At the risk of sounding hypocritical, the run-heavy approach employed by the Gophers football team Saturday night made sense and was fundamentally necessary.
P.J. Fleck's return to conservative play was just what the Gophers needed
A course correction for the Gophers replaced their weak running game from the season opener with consistency.
September 10, 2023 at 4:04AM
Yes, yes, we know. In years past, this writer has howled with derision at P.J. Fleck's ultra-conservative game plans and fondness for a vanilla scheme. Mohamed Ibrahim ran with purpose and heart in his brilliant career, but the one-dimensional nature of those offenses came at the expense of developing a competent passing attack, which lowered the ceiling on the entire operation.
So why applaud a return to Fleck-ball in a 25-6 win over Eastern Michigan?
Because a one-dimensional approach the other way isn't the answer, either.
Sophomore quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis has a strong arm and a ton of upside. He can't do it alone. Not having Ibrahim does not mean a complete abandonment of the running game.
The Gophers sought a course correction from their season-opening blueprint against Nebraska in which they shelved a feeble running game. The final stats against the Cornhuskers were very anti-Fleck: 25 rushes, 44 passes.
They managed only 55 yards on the ground, with a 2.2-yard average per carry.
That, obviously, is not a desirable formula.
Kaliakmanis holds the keys to the offense now, but not an Air Raid offense.
The running game was the top concern after Week 1, and anyone who knows Fleck's personality could have anticipated the response against Eastern Michigan.
The script: 56 rushes, while Kaliakmanis attempted only 15 passes.
"This game was about sticking with the run," Fleck said. "We have got to establish a running back and establish a running back room. We were committed to the run game tonight, period."
The Gophers had to jumpstart their running game. They needed to develop confidence in that area and set a physical tone at the line.
Style points didn't matter. The guess here is that the margin of victory would have been considerably wider had the Gophers chosen to be less predictable and allowed Kaliakmanis to throw the ball more.
The most important objective — other than winning, of course — was to finish the game feeling better about their ability to run the ball as a complement to Kaliakmanis' passing.
They checked that box.
They also found their new running back tandem.
Transfer Sean Tyler and true freshman Darius Taylor combined for 286 rushing yards on 50 carries.
The only smudge was Tyler's ball security. He fumbled twice, losing one of them as the Gophers were driving for a knockout score in the fourth quarter.
Tyler finished the first quarter with 11 carries for 69 yards.
The game became Taylor's welcome party. The prized recruit showed why there was so much hype and hope surrounding his arrival. He ran for 193 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries.
At 5-11 and 210 pounds, Taylor combines power with elusiveness. He tends to push the pile for extra yards when he appears to be stopped. He also displayed nifty footwork in the hole to make defenders miss.
With veteran Bryce Williams sidelined Saturday because of an undisclosed injury, Taylor made the most of his opportunity to earn more playing time. Williams served as Tyler's backup in the opener, but Taylor showed that he deserves a significant role in the offense.
A consistent running game will only help Kaliakmanis' development by forcing defenses to respect both parts of the offense. Balance is important, even as the offense pivots to more of a passing threat.
The focus this week in preparation for a non-conference game at North Carolina will be red-zone offense. The Gophers squandered chances to turn the game into a rout by settling for field goals instead of converting touchdowns. Dragan Kesich kicked three field goals inside 25 yards.
That doesn't include the offense coming up empty on the opening possession. Fleck went for it on fourth-and-1 from the 2-yard line. Kaliakmanis faked a handoff and rolled out on a bootleg. Eastern Michigan wasn't fooled and tackled Kaliakmanis for a two-yard loss.
The offense sputtered at different times, but the running game started to click, Taylor provided a spark and now the Gophers can feel a little better about that area.
They'll need to do it consistently against tougher competition. This was a necessary step though.
Brad Nessler last called a Gophers game in 2015. He grew up St. Charles, Minn., and got his broadcasting start in Mankato, so this has been a chance to reacquaint with old friends.
