Gophers right the ship with 48-0 blowout over FCS Rhode Island

After a frustrating finish in last week’s two-point loss against North Carolina, the Gophers got their first victory of the 2024 season in blowout fashion 48-0 Saturday against Rhode Island from the FCS at Huntington Bank Stadium.

Sure, it was a lower-level opponent, but Gophers coach P.J. Fleck can see an offensive identity forming with quarterback Max Brosmer and tailback Darius Taylor in his return from a leg injury that kept him out of the opener.

“We don’t have Mohamed Ibrahim — that style of back,” Fleck said. “He could run it 35-40 times and could run it better than anybody I’ve ever coached. … If your best players can do other things, then do the other things, too. What you saw today was the ability for us to throw it to run it.”

Slow starts have been a trend so far offensively. The Gophers only have three points in the first quarter in two games, but they ended up with the largest margin of victory in a shutout Saturday since hammering Temple 62-0 in 2006. Throwing it to run it turned into 422 yards of total offense.

Brosmer, a former FCS All-America at New Hampshire, really got into rhythm in the second quarter and threw for 155 of his 271 passing yards in the first half. His first two TD passes as a Gopher then came in the second half, most notably dropping a 29-yard bomb to Le’Meke Brockington for a 31-0 lead in the third quarter.

Taylor had 75 of his 112 total yards in the first half, including 42 of his 64 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Gophers purposefully limited Taylor to 14 carries Saturday — only four rushing attempts in the second half.

Minnesota’s defense also pitched the program’s first shutout since the 2022 season while holding Rhode Island to only six first downs and 135 total yards, including just 18 yards rushing.

The Gophers were thrilled to have Taylor make his season debut Saturday, but they still needed a few drives to get used to having him back in the lineup. After starting the game, the sophomore standout rotated with Marcus Major and Jordan Nubin in the backfield. Instead of pounding the ball, the Gophers pulled away in the second quarter behind their passing attack. During a 13-play, 83-yard scoring drive to score the first TD of the game, the Gophers threw the ball nine times, including six straight passes at one point. Brosmer went 7-for-9 for 78 yards on the drive that was capped by Taylor’s first touchdown of the season on a 1-yard run to go up 10-0.

Fleck had a laundry list of uncharacteristic mistakes that cost his team the opener against the Tar Heels, so he needed to see those issues fixed Saturday no matter the opponent. Better tackling? Check. Fewer penalties? Check. More explosive plays offensively? Check. All-Big Ten kicker Dragan Kesich getting to see a ball go through the uprights again from long distance? Check. Playing an FCS opponent came at the right time to get the Gophers heading in the right direction in several areas as the schedule gets closer to Big Ten play. One more potential confidence booster before the big Sept. 21 matchup vs. Iowa at home.

“This team is going to have to be very complementary,” Fleck said. “For us to have success with the schedule we have, the opponents we’re going to play in the new Big Ten, we have to be complimentary: offense, defense, special teams working cohesively.”

Kesich would’ve been the game MVP last week, if he connected on the 47-yard field goal with four seconds left. The reigning Big Ten Kicker of the Year hit from 53 and 47 yards Saturday. Great sign. But Brosmer was the player of the game vs. Rhode Island. The senior signal caller looked strong in the fourth quarter last week vs. UNC and carried that over to a familiar foe. Brosmer entered the day having thrown for 954 yards in his New Hampshire career in three games against Rhode Island, including 456 yards in an overtime loss in 2023. He didn’t have to surpass the 400-yard or 300-yard mark Saturday to make a statement that he’s comfortable with his new team. Nine different receivers caught passes from Brosmer in the first half alone. He completed 24 of 30 passes, but Fleck said his veteran QB grew mostly as a leader from last week.

“I thought he was way better on the sideline,” Fleck said. “Way more command of the team. He’s a precise passer. He’s poised. I just felt him in a different way today.”

The Gophers paid $500,000 to Rhode Island to play Saturday’s game, but they more than doubled that total with a $1.2 million payout to Nevada for next weekend’s matchup at Huntington Bank Stadium. The Wolf Pack bounced back from a five-point loss in their opener against SMU with a 28-26 victory against Troy last week. They were picked to finish last in the Mountain West preseason poll. Nevada QB Brendon Lewis played for Colorado in losses to the Gophers in 2021 and 2022.