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Rapid Reaction: Disaster averted as Minnesota fights off scare from SDSU
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Final Score: Minnesota 28 South Dakota State 21
Brief Recap: Talk about a scary opener. Minnesota was a two-touchdown favorite heading into this matchup against South Dakota State, and even that was too much. Despite building a 20-7 lead early in the second half, the Jackrabbits were able to put a major scare in the Gophers by taking a 21-20 lead into the fourth quarter. A few mental mistakes on the part of SDSU gave life to Minnesota, allowing it to come away with the victory. In the end, a win is a win is a win, but man was it ugly.
Key Moment: Rashod Bateman made a huge catch in the first half. Rodney Smith came up with some big runs. The defense made some key plays late. But the play that turned the tide was actually a mishandled handoff from J’Bore Gibbs that resulted in a fumble recovery for Minnesota. South Dakota State was holding a 21-20 leading before the turnover, and Minnesota marched right down the field and scored five plays later. It was the difference in the contest.
Key Stat: Minnesota was praised for having a strong offensive line and some really talented running backs. But the Gophers were held to just 132 yards on the ground, averaging a meager 3.1 yards per carry. Yes, it was enough on Thursday, but it’s not going to be in the B1G.
Key Player: There’s no way Minnesota is anywhere close to being in this game if not for Rashod Bateman. Not only did he potentially make the catch of the year late in the first half, he regularly came up with big plays. With the Jackrabbits focused in on Tyler Johnson, Bateman was able to create some space and make some big-time catches. He finished the evening with five catches for 132 yards and a touchdown.
What it Means: The good news is that Minnesota avoided an absolute catastrophe to start the third year of the P.J. Fleck era. The bad news is the Gophers looked nowhere close to a legitimate contender in the B1G West. The primary concern was pass protection, with Tanner Morgan being chased around most of the night. If Minnesota has trouble blocking an undersized FCS team, how on earth is it going to handle opponents within the B1G? Fleck and his squad have a long way to go.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB