Gophers football's plans falling apart before our eyes in 45-17 Penn State loss

Mohamed Ibrahim knew he'd be asked to run the ball. A lot.

The Penn State Nittany Lions knew Ibrahim would run the ball. A lot.

The 100,000-plus fans dressed in white at Beaver Stadium knew No. 24 in Gophers uniform would run the ball. A lot.

Once sixth-year senior Tanner Morgan was ruled out of Saturday's game after suffering a head injury last week, the Gophers offensive game plan became more obvious than a zit on the end of a nose.

Mo, Mo and more Mo.

Eventually, the Gophers had to incorporate the forward pass into the equation and trust a redshirt freshman quarterback making his first career start on the road on national TV in a loud, intimidating setting.

It went as expected.

The offensive struggles continued under the direction of a different quarterback as the Gophers suffered a third consecutive Big Ten loss, 45-17.

The optimism created by a 4-0 start has vanished after three consecutive games in which P.J. Fleck's team has fallen short in talent and execution and coaching.

"I did a really [terrible] job of preparing them, I guess," Fleck said on his postgame radio interview with KFAN. "I think that's what you saw. We didn't play well, and I didn't like how we played."

An ultraconservative game plan designed to protect freshman Athan Kaliakmanis had little chance of succeeding in Happy Valley, especially with the Gophers' once-stout defense suddenly cratering.

"Offensively, we never really got into a rhythm," Fleck said. "Defensively, I haven't seen us play like that in a long time."

The problems sabotaging the offense run deeper than just the quarterback position.

Their entire offense looks broken right now.

The line struggles to provide adequate pass protection.

The receivers can't create separation on routes, drop too many passes and frequently fail to grab contested catches.

The quarterback play has not been good enough.

Kirk Ciarrocca's blueprint basically hinges on Ibrahim playing the role of Superman. Ibrahim is the ultimate grinder who never stops fighting for yards, but that formula won't cut it against quality Big Ten defenses.

Morgan's injury put Kaliakmanis in a tough spot for his first start. He had a few nice moments throwing the ball and using his feet to escape the pocket, but the offense is plodding and lacks firepower.

Ciarrocca kept his play sheet simple to help his young quarterback early. Ibrahim took so many handoffs to start the game that Kent Kitzmann's school record of 57 carries in a game looked like it might be in jeopardy.

Kaliakmanis gave the offense a spark late in the first half. On third-and-8 from their own 12, Kaliakmanis floated a deep ball down the sideline that Le'Meke Brockington grabbed and got one foot down for a 33-yard completion.

Ibrahim capped a 90-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run that cut Penn State's lead to 17-10 at halftime.

There were not enough highlights before or after that one.

The Gophers stopped themselves as much as Penn State with undisciplined penalties. Five false start penalties in the first half doomed drives.

The lack of playmakers at receiver in the absence of injured No. 1 target Chris Autman-Bell has become an alarming issue that deserves scrutiny. Morgan has become an easy target in public criticism, but the receiving corps is bringing little to the fight.

The receivers accounted for three catches Saturday. Three. That's not the quarterback's fault.

The offense's ineffectiveness has become magnified because the defense is leaking oil. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford picked apart the linebackers and secondary for 295 yards passing and four touchdowns.

Five Penn State players caught at least one pass that covered 20 yards.

Bad defense. Inept offense.

The spotlight will shine brightest on the quarterback position, but the Gophers have many problems at present.

The Star Tribune did not send the writer of this article to the game. This was written using a broadcast, interviews and other material.