Gophers Notebook: Bowling Green 24-30 Minnesota

Bowl season in 2023 means playing shorthanded. Players looking to transfer may stay for one more game but are generally gone for their new schools. Those with NFL aspirations may prefer to recuperate from the regular season and get an early start on training for the draft. Extra practices mean extra reps for everyone who is still around, but they also mean extra injuries. Every team has to plug holes.

Bowling Green was down their top two running backs after Taron Keith chose to transfer and Terion Stewart picked up an injury. Tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who had received a few carries during the season, had to become one of their primary rushing options. Top cornerback Jalen Huskey left for Maryland, forcing the Falcons' reserves into action in the secondary.

Minnesota was down even more. The Gophers had one scholarship quarterback after Athan Kaliakmanis and Drew Viotto's transfers, with walk-on Max Shikenjanski the only backup to fifth-year Cole Kramer. Regulars at linebacker and safety, positions plagued by instability throughout the year, appeared on the team's availability report on Tuesday. Longtime faces of the program did as well, likely sitting out to protect their pro prospects.

But Minnesota had Darius Taylor. After two months on the shelf, Taylor had maybe his best game of the season. He was the second Gopher to rush for 200 yards in a game this season and 19th overall (after Jordan Nubin's career day against Michigan State). Every one of his 35 carries gained at least 1 yard.

Bowling Green probably knew what was coming entering the game, and they definitely knew what was coming by halftime, when the Gophers had just 19 passing yards. When Taylor manned the Wildcat package, he presented no passing threat. Taylor powered through anyway, with exceptional vision, acceleration, and balance.

Nubin has proven himself a capable backup tailback this season, and when fully healthy, Zach Evans (who has left for North Texas) flashed the ability to be Taylor's foil and partner next season. Taylor, however, looked like a talent the Gophers could not go without this November. He should be the next star at a program that so often has one in its backfield. He could even be the best running back in the Big Ten as a true sophomore. It may sound hyperbolic, but the truth is that Taylor is just that good.

Taylor was also Minnesota's leading receiver — the result of a nearly nonexistent passing game. The gameplan clearly did not include much work for Kramer, whose play in his first and final college start is unlikely to stick in fans' minds. His few attempts downfield did not succeed due to a lack of touch or poor protection, with Kramer's one interception coming due to a hit by BGSU stud edge rusher Cashius Howell.

Kramer's 26 passing yards were the fewest for the Gophers since a 2014 win over San José State in which Chris Steveler had one completion on seven attempts.

Much like Kramer's first meaningful appearance for the Gophers, stepping in at Kinnick Stadium for a concussed Tanner Morgan in 2019, this last appearance was a thankless job. As the broadcast covered extensively and excessively, Kramer was ready to move on with his life after Minnesota's loss to Wisconsin. With basically no one else to go under center, Kramer stayed and did just enough to win.

Doing "just enough to win" is how one could describe the Minnesota defense's performance as well. A makeshift back end surrendered a few big plays but overall held the Falcons in check. The Bowling Green offense has been more explosive than efficient this season, but missing Keith and Stewart meant their other players had to make an impact.

The leader was Odieu Hiliare. According to Game on Paper, Hiliare's performance was worth an additional 16 points of win probability, which tied him with Taylor for the most by any player in the game. His 10 catches were mostly either high-impact or high-leverage (if not both), with seven gaining at least 10 yards and three coming on 3rd or 4th down. He proved a versatile talent, bringing in a deep touchdown, winning contested catches, and beating defenders off the line in the short game.

Connor Bazelak, however, was not very effective, and the pass rush started affecting him more by the midpoint of the game. Jah Joyner finished off his strong season with a couple of sacks.

With walk-on Tyler Stolsky starting next to Cody Lindenberg and two freshman safeties, the Minnesota run defense was mostly fine. There were still some issues, like on Pasean Wimberly's long run in the fourth quarter. Kerry Brown, playing on the edge of the box, shot into the backfield without regard for Wimberly's path or the possibility of pulling linemen — despite BGSU being a team that relies heavily on counter runs. Rather than making a tackle in the flat as he had hoped, Brown ran into a blocker. Stolsky also did not get wide enough, getting caught in traffic and offering Wimberly a wide-open lane. Coleman Bryson took a bad angle to the hole and did not make the tackle until the play had gone for 42 yards.

Young players make mistakes. Bryson was the deep safety on Hiliare's touchdown. Either he or Brown nearly allowed another score at the goal line in the fourth quarter. Brown immediately darting to the flat to cover tailback Jamal Johnson could suggest Brown either having Johnson in man coverage (fine) or again being dead-set on his initial read (bad). The former seems more likely to me, based on Bryson's actions. He gave Fannin a bump before charging into the flat with Lindenberg and Brown, but when Bazelak started his throw, Bryson had to sprint back to help poor Tre'Von Jones trying to defend two receivers by himself. That suggests he was supposed to stay in the middle of the field. Fortunately, Jones handled it.

While Bazelak would score on a quarterback draw on the next play, Minnesota recovered the onside kick, and Taylor closed out the game. Thus endeth the Gophers' rocky 2023 season.

As some greenhorns tried to make their mark, some of the program's longtime contributors were absent from the field or played their last games as Gophers.

Tyler Nubin became a starter as a true sophomore in 2020, without significant experience or, due to the pandemic, a real offseason to prepare. Like most Gophers defenders that year, he looked totally lost. By the end of his junior season, he was one of the best safeties in the conference; as he leaves the college game, he is arguably the best Minnesota safety of the 21st century. His record 13 career interceptions makes him a true icon of the program. He may deserve the greatest credit for the Gophers even finishing 5-7 this season, considering how many big plays he made in crucial moments. Nubin may be picked in Round 1 of the NFL Draft and could have a tremendous pro career.

Chris Autman-Bell is not the last member remaining from Minnesota's magical 2019 season — Bryce Williams will seemingly outlast him — but he is the last who made a major impact that year. P.J. Fleck loves to reference Autman-Bell's catch against Fresno State that season, and it is worth referencing again both for how miraculous it was and for how normal it was for Autman-Bell. He became one of the finest contested-catch receivers in the nation. The nickname "Crab" was only a play on his initials but could have described his vice grip on the ball. It is cruel that injuries prevented him from climbing higher up the program's statistical leaderboards. He just barely cracked the top 10 in career receptions.

Brevyn Spann-Ford's 2022 is one of the most productive seasons a Minnesota tight end has ever had. That his 2023 took so long to get going should not distract from his overall contributions. Once thought of as a "receiving tight end," the St. Cloud native rounded out his skill set to become a deserving every-down player. Spann-Ford's size, athleticism, improvement as a blocker, and determination to hurdle every defender he sees will earn him a shot at an NFL roster.

Kyler Baugh arrived from Houston Baptist (now Houston Christian) as a tweener tackle, having played nose in the Southland Conference but not quite having Big Ten size. His debut season was respectable, but in 2023 he became a real playmaker on a defensive line in need of disruption. Baugh's 9.5 havoc plays this year were the most by a Gopher defensive tackle since Sam Renner (13.5) in 2019.

Lakeville North's Nathan Boe had to sit for five years to get his shot on the Gophers' offensive line. While it is always a challenge to replace a player like John Michael Schmitz, Boe held his own and earned an honorable mention on the all-conference team.

With Tuesday's bowl game, Brady Weeks became Minnesota's all-time leader in games played. For a long snapper — even the former top recruit at his position — achieving even "trivia answer" status is a significant accomplishment. Weeks has done his job without error for five years.

Meanwhile, Minnesota's stopgap transfers had mixed results. Corey Crooms, Sean Tyler, and Ryan Selig all transferred to Minnesota from Western Michigan and had very different seasons. Crooms became a trusty slot receiver, the team's second-most-used target.

Tyler made a few plays but could not keep his hands on the ball. His benching both was earned yet became a bit unreasonable as injuries took away more and more options at running back. He did not receive one carry in the bowl game.

Selig was somewhere in between: an acceptable rotational linebacker but not a major contributor. Something similar could be said for backup rush end Chris Collins, who arrived from North Carolina.

Elon transfer Tre'Von Jones was altogether just fine but no more than that. The Gophers needed a veteran presence at corner across from Justin Walley, and he provided that. His 11 solo tackles against Ohio State reflected a vulnerability that other teams sought to exploit.

For 2024 to be a bounceback season, the Gophers need a lot of things to go right — but not anything that is impossible. Minnesota has already plugged some holes with transfers: The FCS leader in passing yards, Max Brosmer from New Hampshire, will fill in at quarterback. Ohio's Sieh Bangura will be the Gophers new No. 2 at running back. Bucknell cornerback Ethan Robinson and Central Michigan tackle Quindario Lee will be instant contributors on defense, if not starters. Most arrive with multiple years of eligibility. There is still work to do, and no transfer is a guaranteed success, but this is a start on paper.

The rest, however, depends on this roster staying together and growing. The defense took a significant step back due to inexperience. Whoever the new defensive coordinator is, the young Gophers at linebacker, cornerback, and safety need to find their footing. While Daniel Jackson and Le'Meke Brockington should be an excellent receiving duo, a supporting cast must emerge. The offensive line has room to improve.

And as always, Fleck needs to re-evaluate how he coaches on gameday, from his risk-averse 4th down decisions to how often he spends his timeouts. In a challenging new Big Ten, he cannot continue to give away small edges. For the first time in his career, he faces a genuine challenge to prove he still belongs as head coach.