Despite alarming trends all over the field, Minnesota somehow survived an overtime scare against Michigan State with a 23-20 win. There are plenty of directions to go, but let’s break down the five biggest takeaways.
Harbaugh is in his third season calling plays for Minnesota, and it’s hard to admit that he has taken at least a step back this season. One of the biggest frustrations with P.J. Fleck’s Gophers has been his conservative decision-making, and a predictable offensive strategy does not help that narrative. Michigan State entered Saturday’s game with the worst defense in the Big Ten, and Minnesota’s performance shouldn’t inspire any confidence that things will change against stiffer competition later this season.
The Gophers have faced some talented quarterbacks this season, and the secondary’s performance against redshirt freshman Alessio Milivojevic, who was making the first start of his career, might’ve been their worst. He finished 20 of 28 for 311 yards and one touchdown. Danny Collins climbed the ladder as Minnesota’s safeties coach, but the Gophers’ secondary has taken a massive step back this season, which is an alarming trend.
Darius Taylor missed his third game this season due to injury, which opened the door for Ijeboi to have another big role. Minnesota’s redshirt freshman running back has eased the pain of its star offensive weapon dealing with injuries all year. Ijeboi finished Saturday’s game with a season-high 17 carries for 108 yards and one touchdown. Taylor’s NFL Draft decision will be a big storyline this offseason, but Ijeboi’s emergence gives the Gophers another future star in the backfield. He was the best offensive player on the field for Minnesota on Saturday.
Ijeboi’s first-quarter touchdown was Minnesota’s first in the first quarter of any game since Week 2 against Northwestern State, and its first against an FBS opponent this season. After a pair of quick offensive drives, the Gophers’ five-play, 63-yard touchdown drive broke an ice-cold streak.
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Minnesota’s blowout win over the Demons was the only time it held a lead after the first quarter in any game before taking on Michigan State. P.J. Fleck and his staff emphasized starting fast throughout the week. It wasn’t the greatest start, but a major step in the right direction.
Minnesota’s defense broke out for nine sacks against Nebraska, and they almost reached that mark against the Spartans. They had seven sacks as a team on Saturday afternoon. Anthony Smith led the way with 1.5, and he now has 8.5 on the season. The Gophers’ secondary has a lot of questions, and their front seven is doing its best to cover those up.
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