Pregame: Gophers look to end first-half touchdown drought vs. Kent State

The Gophers play Kent State on Saturday at 11 a.m., (Big Ten Network).

September 19, 2015 at 3:37PM
Can Mitch Leidner get the Gophers into the end zone in the first quarter against Kent State?.
Can Mitch Leidner get the Gophers into the end zone in the first quarter against Kent State?. (Tom Wallace — Minneapolis Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Gophers have yet to score a first-quarter point this season, and they've yet to score a first-half touchdown, notching just three second-quarter field goals through two games.

They'll look for a much better offensive start Saturday against Kent State. Yes, the Golden Flashes lost their opener 52-3 at Illinois. And yes Game 2 was against a lowly Delaware State team. But Kent State couldn't have been better defensively in that game, holding the Hornets to five passing yards and minus-33 yards rushing. Both of Delaware State's touchdowns came on fumble recoveries.

For my advance, I wrote about six things the Gophers offense needs to do today. Coach Jerry Kill has been talking up DT Steven Richardson as an All-American candidate. Here's our guide to the game with links on TV information, etc. Here's a breakdown of the matchup, and my prediction.

Check back here for pregame updates.

Update: The Gophers will be wearing all maroon today with their helmets, jerseys and pants.

Update: Gophers TE Brandon Lingen is out today. He suffered a concussion last week at Colorado State but wasn't on the injury report Thursday.

Update: True freshman QB Demry Croft got all the reps with the second team offense in warm-ups.

Follow us on Twitter @JoeCStrib and @ChipScoggins.

about the writer

about the writer

Joe Christensen

Sports enterprise reporter

Joe Christensen, a Star Tribune sports team leader, graduated from the University of Minnesota and spent 15 years covering Major League Baseball, including stops at the Riverside Press-Enterprise and Baltimore Sun. He joined the Star Tribune in 2005 and spent four years covering Gophers football.

See More

More from Gophers

card image

Minnesota’s bench scored 50 points, including a team-leading 18 points from graduate transfer Annika Stewart, showcasing the depth that coach Dawn Plitzuweit promised.

card image
card image