Gophers spring game
11 a.m. Saturday, Athletes Village indoor football facility
Not open to the public. TV, radio: BTN, 100.3-FM
For the fourth time in five years, the Gophers football team's spring game is being impacted by either the weather or the pandemic. Coach P.J. Fleck announced this week that the game will move from Huntington Bank Stadium to the team's indoor facility at Athletes Village. The last outdoor spring game was in 2021, while the 2020 event was canceled because of COVID-19.
Here are some story lines to watch:
1. Changing of the guard … and center and running back and quarterback
From top to bottom, the Gophers offense will have an entirely new look. Tanner Morgan's concussion issues in 2022 allowed for a long look at Athan Kaliakmanis at quarterback, while running back Mohamed Ibrahim, the school's all-time leading rusher, and All-America center John Michael Schmitz leave huge shoes to fill. And then there's the change at offensive coordinator, with Kirk Ciarrocca off to Rutgers and Greg Harbaugh joining Matt Simon as co-coordinators. Fleck hasn't announced his primary play-caller, but Harbaugh certainly looked to be handling that role in spring practices.
2. Improving the pass rush