Skip to content

Ad Disclosure

Kirk Ciarrocca on being judged by results: The only stat that matters is scoring more than your opponent

Teddy Rydquist

By Teddy Rydquist

Published:

Meeting with the media on Wednesday in Minneapolis, Golden Gophers offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca commented on a number of topics about his side of the football.

The good folks at GopherIllustrated provided the entire transcript:

Having last played on September 14 vs. Georgia Southern, the Minnesota offense will be well-rested headed into Saturday’s B1G opener in West Lafayette vs. Purdue. While the team sits at 3-0, they have not made it look easy. All three games have been decided by one score, and their road game with Fresno State on September 7 went to double-overtime.

Still, you’ll take 3-0 any way you can get it in college football.

“We (have) to look at where the problems are,” Ciarrocca said of his team’s struggles at times.

“Where are the issues, and then what’s correctable. And then what’s correctable right now, it’s like anything else, right? You have to have a Plan A, B, C and D with things, and then be patient with it.”

RELATED: Minnesota’s PJ Fleck praises his offensive line, then backs off with criticism

Showing a commitment to the run game, the Gophers are averaging 123.7 rushing yards per game in 2019, but they are averaging just 2.6 yards per carry.

“The number one objective is to score more than our opponents,” the OC swiftly summarized.

“Whether that’s three points or 63. Personally, I prefer the 63. I’ve never been a guy that was worried about the statistics or anything like that. The only statistic that matters to me is whether we score one more point than our opponent. And that’s the bottom line.”

Despite their issues running the football, Minnesota ranks 23rd in America at 36.5 points per game. Nearly an eight-point improvement over a year ago, the 2018 Gophers were 52nd in the country in scoring offense.

Joining the staff with head coach P.J. Fleck in 2017, Ciarrocca’s offenses have improved in each of his three years calling the shots. If he can keep redshirt sophomore Tanner Morgan at a completion percentage of about 67 and a touchdown-interception ratio of 3-1, the Gophers will have an opportunity to improve on last season’s 7-6 mark.

Saturday’s action from West Lafayette will get underway at 3:30PM ET and will be televised on ESPN2.

Teddy Rydquist

A graduate of Bowling Green State University, Rydquist has been contributing to Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition since 2019. He can be found on Twitter @TeddyRydquist.