On Saturday evening, the Minnesota Golden Gophers will take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles as the Gophers look to improve to 2-0 on the season. Below, Gophers Nation looks at five storylines to watch this evening.
How does the Gophers' rushing attack bounce back from last week?
It was an uncharacteristic performance from Minnesota's running back room last weekend as the Gophers managed just 55 rushing yards through P.J. Fleck did note that they weren't far away from breaking a few runs last week. Either way, it was a suboptimal performance from the Gophers' rushing attack, and it cannot become a trend if they hope to compete in the Big Ten West this fall. Expect the rushing game to be an emphasis early on Saturday.
Will Athan Kaliakmanis build on his solid day against Nebraska?
Kaliakmanis was solid against Nebraska last week but also had some hiccups. He completed 24-of-44 passing attempts for 196 yards and one touchdown with one interception. While he flashed the skillset and arm talent that make him such an intriguing quarterback, he also had several passes that sailed on him and several decisions that he probably would've liked back. It was a quality first start of the season, but can he build upon it on Saturday night?
Will the Gophers' run defense have a better day against the Eagles?
The Gophers' run defense against Nebraska struggled at times, allowing Jeff Sims to run for 91 yards across 19 carries while tailback Ervin Jr. had seven carries for 55 yards. All in all, Nebraska rushed for 181 yards on 37 attempts, an average of 4.8 yards per game. Last week against Howard, Eastern Michigan struggled on the ground, totaling just 110 yards themselves, making this a favorable matchup for Joe Rossi's defense.
Will the Gophers continue to show an improved pass rush?
The Gophers' pass rush was an emphasis of improvement this offseason. Last week, we saw improvements in the Gophers in that aspect. Now they'll have the opportunity to face an Eastern Michigan offensive line that they should have quite the advantage over across the board. They don't have to get sack after sack, but putting consistent pressure on Austin Smith would be a good sign.
Does P.J. Fleck's success against non-conference opponents continue?
P.J. Fleck has only lost one nonconference game with the Golden Gophers that came to Bowling Green in 2021. The Gophers will look to continue that success on Saturday evening as Fleck looks to improve to 19-1 as the Gophers' head coach against non-Big Ten opponents.
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