Minnesota Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck leads his team onto the field in the first quarter of a NCAA football game against Purdue at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. (John Autey / Pioneer Press/TNS)
What’s happened so far in 2023?
Tasked with two Big Ten opponents and No. 20 North Carolina within the first four games, the Golden Gophers enter week five 2-2 (1-1 Big Ten) following a loss to Northwestern Saturday. Despite leading the Wildcats 31-10 after three quarters, Northwestern rallied back to win 37-34 in overtime. Redshirt-sophomore quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis completed 73.7 percent of his passes for 153 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers. Kaliakmanis fueled a fourth-quarter comeback in the 13-10 season-opening win versus Nebraska and a 25-6 victory week two versus Eastern Michigan.
Key offensive player
Freshman running back Darius Taylor has had a memorable start to his career, becoming the first in program history to earn three straight Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors with 216 all-purpose yards versus Northwestern. After three yards on one carry in his Aug. 31 debut versus Nebraska, Taylor is the first Golden Gopher since Laurence Maroney in 2003 to have consecutive 100-yard games with three straight.
Key defensive player
Redshirt-freshman linebacker Maverick Baranowski leads Minnesota and is 11th in the Big Ten with 28 tackles in his first year as a starter. Baranowski racked up a career-high 10 tackles in the 31-13 loss to North Carolina Sept. 16. The Ponce Inlet, Florida, native has wreaked havoc against opposing quarterbacks, adding a sack and two pass breakups for head coach P.J. Fleck’s defense.
Weaknesses:
Minnesota has struggled offensively through the past four weeks, ranking 10th in the Big Ten with 341 total yards per game and 13th with 21.3 points per game. The Golden Gophers’ 34 points Saturday were eight more than they scored in the first three games combined. But with a budding freshman ball carrier in Taylor, Minnesota looks to bolster its offensive attack Saturday versus the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns at Huntington Bank Stadium.
