Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Cody Simon (30) sacks Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan (2) during the second quarter of their game in Huntington Bank Stadium at University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN on September 2, 2021. Credit: Courtesy of TNS
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
2020 record: 3-4
Head Coach: P.J. Fleck
2021 record: 0-1
Record vs. OSU since 2010: 0-5
What’s Happened So Far:
Chants of “M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A, Minnesota, Minnesota, Minnesota!” filled Huntington Bank Stadium in the Golden Gophers’ season opener against No. 4 Ohio State, as they gave the Buckeyes a run for their money, leading 14-10 at halftime. Minnesota faltered in the second half, though, allowing four out of five Ohio State offensive drives to result in touchdowns with the fifth Buckeyes score coming on a 32-yard fumble return to lose the opener 45-31.
Key Offensive Player:
With the announcement of redshirt senior running back Mohamed Ibrahim’s season-ending leg injury, more weight is put on the shoulders of redshirt senior quarterback Tanner Morgan to carry the offensive load. Morgan enters his third full season under center for the Gophers, looking to build off his best season yet in which he completed 66 percent of his passes for 3,253 yards, 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2019. Morgan struggled to keep the momentum he created in 2019, with a measly 7-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio in the shortened 2020 season. The Union, Kentucky, native showed glimpses of his 2019 self against Ohio State, completing 14 of his 25 throws for 205 yards as his lone score was a 13-yard pitch-and-catch to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Dylan Wright — a target he found a liking to, completing a team-high five passes.
Key Defensive Player:
A season ago, Minnesota only managed eight sacks as a unit — second-fewest to Purdue’s five. Over half of the quarterback takedowns came at the hands of redshirt senior defensive lineman Boye Mafe, who logged 4.5 last year. He is going to need to exceed that total in 2021 if he wants to make a significant impact for the Gophers’ front four. That would help the back end of the defensive unit that only intercepted five passes last season. Mafe — along with his defensive mates — failed to take down Ohio State redshirt freshman C.J. Stroud Sept. 2, but he was one of two Minnesota defenders to record a quarterback hurry.
Weakness:
Despite ball-hawking a Stroud pass in the second quarter, Minnesota’s secondary has presented problems for the defensive side of the ball since star safety Antoine Winfield Jr. tied the program’s single-season interception record with seven picks in 2019. In 2020, the Gophers’ five interceptions ranked ninth in the Big Ten. Aside from the low takeaway total, the secondary allowed for Ohio State’s passing attack to jump out to a 294-yard, four touchdown performance in Week 1.
