The Gophers’ Big Ten opener was the chance to measure a young team’s progress.
There were specific areas of concern many people kept in the back of their minds as Minnesota’s inexperienced roster adjusted to high-caliber competition.
Entering the season, the Gophers’ run defense, physicality on the edge and pass protection were areas to watch closely. These categories were issues last year, but didn’t appear until after non-conference play. Again, the Gophers lost battles up front and struggled to maintain defensive discipline in a 42-13 loss to Maryland.
Minnesota has one of the least experienced rosters in the country and handling the strength component at the Big Ten level was a major concern.