upping the Gophers' run rate from 62 percent in the first half to 70 percent in the second. On the game-winning drive, he called the same inside zone play to Smith three consecutive times, with tight end Jake Paulson cutting across the formation to seal off the edge:
A 2-yard run and a penalty set up the cherry on top: an inside zone run to Ibrahim (out of 13 personnel) while his linemen collapsed the SDSU front with low blocks. Note that guards Andries and Curtis Dunlap start this play from four-point stances to stay low and get more leverage against the opposing linemen.
That is what manball looks like.
This style of offense is how the Gophers moved the ball last season. I'm unsure that Ciarrocca should have abandoned the pass because of a few unsuccessful plays, but running the ball was likely the safer option. With how SDSU controlled possession in the second half, and how seldom the O-line had failed to move the ball against a smaller and less athletic defense, it made sense to stick to what Minnesota knows best.
2. The Gophers have two bona fide star receivers.
Tyler Johnson had a disappointing night. The Jacks kept him in check for most of the game, and his two drops showed that in his third season as the Gophers' No. 1 receiver, he still has to improve his hands.
In his stead, Rashod Bateman became Morgan's preferred target. Bateman had a solid freshman season, but Thursday night was arguably his coming-out party. He dazzled in the first half, making five reception for 132 yards and a touchdown. From the first play of the game, he showed off his agility and quickness with 18 yards after the catch on this run-pass option.
In the second half, Bateman didn't get as much of a chance to make an impact. Morgan only threw the ball five times (six if you count a play called back by penalty) and targeted Bateman just twice. But he made his mark on the game and showed that he can step up if opposing defenses take away the threat of Johnson.
In his stead, Rashod Bateman became Morgan's preferred target. Bateman had a solid freshman season, but Thursday night was arguably his coming-out party. He dazzled in the first half, making five reception for 132 yards and a touchdown. From the first play of the game, he showed off his agility and quickness with 18 yards after the catch on this run-pass option.
Near the end of the half, he made national highlight reels by speeding past his defender on a fade and making a one-handed catch for a touchdown.
In the second half, Bateman didn't get as much of a chance to make an impact. Morgan only threw the ball five times (six if you count a play called back by penalty) and targeted Bateman just twice. But he made his mark on the game and showed that he can step up if opposing defenses take away the threat of Johnson.
3. Paulson delivered a number of important blocks. This was not one of them.
4. Notably absent from the offense: The Wildcat package.
Seth Green had just one run all night, scoring a touchdown from the 1-yard line. He spent most of the game either on the sideline or at receiver. Last season, Ciarrocca stopped lining up Smith and Shannon Brooks in the slot after doing so heavily in 2017. I'd be surprised if he eliminates the Wildcat package entirely, but this game may have foreshadowed a smaller place for it in the offense.
5. Minnesota failed to control the C-gap.
I have seven GIFs from Thursday's game labeled "Bad Contain." I could have saved more. Here are four.
From the first quarter: Winston DeLattiboudere cuts into the backfield, and Pierre Strong takes the ball on the read option into a wide-open flat.
From the third quarter: Carter Coughlin goes too wide around a blocker, Chris Williamson gets caught in traffic, and Strong gets the edge.
From the fourth quarter: Esezi Otomewo creeps too far inside, and Strong picks up 6 yards on another read option.
From the Jacks' last drive of the game: DeLattiboudere makes the same mistake, and off goes C.J. Wilson.
Defending the run was a problem all night. 58 percent of SDSU's rushing attempts gained at least 4 yards, and Jackrabbit ballcarriers averaged almost an extra 4 yards on those attempts.
Strong and Wilson are two talented backs. The Gophers can't allow opponents to get the edge so consistently, however.
Gibbs made two major mistakes that resulted in turnovers, each of which led to touchdowns. If he doesn't make those mistakes, SDSU might win the game. That says a lot about how he generally played otherwise. He looks like he'll be a good starter, especially knowing that he beat a redshirt junior for the job.
What a call this was. I just about jumped over the railing of the second deck when Morgan caught the ball.
You don't love putting it on tape in the first game of the season, but if the Jackrabbits had scored a touchdown on their final drive, those two extra points could have been the difference between a one-point deficit and a tie game. Minnesota needed to win, and this play gave them some security.
5. Minnesota failed to control the C-gap.
I have seven GIFs from Thursday's game labeled "Bad Contain." I could have saved more. Here are four.
From the first quarter: Winston DeLattiboudere cuts into the backfield, and Pierre Strong takes the ball on the read option into a wide-open flat.
From the third quarter: Carter Coughlin goes too wide around a blocker, Chris Williamson gets caught in traffic, and Strong gets the edge.
From the fourth quarter: Esezi Otomewo creeps too far inside, and Strong picks up 6 yards on another read option.
From the Jacks' last drive of the game: DeLattiboudere makes the same mistake, and off goes C.J. Wilson.
Defending the run was a problem all night. 58 percent of SDSU's rushing attempts gained at least 4 yards, and Jackrabbit ballcarriers averaged almost an extra 4 yards on those attempts.
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| Note: SDSU had two "power" opportunities. |
Strong and Wilson are two talented backs. The Gophers can't allow opponents to get the edge so consistently, however.
6. Minnesota's linebackers played poorly.
In his first game as SDSU's offensive coordinator, Jason Eck was excellent, keeping Minnesota off-balance the whole night. One way he did that was by taking advantage of the Gopher linebackers' lack of discipline on play-action passes, like on this touchdown.
Or on this post to Cade Johnson:
Watch the linebackers inch foward on each play. There are plenty of examples of this from the other night. When J'Bore Gibbs faked to the running back, the linebackers crept up to the line.
In run defense, they failed to keep the edge, but they also struggled to fill gaps and stay free from blocks. Here, Mariano Sori-Marin cannot get off of his blocker, and Thomas Barber runs into SDSU's pulling guard. Thomas Rush takes the outside shoulder of the fullback in case Wilson bounces outside, which is the right play for an edge defender, but Rush loses the battle.
This touchdown came back after a block in the back, but that foul occurred well after Braelen Oliver failed to cover Strong on a wheel route:
Kamal Martin should add a veteran presence (and a faster pair of legs) to the group now that his suspension is over, but he hasn't ever been a stout tackler for the Gophers. After Blake Cashman's graduation, Minnesota is missing a disruptive force in the middle of the field.
On a number of snaps, the Gopher cornerbacks gave ample space to Jackrabbit receivers.
Eck countered with comeback routes, which often worked.
By the end of the game, however, Coney Durr had caught on. On SDSU's last drive, Durr jumped Adam Anderson's route and made a crucial pass breakup.
Two plays later, Otomewo and Tai'yon Devers combined for the game-sealing sack.
Or on this post to Cade Johnson:
Watch the linebackers inch foward on each play. There are plenty of examples of this from the other night. When J'Bore Gibbs faked to the running back, the linebackers crept up to the line.
In run defense, they failed to keep the edge, but they also struggled to fill gaps and stay free from blocks. Here, Mariano Sori-Marin cannot get off of his blocker, and Thomas Barber runs into SDSU's pulling guard. Thomas Rush takes the outside shoulder of the fullback in case Wilson bounces outside, which is the right play for an edge defender, but Rush loses the battle.
This touchdown came back after a block in the back, but that foul occurred well after Braelen Oliver failed to cover Strong on a wheel route:
Kamal Martin should add a veteran presence (and a faster pair of legs) to the group now that his suspension is over, but he hasn't ever been a stout tackler for the Gophers. After Blake Cashman's graduation, Minnesota is missing a disruptive force in the middle of the field.
7. SDSU took advantage of soft coverage.
On a number of snaps, the Gopher cornerbacks gave ample space to Jackrabbit receivers.
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| (This isn't a GIF.) |
Eck countered with comeback routes, which often worked.
By the end of the game, however, Coney Durr had caught on. On SDSU's last drive, Durr jumped Adam Anderson's route and made a crucial pass breakup.
Two plays later, Otomewo and Tai'yon Devers combined for the game-sealing sack.
8. Jacob Huff's successor seems up to the task.
The Gophers' leading tackler against SDSU was sophomore Jordan Howden, who impressed me with a few big plays. Here's Howden doing his best Huff impression, stopping Gibbs before he could reach the line to gain on third down:
And here he is breaking up a pass to Cade Johnson on another post:
Howden played a good amount last season with Antoine Winfield injured, and that playing time may already have made him an effective starting safety.
And here he is breaking up a pass to Cade Johnson on another post:
Howden played a good amount last season with Antoine Winfield injured, and that playing time may already have made him an effective starting safety.
9. Yep, that's a redshirt freshman quarterback.
Gibbs made two major mistakes that resulted in turnovers, each of which led to touchdowns. If he doesn't make those mistakes, SDSU might win the game. That says a lot about how he generally played otherwise. He looks like he'll be a good starter, especially knowing that he beat a redshirt junior for the job.
10. Let's watch that Philly Special one more time.
What a call this was. I just about jumped over the railing of the second deck when Morgan caught the ball.
You don't love putting it on tape in the first game of the season, but if the Jackrabbits had scored a touchdown on their final drive, those two extra points could have been the difference between a one-point deficit and a tie game. Minnesota needed to win, and this play gave them some security.
Next Game
Fresno State gave USC a scare with a fourth quarter surge that came one throw to the end zone (and a two-point conversion attempt that never happened) from tying the game.
New starting quarterback Jorge Reyna completed 19 of 39 pass attempts for 256 yards and ran for 106 yards more. Most of those incompletions came during the comeback attempt; otherwise, Reyna and his receivers were effective.
The defense had problems against the Trojans at points but held them to three points in the second quarter and shut them out in the fourth.
The Bulldogs are very much in transition, with new starters across the two-deep on each side of the ball. However, they're a good team that should give the Gophers a fight. Though I expect Minnesota to win, it won't be easy.
New starting quarterback Jorge Reyna completed 19 of 39 pass attempts for 256 yards and ran for 106 yards more. Most of those incompletions came during the comeback attempt; otherwise, Reyna and his receivers were effective.
The defense had problems against the Trojans at points but held them to three points in the second quarter and shut them out in the fourth.
The Bulldogs are very much in transition, with new starters across the two-deep on each side of the ball. However, they're a good team that should give the Gophers a fight. Though I expect Minnesota to win, it won't be easy.
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