Counting down the Big Ten: No. 8 Minnesota (Footblog)

Counting down the Big Ten: No. 8 Minnesota

8. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Top Offensive Player: WR Eric Decker
Scouting the offense: Nine starters return to the offense, and while the Gophers used to be known for their running game, the attention this year is on the prolific passing combination of QB Adam Weber and Decker. With Daryll Clark, Terrelle Pryor and Juice Williams also in the conference, Weber has been overshadowed, but the junior earned second team All-Big Ten honors in 2008 with 2,761 yards, 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Meanwhile, Decker caught 84 passes for 1,074 yards and is one of the nation's top receivers. In the backfield, sophomores Duane Bennett and DeLeon Eskridge are expected to share the load. Eskridge was the top back last season, but Bennett returns from a torn ACL and may take the starting job back.

Top Defensive Player: CB Traye Simmons
Scouting the defense: The Gophers' defense ended the '08 season with a rough stretch, allowing 35 points at Wisconsin, 55 points at Iowa and 42 in the Insight Bowl loss to Kansas. The unit is experienced, but the Gophers need more playmakers to emerge up front. The biggest loss is Willie VanDeSteeg, who recorded 10.5 sacks. The tackles are solid with Garrett Brown and Eric Small, but pass rushing threats are needed to emerge. The biggest star is Simmons, a junior college transfer who intercepted four passes and broke up 14 in his first season with Minnesota.

Overall Outlook: Hopes are high for Minnesota in Tim Brewster's third season, as the Gophers improved from 1-11 in '07 to 7-6 and a bowl appearance in '08. The Gophers also open their brand new on-campus TCF Bank Stadium after years in the cavernous Metrodome. Excitement is certainly building around the program and Brewster has recruited well, but a rough schedule that includes trips to Penn State, Ohio State and Iowa and a lack of playmakers on defense will keep Minnesota in the middle of the Big Ten pack.

-Brown

Posted by Web Administrator on August 25, 2009 7:07 PM | Permalink

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on August 25, 2009 7:07 PM.

The previous post in this blog was Counting down the Big Ten: No. 9 Wisconsin.

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Matt Fortuna is a junior majoring in journalism and a football reporter for the Collegian. He has previously covered the men's tennis, soccer and basketball teams. A traditionalist, he would like nothing more than to see Joe Paterno throw it back to his Brooklyn days and install the single-wing offense this season.

Nate Mink is a junior majoring in journalism and a football reporter for the Daily Collegian and a 5-foot-10 sesquipedalian from Allentown who has tried to grow facial hair for 20 years. Sadly, he has been unsuccessful thus far. He is anxious to get a new driver's license in September and hopes the bartenders at Zanzibar in Ann Arbor believe he's 21.

Wayne Staats is a senior majoring in journalism and history and is a football reporter for the Collegian. He previously covered the baseball and women's basketball teams. He never made it far playing competitive football, unless Nerf football in grade school counts.

Matt Brown is a senior majoring in journalism and is the Collegian's football editor. He previously covered the Penn State men's basketball, baseball and women's soccer teams. While a fan of most sports, he thinks the 14 Saturdays of the college football season are the best 14 days of the year and all 34 bowl games are worth watching.