Maybe there is such a thing as Gopher luck.
Minnesota took advantage of Middle Tennessee State’s misfortune last night to win a building block game for a possible successful season. The Blue Raiders played without preseason Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Dwight Dasher, a dynamic run-pass quarterback who had been a force in making his team 10-3 last season.
Misfortune is a word that characterizes Gophers football, a program that has been trying to become both lucky and good since the late 1960s. It was just last year and the season before the Gophers could have added a few more wins if not for injuries to wide receiver Eric Decker. Among the school’s best pass catchers ever and a focal point of the offense, he missed eight total games in 2008 and 2009.
The Blue Raiders couldn’t come up with a running game without Dasher in a 24-17 season opening loss to Minnesota. The Blue Raiders rushed for only 146 yards. Forced to pass, they only had the ball for 14 minutes the entire game and their defense couldn’t stop Minnesota enough to win as the Gophers rushed for 281 yards while possessing the ball for 45 minutes.
Gophers coach Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners earlier in the week the key to the game would be whether Minnesota had superior line play on both offense and defense. The Gophers were better and the result was a seven point, comeback win with Minnesota overcoming a 17-14 Blue Raiders fourth quarter lead.
Even though it was Minnesota’s first of 12 games this season, the game in Murfreesboro was critical to the schedule. The Gophers, who were 6-7 last season and lost three of their four final games, are a popular choice to finish last in the Big Ten Conference. Before the Blue Raiders’ Dasher was ruled ineligible, his team was favored to win the game. A skeptical Gophers fan base had thoughts of an opening loss to the Blue Raiders, a win over lowly South Dakota next week, followed by a nonconference loss to BCS bully USC and maybe a loss, too, against Northern Illinois, a division favorite in the Mid-American Conference.
The psyche of the Gophers and their fans got a boost with last night’s win. Surely there’s enough talent and confidence now to beat South Dakota next Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium. With two wins, including a good memory of the Middle Tennessee Sate game, the Gophers will go into the USC game feeling positive about themselves.
Even if the Gophers stumble against USC, a 3-1 or 2-2 record in nonconference games looks doable now. Northern Illinois lost 27-10 to Iowa State last night, a team that defeated Minnesota by one point in last December’s Insight Bowl.
The Gophers found out last night they have plenty to work on in the days and weeks ahead. Included in that category is polishing up the tackling, and establishing a passing game where the pass protection and receiving is more consistent. In the highlight column was a minimum of penalties and mistakes, plus the previously mentioned relentless running game led by tailback Duane Bennett’s 189 yards and fullback Jon Hoese’s three touchdowns, all done behind an improved line. The Gophers even received favorable decisions by the game officials with Minnesota being penalized only four times for 29 yards.
The Gophers had good fortune last night including with the officials.