Boat Inspection: Minnesota Gophers Football Week 5
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STATUS: All Aboard!!
After a week off to recover and prepare, the Gophers now turn their attention to conference play. Minnesota looks to push their record to 4-0 against Maryland this week, and that would give them some momentum before they face a challenging Purdue team followed by Michigan State.
LAST WEEK: Bye
UP NEXT: vs. Maryland
Maryland opened the eyes of every Big Ten program after just the first week, but that excitement has died down. The Terps went to Texas and beat the Longhorns in a stunning Week 1 upset, and many thought DJ Durkin was ready to make a statement a year early. While this team is still plenty dangerous, they're now relying on a third string quarterback to keep the magic going. Kasim Hill and Tyrell Pigrome would both sustain season ending knee injuries, leaving the reigns of the offense to Max Bortenschlager. While that position might be in question, there is still plenty for Minnesota to worry about.
Despite Durkin being a defensive mind, the Terps have struggled on that side of the ball. Currently in the bottom half of the nation in both the run and passing games, Durkin's still trying to find a way to get stops. That hurt them against a solid UCF offense, and might be a problem with the Gophers as well. While Minnesota isn't the best at passing, their run game is a threat, and will be the focus for this week. Terps safety Darnell Savage has been doing a lot of work for the defense, and could use some help. If Minnesota's running backs can breakthrough to the secondary, Savage will be busy once again.
After the first week, this game appeared to be a concern for Minnesota, but those concerns have obviously died down. Maryland looked rough against the Knights last week, and losing their second quarterback in as many games hurts even more. Still, Durkin has this program headed in the right direction, and they won't be a team you can walk over. PJ Fleck will have his team prepared and focused after a week off as he tries to get his first conference win in the Big Ten.
