Right now, there is not a lot going wrong with the Gophers defense.
The unit didn’t allow any points against Kent State University in Saturday’s 10-7 victory, and it’s the main reason the team’s record currently stands at 2-1 with the offense underperforming.
Through three games, the defense has allowed 16.7 points per game, which is tied for 26th in the Football Bowl Subdivision and sixth in the Big Ten. The offense has scored an identical 16.7 points per game but ranks 122nd in the FBS and last in the Big Ten.
Senior cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun said the gap doesn’t bother Minnesota’s defense though, and defensive players understand it’s their job to play harder when the offense is having troubles.
“I just make sure that the other guys [know] that [it’s on that] side of the ball,” Boddy-Calhoun said. “[We] just control what we can control … so that [when] we get on the field, we’re getting stops, we’re getting third-down stops, we’re getting turnovers.”
Against Kent State, it was the Gophers offense, not defense, which allowed the only points of the game. A fumble by freshman wide receiver Rashad Still was returned 80 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter.
The Gophers offense was barely better than Kent State’s, as they had three turnovers and failed to score in the second half.
Quarterback Mitch Leidner threw two interceptions in a game for the first time since last November, and on the season he currently ranks 10th in the Big Ten in completion percentage.
“It’s a long season,” Leidner said. “As an offense we just need to stick together as the tight unit we are and just keep going out there and playing our game.”
But rather than dwelling on a game they might have lost if not for their defense, head coach Jerry Kill wants to instill confidence back in his offense.
Kill said he believes he and his coaching staff need to help the offense by simplifying parts of the game for the players instead of adding more things for them to do.
“I always say, if you don’t feel good, you’re not going to play good,” Kill said. “From a psychological deal, we’ve got to get them feeling good — and to get them to feel good, they’ve got to have a little bit of success.”
Defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys added he feels that in order for the players to work hard, they need to have fun.
“It’s our job as coaches to stay on them and keep reminding them that it’s a choice to get prepared to play each week and play the best you can and have fun while you’re playing,” Claeys said. “I don’t think you can play hard if you’re not having fun.
Claeys’ unit is likely having plenty of fun — the offense, less so.
Kill said he isn’t too concerned about the lack of production from the offense in the Kent State game; in the end, the Gophers still won.
“The game is about winning and losing, and we’re 2-1, and really had a chance to be 3-0 if we don’t turn over the football,” Kill said. “It really goes back to not turning over the football for us and being able to run the ball better. We’ve just got to get better. That’s it.”
