Gophers defense remains potent with Thomas Rush, Boye Mafe delivering the heat

The Gophers football team boarded an airplane Friday for the trip to West Lafayette, Ind., for Saturday's game at Purdue. With it, coach P.J. Fleck's squad toted some considerable baggage – the aftereffects of last week's 14-10 loss to Bowling Green, a team that oddsmakers pegged as 31-point underdogs.

The dissection of the stunning loss continued throughout the week, and the bulk of the blame rested on an offense that misfired throughout the afternoon and special teams units that continued their mistake-prone ways.

What emerged largely unscathed from the criticism was Minnesota's defense, a group that set up great field position that led to a first-quarter field goal and gave up just two touchdowns, one when dealt a short field after a fourth-down failure by the Gophers offense.

Following up its performance in a 30-0 blanking of Colorado in Boulder, the Gophers defense gave up 192 yards – and only 22 rushing – against the Falcons. The X-factors of late have been rush ends Boye Mafe and Thomas Rush, a duo that's combined for seven sacks over the past two games in a job-share that has been highly efficient.

On Saturday, Fleck and Co. likely will need Mafe and Rush to be standouts again against Purdue (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten), a team that has sputtered offensively because of injuries but still is potent under offensive-minded coach Jeff Brohm. The game offers a chance for the Gophers (2-2, 0-1) to at least partially rid themselves of the Bowling Green blues.

"The key that we started to take together as a defense as a whole is just being connected,'' said Rush, who had two sacks at Colorado and one against Bowling Green. "… Everyone is together knowing that to be a successful defense, we have to work together.''

Added Mafe, who has two sacks in each of the past two games: "In the last two games, you've seen improvement, and I think you're just seeing the players play in unison now.''

Making the move

Mafe, a redshirt senior, has been a mainstay for the Gophers the past two seasons, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention honors last year after leading the team with 4.5 sacks. Rush, a fourth-year senior, is making his biggest impact as a Gopher after transitioning from linebacker to rush end.

Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi saw the potential in the 6-3, 250-pound Rush to excel with one hand in the ground, and the transition started after the 2019 season.

"At linebacker, we said, 'Hey, this is a guy who can run. This is a guy who is long. This is a guy who is an effort kid,'' said Rossi, who coaches the linebackers. "Then we said, 'Hey, we think it might translate for him to have some more success up front.' "

One problem. COVID-19 struck in 2020, wiping out the bulk of spring practice and truncating training camp and its valuable practice time for someone switching positions.

"There are a lot of things that are different in terms of technique," Rush said. "And that's where having that year, year-and-a-half of just learning it, practicing it and getting used to it really makes a big difference in, 'Am I going to do this with confidence or am I still thinking about what's going on?'

"Taking the time to learn that helped the transition.''

Refining his skills

Rush, according to Rossi, made strides this spring, then upped his game when August hit.

"For a guy who didn't have spring ball and didn't have a true training camp last year, we felt you were going to see more of a jump out of him than maybe some of the other guys. I think that's held true,'' Rossi said. "The length, the twitch – those are the things that really show up in the rush position. He's also someone who plays with incredible 'how' – he plays really hard.

"Early in the year, you saw him just playing hard,'' Rossi added. "Every game he's gotten more comfortable in the position and is starting to flash with technique and the ability to win pass-rush situations.''

The breakthrough for both Rush and Mafe came at Colorado with two sacks each. Mafe couldn't be happier for his teammate.

"Everyone talks about, 'you want your stats, or I gotta have my stats,' '' Mafe said. "It's never like that. In our room and our position, especially since we play the same position, it's joy. … Just to see all the work we put in coming to fruition and seeing him get those sacks is the 'Aha!' moment.''

Fleck credits Rush's dedication and enthusiasm for his craft.

"You talk about a person who loves football – he loves football,'' Fleck said. "... When your hardest workers are your best players – we've always said that — you have something really special, and Thomas Rush fits in that category.''