(by Jonathan Lewis MN Sports Unlimited contributor)
The
Gopher football team fell to 3-2 on the season after a 31-17 loss at Purdue
today. Purdue improved to 3-2 with the win. Here is a summary of what went well
and what didn’t.
What
Went Right:
The
Gophers were able to get the running game back on track. Shannon Brooks and
Rodney Smith were able to find running lanes and get to the second level
throughout the game. The offensive line did a much better job controlling the
line of scrimmage. The Gopher defense forced 4 turnovers and a change at
quarterback for the Boilermakers, but outside of that the Boilermakers were
able to move the ball very effectively.
What
Went Wrong:
Connor
Rhoda was awful. Whether it be staring his intended receiver down from the
moment the ball was snapped, or an awful fumble deep in Gopher territory, Rhoda
was one of the main reasons the Gophers lost today. Through 2 Big 10 games
Rhoda has looked mostly overwhelmed and it is getting to the point that the
Gophers may be best served by making a quarterback change. Even with knowing
the Gophers current qb situation, I would still look at all options considering
how Rhoda has looked. I also realize the defense is missing key starters but
Purdue moved the ball far too effectively on offense outside of the turnovers.
The Gopher offense was unable to capitalize enough on the extra opportunities
and now two games into the conference season more questions exist than answers.
Coach Fleck has been adamant that it will take time to install his system, and
fans need to keep that in mind before rushing to judgment. The Gophers will be
fine in the future, but for now they will struggle like this from time to time.
Up next for the Gophers host Michigan State and that will be another tough
test. Hopefully some changes lead to a better outcome for the Gophers.
I have my eyes wide open about this. I blame coach Claeys more than Coach Fleck for this abysmal quarterback play. There is no reason he couldn't of recreuited better to have a guy ready for this year that can compete. Rhoda is a good leader, but his physial skills are not Big 10 caliber they just aren't. Obviously, they don't see anything in Seth Green or he would be playing and the personal issues with Croft has kind of tied Coach Fleck's hands. I am not making excuses for coach Fleck just look at what he did when he had time to bring in his own guys Western Michigan was in the Cotton Bowl. My mantra is give him some time and Coach Fleck said this was possible from day 1.
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