Gophers Football “DO’s and DON’Ts” vs. USC + Score Prediction

The Minnesota Golden Gophers welcome the USC Trojans to Huntington Bank Stadium for a week 6 matchup. This will be the Trojans third BIG10 game since joining the conference, where they hold a record of 1-1. Minnesota will have their hands full against the Lincoln Riley-led offense, who seem to be most comfortable in shootouts. Minnesota boasts the top defense against the pass, in terms of passing yards allowed per game. However, this will be the first true test against an elite passing attack, as their competition thus far has been very poor at moving the ball through the air. Let’s take a look at what Minnesota needs to do and what they need to avoid if they want a chance at upsetting the 11th ranked team in the nation. 

DO’s

• Utilize the outside run

• • • Now through five games, the Gophers have established themselves as a pass-first team due to a poor rushing attack. The zone running scheme through the inside has been ineffective, plus USC revamped their interior defense with transfer defensive tackles and linebackers. Where the Gophers have shown some glimmers of success is on tosses or outside zone, where their athletic O-Line can get out in space. Getting this defense spread out wide and forcing them to make open-field tackles is where Minnesota can find some space on the ground. I would look for Marcus Major to get some opportunities around the edge to try and get ahead of the sticks. 

• Create Pressure on Miller Moss

• • It doesn’t take a brilliant football mind to know that stopping strong passing attacks comes from pressuring the QB, although it is still extremely critical for this game. USC’s offensive line has been susceptible to allowing D-Lines to get to Moss. Look for Jah Joyner, Danny Striggow, Anthony Smith, and Jack Henderson to be moving around and stunting often to keep Moss off-balance and moving outside the pocket. It will be critical that these guys have solid games, as large blitz packages will not be able to be used often against USC’s exterior athletes. 

DON’Ts

• Shoot Yourself in the Foot with Penalties

• • • Some of Minnesota’s offensive struggles can point to their inability to stay out of their own way. They have had numerous drives start or get behind the sticks due to penalties that occur on first down. If they want any chance of keeping up with USC’s high-powered offense, they will have to put multiple drives together and hit their chunk plays. In order for both of these to happen, they must have nearly perfect discipline. This point goes for defense as well. USC will be passing the ball a lot, so it will be critical to force receivers to earn their yards and complete the catch without interfering. With this, Minnesota will not be able to afford giving first downs away to this offense, as it will already be a difficult task stopping the Trojan offense. 

• Miss Tackles

• • • Now again this is a blanket statement as missed tackles are bound to happen, but really what I mean is to limit the number of missed tackles. All of the Gopher losses can point to way too many missed tackles being a main reason for the outcome. USC has talented running backs and elite receivers, so it will be critical to not let them get to the second and third level where they can really do damage. This task could get more difficult if LB Maverick Baranowski is unable to go, as he is the leading tackler for this team. If he is unable, I would look for the athletic Devon Williams and others to fill in. 

• Allow Special Teams to Have a Negative Impact

• • The Gopher’s special team units have not gotten it done so far this season. They have two losses by 3 or less, both of which having at least one missed field goal. The former BIG10 Kicker of the Year still has the confidence of his coach and teammates, but all points will be critical in a game that could shape out to be a shootout. As for the punting, giving elite offenses short fields will likely be a recipe for disaster. The field will need to be flipped to make this Lincoln Riley offense put numerous plays together in order for the defense to avoid having a very long day. The return game has been much more exciting with Koi Perich back fielding kicks and punts. It will still be critical to not make freshman mistakes and only take chances when they arise, without trying to force explosive plays out of nowhere and end up losing yards. Again, I am not asking for the Gopher special teams to be game-changers against USC. If they can just be average and not affect the game, then it will be a huge improvement from past weeks. 

Score Prediction

Minnesota 24 –  USC 34