Minnesota has made it to the end of their non-conference schedule in pretty good shape. Setting aside an injury scare at cornerback and a toss-up defeat in the opener, the team has given reason for optimism: competence from transfers, clear steps forward from their young defense, and a few big plays from underclassmen.
September is also the most confusing time to be a college football fan. How much should early results shake us from our priors? Good teams take care of business against bad ones, but can we really expect that to translate when the schedule gets harder? What schematic shifts will we not know about until coaches are in the games that really count? It's the hot take part of the season, where it seems everyone is wildly overconfident in their team or convinced of their doom.
Overreactions are part of the fun to some people, but I try to take a tempered approach to the early season. The season is so short that we cannot say we really know much until at least the midway point, if not later. And the games can turn on such random events that a win or a loss can distract us from the specifics of a game and lead us to false conclusions. At the same time, these first few weeks do not mean nothing. They might tell us the wrong things sometimes, but not without traces of truth.
In the spirit of interrogating we know and do not know, I present some things I think the 2024 Golden Gophers have taught me about who they are. Some of these items are observations rather than prognostications, but even the former can be proven at least partly wrong later. We'll just have to check back in a couple of months to see where I am mistaken.
Max Brosmer has stabilized the quarterback position the way the Gophers hoped, with caveats.
For whatever tweaks different players or coordinators have introduced, the Minnesota offense has never asked a ton out of its quarterback. At its highest-functioning, a capable band of skill players and a strong offensive line can lead the way — as long as a steady hand is at the wheel, that is.
The rushing attack needs space that will not be there if defenses do not fear the pass. A star receiver can only do so much if the ball is over his head or going to the other team. The Gophers cannot plug in just anyone and field a balanced, effective offense. See the examples of Conor Rhoda and Demry Croft, Cole Kramer, and of course Athan Kaliakmanis. Kaliakmanis had some ability but lacked consistency, and in his redshirt sophomore season he averaged just 6.3 yards per attempt.
With Kaliakmanis off to Rutgers, the new quarterback is Max Brosmer. Brosmer's output so far affirms preseason expectations. When he is on his game, Brosmer is a rhythmic passer who is on time with his receivers and very willing to find the checkdown if needed. He has a quick release and can apply just the right combination of touch and velocity to hit intermediate throws.
