Preview from Minneapolis: Gophers vs. Trojans

We’re four days away from the opener in the Coliseum, between the Trojans and the Golden Gophers of Minnesota. We sat down with Tom from The Daily Gopher, and here’s hos preview for this Saturday’s game:
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The 2011 Gophers are going to be very much the same and very different all at the same time. The changes are much more significant than the sameness but it will certainly make for an interesting season for the Golden Gophers.

The changes start at the very top. Jerry Kill was hired away from Northern Illinois and brought his entire staff with him to Minnesota to replace the disaster that was the Tim Brewster experiment. Coach Kill brings with him a resume of rebuilding jobs, some more challenging than the one he faces here at Minnesota. He brings an experienced and very loyal staff. Gopher fans are very excited to have a coaching staff, particularly coordinators, who remain on staff from year to year. Expectations are not so much about wins/losses and potential bowl games in the first couple years but expectations surround fielding a competitive team that doesn’t beat itself.

The next major change is a new starter at quarterback. Adam Weber had been a four year starter for the Gophers and holds virtually every passing record in the book. Replacing him is MarQueis Gray, a former 4-star who was the prized recruit of the Tim Brewster era. After a year of a handful of wildcat plays as a freshman and then a year of playing wide receiver as a sophomore, Gray finally gets his opportunity to lead the offense. Reviews have been mixed in the preseason but there is no doubt that Gray is a physical specimen who is a dangerous athlete. He has the abilities and potential to be a feared weapon that keeps Big Ten defensive coordinators awake at night but that is yet to be seen.

Those are are the significant changes but the rest is very much the same. The wide receivers will be led by Da’Jon McKnight(above right) who finished last season with 48 catches and 10 touchdowns. The running game will be headlined by Duane Bennett followed by a handful of younger backs who have decent potential. Defensively the Gophers return 7 or 8 starters. The strength of which is their linebacking corp where all three starters return plus the addition of former high school All-American and former Florida Gator, Brendan Beal. The defensive line was a weak spot last and and for better or worse they return most of the starters along the line. The defensive backfield gets bolstered by safety Kim Royston who was granted a rare sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. Perhaps the most intriguing player on the defense is Troy Stoudermire who was playing receiver last season when the Gophers and Trojans played but has since moved to corner where he seems to be a natural fit.

Trojan fans saw this team a year ago put up a pretty good fight taking the lead over USC late in the third quarter before Robert Woods housed the ensuing kickoff and from that point on the Trojans dominated. Maybe because their superior athletes finally took over or Minnesota wilted under the pressure of a 1-score game against a top notch program. It was probably some of both. As I stated above there are no expectations that there will be a headline-grabbing upset. Gopher fans hope to witness a prepared team that executes a well thought-out gameplan.
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If you’re looking to catch up more on the Gophers before they take on the Trojans, check out their Depth Chart, as provided from The Daily Gopher.

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