The Minnesota Golden Gopher got into the win column for the first time on Saturday with a 48-0 win over the Rhode Island Rams and here are four takeaways from the Gophers first win of the season.
1. Max Brosmer's big day
It was a fantastic day for transfer quarterback Max Brosmer who completed 24-of-30 passing attempts for 271 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He finished the game with a 177.9 passer rating. It was a strong bounce back performance from a shaky day in week one against North Carolina, Brosmer did a good job of spreading the ball around as well, having a big hand in 12 different Gophers recording a reception on Saturday afternoon. It's a strong first step for the Gophers signal caller, we'll see if he can put together a similar performance this upcoming weekend against Nevada.
2. Darius Taylor didn't miss a beat
After missing the season opener against North Carolina, Darius Taylor looked strong on Saturday against Rhode Island, totaling 64 rushing yards and one touchdown across 14 carries. He also had four receptions for 48 yards including 42 yards picked up after the catch. It may not have been the numbers that fans are used to seeing the Michigan native put up but considering that he has been limited for the last several weeks, it's a strong early showing from the sophomore tailback.
3. Gophers offensive line must improve
It was a pretty rough day for the Gophers offensive line while they only allowed one sack and a handful of pressures, the rushing attack was severely hampered by poor blocking and lane creation. The Gophers as a team averaged just 3.1 yards per carry with Darius Taylor and Jaren Mangham the only running backs having extended success. Marcus Major was kept to just 12 yards on seven carries.
It was a rough day all around for the offensive line when it came to their run blocking, Quinn Carroll was the only consistently strong run blocker on Saturday while the other four starters struggled quite a bit especially Tyler Cooper at left guard and Greg Johnson at center.
The rushing attack is supposed to be the strength of the Gophers offense but through two weeks, there's more questions than answers regarding their ability to run the ball due to the struggles of the offensive line.
4. Koi Perich flashes his potential
Koi Perich only totaled 17 snaps in the Gophers over Rhode Island but when on the field, it was hard to miss the former top-100 prospect. The Esko (MN) native recorded only one tackle, coming on special teams but also recorded his first career interception on a deflected pass. Perich played well down hill against the run and was very good in about a dozen coverage snaps. The true freshman has now appeared in both of the Gophers first two games, once he appears in five games this season, his redshirt will be burned.
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