At the halfway point of the season, Minnesota sits at 3-3 after an upset victory over the Trojans of USC. This field-storming win came after the Gophers played complementary football and found a way to slow down one of the best offenses in the nation. This victory makes a bowl game bid much more feasible. As well as solidifying the fact that if this team can put together a full 60 minutes of football, then they can hang with any team that they will face this year.
USC came into the game at 3-1, with their only loss being at the Big House to Michigan. They were fighting for a possible spot in the College Football Playoff, with a big matchup against Penn State next week. Minnesota was able to hold Miller Moss to his lowest passing yards of the season. In addition, they were able to force two interceptions and a fumble in the contest. Winning the turnover battle is a huge first step to completing an upset, especially against a team with a strong passing attack. Minnesota only turned the ball over once, on a Darius Taylor fumble before halftime. Besides this, the offense was able to find success running the football again. As the team ran for nearly 200 yards and 3 TDs. This offense has the ability to take a big step forward if they can continue to display a balanced attack, like they did in this game. The team morale is very high coming off such a big upset. Therefore the Gophers will need to avoid the hangover when they head to Pasadena to take on another BIG10 newcomer in UCLA.
Helmet Sticker Performances
For those of you who do not know what a Helmet Sticker is; it is the tradition of giving small decals to put on their helmet the week after a game for good individual plays or performances. Ohio State is most known for this practice, as their blank gray helmets are filled out continuously over the course of a season. Although Minnesota does not actually give out decals for good performances, I will just use it as a way to point out positive performances that happened during the course of a game.
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- Minnesota had the top ranked pass defense, in terms of yards allowed, coming into this matchup. Although they had yet to face a competent passing team up to this point. Finally getting a chance against a team that looks to the air for chunk plays, all three levels stepped up to stifle them. Starting with the defensive line, Jah Joyner was able to be extremely disruptive throughout the game. In addition to his one sack, it was his pressure and hand on the ball that fluttered the ball right into Devon Williams hands. The pressure that was able to be put on Miller Moss played a huge part in the secondary being able to find success. Justin Walley, Ethan Robinson, and Aiden Gousby each had some of their most impressive performances of the season. Walley, returning from injury, was targeted throughout the night, but responded very strongly and played like the lock-down corner he is. Robinson continued to build on his already very strong season and tackled extremely well in the open field in this contest. Gousby controlled center-field, after Kerry Brown left with an injury, and played one of his best games in a Gopher uniform. With the secondary, it would be impossible to not mention Koi Perich and his game-winning interception. With less than 20 seconds on the clock and no timeouts, USC needed to take shots into the endzone. Which is where Perich was able to get up and snatch the sealing INT. In addition to this huge play, Perich played almost 50 snaps on defense and is looking more and more like a guy that this team cannot afford to keep off the field.
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- The Gopher offense was finally able to get a running game established in BIG10 play. Darius Taylor II looked dominant in this game. He totaled 144 yards on the ground and added another 56 receiving. Taylor easily looked his most healthy and explosive in this game, continuously bouncing off defenders and running through arm tackles. Taylor somehow did not end up scoring any touchdowns, as his QB Max Brosmer found his way to 3 of them on the ground. He did so by way of two “tush-pushes” and a well-executed zone read in the red zone. Brosmer played the role of field general to a very high level against USC. He went an efficient 15/19 through the air and hit big passes to keep the sticks moving. The growth from the jittery North Carolina game has been enormous. Brosmer is playing with very high confidence and it is leading to a well-functioning offense. For the success on the ground against a sturdy D, it is only right that the starting offensive lineman get their stickers as well. As for the receiving room, they did not blow anybody away on the stat sheets. Although their blocking on screens and runs were a main reason those areas of the game were a success.
- Special Teams
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- Dragan Kesich finally had himself a game without a miss against USC, as he went 1/1. Although it was only one field goal, leaving points on the board when trying to complete an upset is not a great recipe. The former BIG10 kicker of the year outdueled former Gopher Michael Lantz, doing his part in the win. Mark Crawford also had limited opportunities, but made the most of them. He only had three punts on the day, but each of them was able to be stuck within the 20. One of the keys to the game was to not allow this elite offense short fields, and Crawford did his part in making them go the distance to score.
- Coaching
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- This is kind of bending the rules of what a “Helmet Sticker” is, but P.J Fleck is deserving of a decal on the back of his bald head for his decision to go for it on 4th down from the inch-line. It was an extremely risky call, as getting stuffed would’ve gotten Fleck a lot of fingers pointed at him. The often-conservative coach chose the right time to be aggressive and go get the win.
This win means a lot to the program. After losing Floyd and comeback hopes getting diminished by refs, the season was beginning to look bleak. Therefore going out and beating a great USC team in front of a sold out crowd sparks a lot more life into this team and this season.
Season Leaderboard
- Ethan Robinson (5)
- Justin Walley, Koi Perich, Max Brosmer, Jah Joyner (3)
- Kerry Brown, Anthony Smith, Jack Henderson, Daniel Jackson, Aiden Gousby, Darius Taylor II, Aireontae Ersery, Mark Crawford (All with 2)
- Za’Quan Bryan, Marcus Major, Deven Eastern, Koi Perich, Cody Lindenberg, Elijah Spencer, Jalen Logan-Redding, Jameson Geers, Dragan Kesich, Devon Williams, Tyler Cooper, Greg Johnson, Ashton Beers, Quinn Carroll (All with 1)
