College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Minnesota Golden Gophers season with what you need to know.
CFN in 60 Podcast: 2020 Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota preview in 60 seconds
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– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Minnesota Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 11-2 overall, 7-2 in Big Ten
Head Coach: PJ Fleck, 4th year, 23-15
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 8
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 25
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 43
NOTE: Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Minnesota Golden Gophers Offense 3 Things To Know
– The offense was good, efficient, and explosive. This wasn’t the normal Minnesota team with a good running game that was able to control games from time to time. This O was able to throw haymakers and stretch the field.
The Gophers finished sixth in the nation in yards per completion, was fourth in the Big Ten in total offense, and it was still able to stick to the brand finishing fourth in college football in time of possession. With nine starters expected back, expect the machine – no more boat rowing mentions – to be even more productive.
CFN in 60 Video: Minnesota Golden Gophers Preview
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– Joe Burrow, Justin Fields, Jalen Hurts … Tanner Morgan? Those were the four most efficient quarterbacks in the country last year. Not Tua, not Justin Herbert, not Trevor Lawrence – Morgan, was up there with the superstars of superstars, completing 66% of his passes, averaging over ten yards per throw, and hitting 30 touchdown passes with seven picks. He’s got the receiving corps to do it all over again.
Leading receiver Tyler Johnson is off catching passes from Tom Brady at Tampa Bay, but Rashod Bateman is even more dangerous – averaging over 20 yards per catch – and six of the top seven pass catchers overall return. The tight ends – like 6-5, 270-pound junior Jake Paulson – are very big, and so is the physical receiving corps.
– The offensive line was just okay in pass protection, but it was able to pound away for 178 rushing yards per game. 6-6, 325-pound junior Blaise Andries anchors a group that should get back all five starters along with most of the key backups.
Running back Rodney Smith is finally done after seemingly starting out his career in the Joe Salem era, but Mohamed Ibrahim is a more-than-capable No. 1 back who’s ready for an even bigger role. Losing Smith and Shannon Brooks, though, will hurt a bit – more backs have to rise up right away to rotate in with Ibrahim. New star recruit Ky Thomas will get a shot to take on an early role.