Rossi’s departure is a significant departure for Minnesota even in terms of continuity. He joined the Golden Gophers staff as a quality control coach in 2017, later being promoted to defensive line coach in 2018 and later interim defensive coordinator. From 2019-’23, Rossi was the architect of Minnesota’s defense. Now, a new era is coming next season. Fleck has already provided some insight into what he’s looking for.

Related: The Rise of Minnesota’s Defensive Guru, Joe Rossi

• Minnesota Golden Gophers defense 2023: 373.8 total ypg allowed (55th in FBS), 5.8 yards per play allowed (88th), 26.9 points per game allowed (67th), 47.31% third-down conversion rate allowed (124th)

“I owe it to our team to do the due diligence necessary to find them the best leader of the defense, and our [coaching] staff has been incredibly supportive of that. This isn’t about wholesale change or a philosophical belief system. We’re not going to necessarily do that. We’re going to find somebody that’s very similar to us, but also can add a lot of value that can make our defense better.”

Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck on the search for a new defensive coordinator

Related: UCLA Bruins defensive coordinator candidates

With all of that in mind and a clear vision of what Fleck wants, let’s examine some Minnesota defensive coordinator candidates for 2024.

Top Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive coordinator candidates

Joe Klanderman, Kansas State defensive coordinator

Recruiting means ties to a region matter. Fleck doesn’t just have to look for a defensive coordinator who can be a respected voice in the locker room, mentor young athletes and orchestrate a good defense, he’d also like someone who knows the region. Look no further than Joe Klanderman.

Related: Minnesota Golden Gophers recruiting class 2024

While the Kansas State Wildcats defensive coordinator was born in Wisconsin, he played defensive line at Minnesota State (1997-2001). After finishing his playing career, Klanderman’s leadership and defensive intellect was so well-respected that Minnesota State immediately made him its defensive line coach after his playing days were over. He was later promoted to defensive backs coach, before coaching linebackers and serving as the Mavericks’ defensive coordinator (2007-’13).

• Kansas State Wildcats defense 2023: 55.91% completion rate allowed, 28.67% third-down conversion rate allowed, 2.0 takeaways per game, 121.0 QB rating allowed

While Klanderman’s defense ranked outside the top 80 in total yardage allowed, that doesn’t tell the whole story. Kansas State had one of the best pass defenses in college football and this unit was phenomenal on third downs. Klanderman’s ties to Minnesota could entice him to take the Gophers’ job, if Fleck decides that he’s a good fit.

Related: Minnesota Golden Gophers transfer portal tracker

Corey Hetherman, Rutgers linebackers coach

With Joe Harasymiak staying at Rutgers. If that happens, Fleck could pursue an alternative that would have a huge endorsement from Harasymiak. Scarlet Knights linebackers coach Corey Hetherman joined the program in 2022, hand-picked by Harasymiak to develop Rutgers’ linebackers. Before that, Hetherman was the defensive play-caller at James Madison (2019-’21).

• Rutgers Scarlet Knights defense 2023: 332.5 total ypg allowed (28th), 5.0 yards per play allowed (30th), 22.6 points per game allowed (32nd), 40.54% third-down conversion rate allowed (82nd)

James Madison finished all three seasons with Hetherman as a top-10 scoring defense in the nation. Not only did the Dukes lead the country in turnovers (31) in 2021, but they also held opponents under 90 rushing yards per game with a third-down defense (27.2% conversion rate) that was one of the best marks in college football. Heterman enjoyed similar success as Maine’s defensive coordinator.

Leadership is obviously another factor Fleck is considering during his search. Hetherman offers that trait, serving as associate head coach at James Madison where he worked under Curt Cignetti, one of the most well-respected head coaches in the Group of Five. Minnesota would be the next step up in Hetherman’s career and he could also help the Golden Gophers’ defense take a step forward in 2024.

Geoff Collins, former Georgia Tech head coach

When searching for a defensive coordinator, one of the best avenues for a program to take is pursuing former head coaches. Zach Arnett was one of the options we considered for Gophers defensive coordinator candidates, but he might take a year off after being fired by Mississippi State. Instead, our focus shifts to Geoff Collins.

Related: Grading college football coaching hires

There’s no getting around the fact that Collins wasn’t cut out to be a head coach. He had two opportunities at Temple and Georgia Tech, but finished with a 25-38 record. However, Collins’ track record as a defensive coordinator, including outstanding stints in the SEC, speaks volumes about his mind for the game.

Collins, fired in 2022, is likely ready to get back on the sideline. While he doesn’t have direct ties to Fleck, Collins is part of Nick Saban’s coaching tree. A year away from the game can often also make a coach better, providing them time to study offenses and conceptualize new schemes, blitzes and coverages to be more effective. Collins might be expensive, but he would make Minnesota’s defense better than it was in 2023.

Related: Highest-paid college football coaches

Greg Gasparato, Troy Trojans defensive coordinator

When Jon Sumrall left the Troy Trojans to become Tulane’s head coach, defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato was named interim coach for the bowl game. A program turning to its defensive coordinator during a time of uncertainty speaks to Gasparato’s leadership. Now, let’s focus on the football side of things.

• Troy Trojans defense 2023: 312.2 total ypg allowed (14th), 4.6 yards per play allowed (11th), 16.1 points per game allowed (6th), 32.53% third-down conversion rate (21st)

Name the statistic, Troy’s defense was one of the best in college football this fall under Gasparato. It didn’t rely on takeaways to slow down opponents and consistently keep them off the field. Troy ranked seventh in punts per offensive score (1.8), better than the Georgia Bulldogs and Texas Longhorns. It had the 12th-best scoring defense in the second half of games and had a top-25 defense in the red zone.

With Troy already naming its head coach for 2024, Gasparato will be looking for another opportunity to prove himself as a defensive play-caller. He’s also experienced, working with safeties and linebackers at Louisville (2021-’22) and serving as Army’s co-defensive coordinator in 2020. If the Rutgers connections don’t pan out for Fleck, Gasparato would be a sneaky option for Minnesota.

But on Sunday, PJ couldn’t retain arguably his most talented coach, Gophers’ defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, who is on his way to Michigan State where he will fill the same position for the Spartans in East Lansing.

Minnesota Gophers defensive coordinator Joe Rossi leaving for Michigan State

Sources: Minnesota defensive coordinator Joe Rossi is expected to become the next defensive coordinator at Michigan State.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 10, 2023

Joe Rossi took over as Minnesota’s defensive coordinator midway through the 2018 season and I have credited him with a big part of Fleck’s turnaround here. Before Rossi was promoted, Fleck was well on his way to starting his Gophers head coaching tenure with two-straight losing seasons.

The Gophers 2018 defense gave up over 43 points per game in its first 6 Big Ten games that season, leaving PJ helpless, given the run-first style he wanted to implement. But then, Fleck fired then DC Rob Smith and promoted Rossi.

The defense immediately improved, the Gophers went on a winning streak to end that season and Fleck got his first victory over Wisconsin. Then, 11-2 happened in 2019.

Read More: The Rise of Minnesota’s Defensive Guru, Joe Rossi

Minnesota’s defense slumped a bit in 2023 but Rossi was dealing with a lot of young talent. We’ll find out more about why Joe Rossi is leaving soon, I’m sure. But if I had one guess… it’s money.

It also would have meant their third-straight win vs the Badgers, which would have been good for the best winning streak vs Wisconsin since the mid-80s. But most importantly, it would have meant Minnesota wins vs both Iowa and Wisconsin. Consolation prizes are disappointing but that would’ve been one hell of a moral victory.

Related: Wisconsin Canceled 1906 Football Rivalry with Minnesota, Not Roosevelt

Instead, after coming out of the gates hot, the Gophers crumbled under the 2nd-half spotlight in Dinkytown, failing to score a point in the final two quarters. The defense, even less impressive, allowing 28 points to one of the worst offensive teams in the country.

Here are 3 takeaways from the loss

I don’t want to beat a dead horse and I just wrote a feature about this earlier in the week, but it’s important enough to note, yet again. We have seen flashes of brilliance from Athan Kaliakmanis. He’s big, he can run and he is a great leader, not to mention tremendous human.

1. The Gophers need a better quarterback

But that’s not enough for a power-5 quarterback. Athan started pretty well on Saturday but then completely crumbled down the stretch. His final line, an underwhelming 16/28 for 167 yards, 1 INT and 1 TD. When Kaliakmanis threw his only touchdown of the game, he was 7/11 for 91 yards and a TD.

If PJ Fleck wants real improvement on offense next season, he must find a better quarterback in the transfer portal. I don’t care if he has to empty out the NIL bank account to get it done, but with divisions going away next season, it’ll be nearly impossible for the Gophers to keep up with the high powered Big Ten offenses they will now face more years than not, without a vastly improved passing game. To do that, they’ll need to vastly improve at QB.

Does Athan Kaliakmanis ever make the correct read, keep the ball, and pick up major yardage. It was there on 2nd and 5, instead he gives to Nubin for no gain. If AK keeps he has a lot of free space. Result? 3-and-Out.

— Zach Johnson (@ZachJohnsonGI) November 25, 2023

2. Joe Rossi has a lot of work to do

Injuries have been a problem, especially for a defense that was already expected to be younger than in years past. But when you play as poorly on that side of the ball as the Minnesota Gophers did for much of the 2023 season, there are no excuses that make things right.

Related: Mark Coyle Leaves No Doubt: PJ Fleck is Not on Hot Seat

Joe Rossi is known as one of the best defensive coaches in the country and one of the many future head coaches on the Minnesota staff, but he has a lot of work to do this offseason if he wants those conversations to return to prevalence.

The Gophers defense gave up over 30 points 6 times this season, by far the most since Rossi took over as DC in 2018. Granted they did play better teams in 2023, than in years past, but high point totals weren’t limited just to the Ohio States and Michigans of the world.

Minnesota gave up 49 to Purdue, 37 to Northwestern, and 35 to the University of Louisiana Ragin Cajuns… Obviously, Rossi’s defenses have always ranked near the top of the Big Ten and in the top-25 nationally. So, he gets one bad season. But what happened in 2023 cannot happen again in 2024.

3. Gophers bowl status still up in the air

Technically, the Gophers still have a chance to make one of the bottom feeder bowls of the season. While you need six wins to guarantee a bowl game, only five wins doesn’t mean you are eliminated from postseason eligibility.

Minnesota can still go bowling if the rest of the college football season plays out in their favor. As of now, only 77 teams across the country are bowl eligible. If that number doesn’t reach 79 by the end of the season, the Gophers are the first 5-win team to get a bid.

Minnesota loses to Wisconsin, so only 8 teams still alive to fill final 5 spots. Minnesota, however, is atop the APR rankings for 5-7 teams, so would still get a bid if there ends up being only 79 bowl eligible teams. We're currently at 77

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 25, 2023

But in all reality, a 5-7 bowl season is nothing to brag about. Bowl or no bowl, the 2023 Minnesota Gophers football season was a failure.

Minnesota Gophers defense fails them in West Lafayette

In the end, Minnesota’s defense didn’t make the trip to West Lafayette, thus the Gophers fell by a final 49-30. Purdue’s 49 points is tied for the 2nd most ever allowed by a Minnesota team employing Joe Rossi as defensive coordinator. They were absolutely gashed on the ground.

🚂 32 car.
🚂 275 yds
🚂 3 TD

Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Mockobee went off in @BoilerFootball's win over Minnesota.@TyroneTracy 🤝 @devin_mockobee pic.twitter.com/2VT2qAWpJh

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 12, 2023

The most points a Rossi coached defense has ever given up was earlier this season vs Michigan (52). The other 49-point opponent performance was also Michigan, in game 1 of the 2020 pandemic-shortened season.

Related: Gophers Fly ‘Row The Boat’ Banner Over Koi Perich State Tournament Game

Remember, Joe Rossi was first named interim defensive coordinator back in 2018, when his predecessor Robb Smith was fired mid-season, after Illinois put up 55 points against the Gophers in week 10. Granted, those kinds of point totals were a much more regular thing back then.

Since Rossi took over, Minnesota’s defense has consistently ranked near the top of the Big Ten and, oftentimes, near the top of the nation. Which is why I do not expect drastic changes at defensive coordinator.

PJ Fleck is not getting fired, no matter how season ends

And that should also give away how I feel about all of the “is it time to fire PJ Fleck” conversations being had around the internet and in text message chains across the fanbase.

Is it time to fire PJ Fleck?

— SB23 (@SkolBros) November 11, 2023

I received the same type of text from my father, but he wasn’t the only one. Sometimes, I think my friends and family members are trying to troll me into writing blogs like this, so they can pin me as a PJ Fleck apologist.

But my own feelings for the U of M head coach have nothing to do with the clarity in which I see his future employment status at the U of M.

At the end of the day, all I care about is the Gophers winning as many football games as possible. If I thought there was a coach out there who could pile up W’s faster than PJ, I’d be trying to row him out of town myself.

Fleck will get, and deserves, at least one more year

In reality, however, there is no logical evidence pointing to that likelihood. Because, PJ Fleck is factually the best head coach to lead the Minnesota Gophers since Glen Mason left in 2006. He also holds the best winning percentage (.605) of any Gopher head coach since Bernie Bierman (.716).

Related: Gophers Top Commit Koi Perich to Visit Ohio State and Florida State

That’s right, not Lou Holtz, not Glen Mason, not even the Rose Bowl winning Murray Warmath won a higher percentage of his games than current head coach, PJ Fleck.

Despite the frustration Fleck often brings us, he’s undefeated (4-0) in bowl games and even beats Wisconsin on the regular. Those are two things that Minnesota hasn’t done since Mason was fired.

Now, PJ Fleck and his 2023 Minnesota Gophers have brought on these conversations, themselves. At 5-5, with only Ohio State and Wisconsin left on the schedule, it is a very real possibility the Gophers are not bowl eligible, when the dust settles on this season, and that would be an embarrassing failure.

Even if that were to happen, I do not see a change at head coach or defensive coordinator. It’s possible Fleck brings in legitimate QB competition for Athan Kaliakmanis, but even that feels a bit far-fetched.

Of course, Fleck is far from untouchable. Failing to become bowl eligible would definitely put him on the hot seat next season. Another losing season in 2024 could certainly cost him his job. But until then, Fleck is safe.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Almost like a boxer who’s survived into the middle rounds of a heavyweight fight, the Gophers had already been beat up and knocked down through 5 rounds weeks, but somehow found a way to win a couple of rounds along the way.

Minnesota Gophers vs Michigan Wolverines got ugly fast

Related: How to watch Gophers football in 2023

Minnesota needed a miracle vs Michigan on Saturday night, if they were going to take any hope into their week 7 bye. Unfortunately, any chance at a miracle pretty much died on the Gophers’ first drive of the night, when QB Athan Kaliakmanis threw a pick-6 on the 2nd play of the game.

Starting FAST! pic.twitter.com/0hctinhXd4

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) October 7, 2023

Apologists will say that the Gophers should feel good about hanging with Michigan in the 1st half. But in all reality, they didn’t. Minnesota started their final drive of the 2nd quarter down 24-3. PJ Fleck was so afraid of the score getting more lopsided, before the break, that he actually started killing clock with 1.5 minutes left and the Gophers barely across midfield.

But, the football gods felt bad for Minnesota Gopher fans, so they paid Fleck off for his conservatism with a 45-yard bomb from Athan to Daniel Jackson for a touchdown, the only one the Gophers would get all night. In fact, it was pretty much their only explosive play on the evening.

35-yard touchdown with seconds left in the half!@GopherFootball | #BigTenSaturdayNight pic.twitter.com/oLvxvROxnl

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 8, 2023

The Minnesota Gophers may have went into halftime, after that play, with a little bit of hope. And, they even came out of the break with a few opportunities to make it a game, because their defense stopped Michigan from scoring on their first two drives of the 3rd quarter.

Related: PJ Fleck Pleads Gophers Fans and Boosters for More NIL Money

Joe Rossi’s defense continues to struggle

But, to no avail. And it wasn’t because of a couple of bad breaks or poor play on Minnesota’s part, that led to this blowout. Don’t let anyone tell you different. The 2023 Michigan Wolverines are just on a completely different level than the 2023 Minnesota Gophers.

Joe Rossi’s defense looks like a shell of itself this season and they were downright exhausted in the 2nd half, trying to hang with a Michigan offense that had them overpowered in every single facet of the game.

Hell, how are we to expect Minnesota defenders to tackle Michigan’s skill position players when they can’t even tackle their mostly pocket-passer quarterback, who ran for two touchdowns on the night.

Dual threat @jjmccarthy09 pic.twitter.com/C7EkHBoBlH

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) October 8, 2023

Athan Kaliakmanis downright scared of Michigan defense

It became clear, as the drubbing dragged on Saturday night, that Athan Kaliakmanis is nowhere near as ready to lead a Big Ten team through a gauntlet season, as we thought he was, entering fall camp. He looked flustered and downright afraid vs the Wolverines.

Kaliakmanis finished his night with an ugly 5 for 16 (31%) for 52 yards and 2 interceptions. His 35-yard end-of-half touchdown to Jackson accounted for nearly 2/3 of his passing production in the game.

First time since 2017 we’ve had two pick sixes in the same game! pic.twitter.com/J4Kq1Fisoa

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) October 8, 2023

I know PJ Fleck loves the kid, and I do too. He’s going to say all the right things at the end of the game and take responsibility for his part in tonight’s loss, which he’ll feel was enormous. But, this is power 5 college football and the Big Ten is only getting better and more explosive next season.

Related: Dinkytown Athletes Partners with Gray Duck on New Gophers NIL Beer

If Kaliakmanis doesn’t show an incredible amount of improvement over the final 6-7 games, Fleck needs to look in the mirror and then dive hard into the QB transfer portal. Maybe he doesn’t find a quarterback who’s hands-down a better option than Athan.

But if PJ were to find an obvious upgrade in said transfer portal hunt, it’s his responsibility to make a move.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

There were a lot of things to take away from tonight’s victory. Minnesota brought a run-heavy offensive attack that birthed a new star running back most Gopher fans had never heard of, entering the weekend.

Gophers go 2️⃣-0️⃣❕#RTB #SkiUMah #Gophers pic.twitter.com/pqG4I5P4NU

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) September 10, 2023

Here are 5 takeaways from the win.

1. Fleck successfully stubborn running the ball

It was no secret, entering Saturday night. After rushing for just 2.2 yards per attempt in week 1 vs Nebraska, PJ Fleck was going to be stubborn about establishing the run vs a less-talented Eastern Michigan defense.

Ding, ding, ding. Even when the game was close during the first half, Minnesota’s offense ran the ball 24 times, vs just 8 pass attempts. That is not a typo.

As the Gophers’ lead grew in the 2nd half, PJ stuck even closer to his bread and butter. Running the football and controlling the clock. When time ran out on the 4th quarter, the Gophers had rushed 56 times for a total of 296 yards and 2 touchdowns. Athan Kaliakmanis threw just 15 (efficient) total passes.

2. Gophers’ Offense must improve near goal line

Minnesota may have won by double digits tonight but the final score did not reflect how dominant the Gophers were. They pulled away on the scoreboard in the 2nd half but Eastern Michigan shouldn’t have hung around for as long as they did.

The offense drove the ball within the Eagles’ 6-yard line in both of their first two drives of the game and only came away with three points. Then, they drove all the way down the field on their first drive of the 2nd half and, again, settled for a field goal from within the 5-yard line.

It didn’t matter tonight vs a lesser Eastern Michigan team but Minnesota will have to convert those drives into touchdowns vs Big Ten opponents, if they want to have any chance of winning the West or, dare I say, beating Michigan or Ohio State later this season.

3. Freshman (RB) Darius Taylor II is a future star

It took 1.25 games, but true freshman running back, Darius Taylor II, has officially arrived. On Saturday night, Fleck gave Taylor his chance and the teenager jumped all over it. And once Fleck & Co started feeding Taylor, it was very difficult to stop.

Darius got just two carries in the 1st quarter, then six carries in the 2nd. By the end of the night, he had racked up 193 rushing yards and a touchdown on 33 carries (5.8 YPC). But it wasn’t just the numbers Taylor put up, it was how he looked doing it. When you’ve watched a lot of football, you know a special talent when you see one. And Darius Taylor II is a future star.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙪𝙨 𝙏𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙤𝙧 𝙂𝙖𝙢𝙚 😤

Relive the freshman RB's breakout performance in tonight's win. ⤵️@Dariustay1or x @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/SXP2uS5Bgu

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 10, 2023

4. Defense comes to play again

I mean, what is there to say about another solid performance by Joe Rossi’s defense. It’s become such a regular occurrence that it’s difficult not to take it for granted.

One week after allowing just 10 points (114 pass yards, 181 rush yards) vs Nebraska, the Gophers defense didn’t look past Eastern Michigan, allowing just 6 points on 152 total yards (71 pass yds, 81 rush yds). The Eagles failed to gain even one first down in the 2nd half.

Minnesota’s scoring defense has been in the national top-10, each of the past two seasons and they appear to be on their way to that same sort of success in 2023. Joe Rossi deserves to be a head coach but I hope he remains the Gophers defensive coordinator for as long as possible, instead.

Minnesota said "we'll take that back" 😤@GopherFootball | pic.twitter.com/p0jzYzbSDb

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 10, 2023

5. Athan good when called upon

Do not look down on Minnesota QB Athan Kaliakmanis because of the Gophers’ lopsided run/pass ratio vs Eastern Michigan. The volume just wasn’t there. As mentioned earlier, PJ Fleck was stubbornly determined to win this game without relying on #8 throwing them to victory.

Still, Kaliakmanis scored one of the team’s two rushing touchdowns and finished an efficient 10/15 for 117 yards. He hit open receivers and made good decisions. Athan’s lone interception came on an on-target throw that hit Brevyn Spann-Ford right in the hands before popping out and into the hands of an Eagles defender.

PJ Fleck may have found his next star running back on Saturday but success in 2023 still hangs on the right arm of Athan Kaliakmanis.

Related: Athan Kaliakmanis is the Future of Gopher Football; Let Him Cook

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Nebraska is in the first year of a complete rebuild under new head coach, Matt Rhule, after Scott Frost ran the program into the ground in his 4.5-year tenure and have low expectations. It’s a game Minnesota has to have, if they want to get back to 9 or more wins again.

Here’s everything you need to know entering Thursday’s game:

When is Minnesota vs Nebraska?

Date: Thursday, August 31

Time: 7 PM CT

Stadium: Huntington Bank Stadium

Capacity: 50,805

How to watch Minnesota vs Nebraska

Television: FOX

Announcers: Gus Johnson (PXP), Joel Klatt (Analyst), Jenny Taft (Reporter)

How to listen to Minnesota vs Nebraska

Radio: KFAN FM 100.3 OR SiriusXM 135 or 195; SXM App

Announcers: Mike Grimm (Play by Play), Darrell Thompson (Analyst), Justin Gaard (Reporter), Tanner Hoops (Host), Dan Rowbotham (Engineer)

Gopher storylines to watch:

QB – Athan Kaliakmanis: The Gophers’ new QB1 had underwhelming numbers in his 11 appearances last season but he went 26 for 36 for 399 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in his final two games vs Wisconsin and Syracuse. PJ Fleck must trust his redshirt sophomore QB to lead their offense into the modern age and it starts with letting him fling it in Thursday’s opener. Kaliakmanis needs to be given the oars to Minnesota’s 2023 boat. Let him sink or swim.

New Offensive Weapons: Athan has a bunch of new weapons in his arsenal this year. Fleck pulled 1,000 yard rusher, Sean Tyler (Western Michigan) to help replace the departed Mohamed Ibrahim. Transfer wide receivers, Corey Crooms (Western Michigan) and Elijah Spencer (Charlotte) enter the season on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.

CRAB Returns: Thursday is expected to be the return of (WR) Chris Autman-Bell, a 7-year senior who came back for one more season after tearing his ACL during the 2022 campaign. His production could go a long way toward how explosive the Gophers offense is in 2023

Rossi’s Defensive Dominance: Minnesota lost a lot of major defensive contributors from last season but bring back leaders like (S) Tyler Nubin, (CB) Justin Walley, (LB) Cody Lindenberg and (DL) Jah Joyner. But Joe Rossi, who was ranked No. 8 by The Athletic in their “Top-30 CFB Assistant Coaches to Watch”, will have to prove his genius if the Gopher defense is going to be as dominant as it has been in recent years.

• Last year, the Golden Gophers ranked eighth in the country by allowing 295.1 total yards per contest. They also had the No. 4 defense in terms of scoring (13.8 ppg), and No. 15 in passing yards allowed (186.1) and rush defense (109.0). Minnesota, Air Force, Illinois, and Iowa were the only teams in the FBS that ranked in the top 20 in each of those categories. (via U of M Athletic Dept)

Three Keys to a Gophers Victory:

1. Start strong: This seems cliche but Nebraska is a rebuilding team that has lived in a losing atmosphere for a half-decade. Minnesota needs to jump out to an early lead, in order to kill any confidence they may have built up this fall. If they can do that, Husker heads could start hanging early on the opposite sideline.
2. Let Athan cook: I mentioned this earlier — and I’ve written about it on multiple occasions — but it’s worth noting again. PJ Fleck must allow Athan Kaliakmanis to fling the ball around, both on Thursday and during the rest of the season. That means allowing him to make mistakes, without extreme consequences. This is the biggest key to Minnesota’s season.
3. Win the Special Teams battle: Minnesota has two veterans kicking and punting the ball for them this season. It’s imperetive that Dragan Kesich doesn’t leave points on the field by missing kicks that D1 kickers should make. In the same token, punter Mark Crawford must prove his ability to pin Nebraska deep and flip field position when called upon. Do not give the Huskers offense a bunch of short fields to work with.

History between Minnesota vs Nebraska:

Series Overall: Minnesota Leads 36-25-2

Streak: Minnesota Won 4

Series in MN: Minnesota Leads 24-13-2

Streak: Minnesota Won 3

Last Meeting: Minnesota won 20-13 in Lincoln, Neb. (11/5/22)

Five things to know (via Gopher media guide)

1 | University of Minnesota football begins its 140th season, and seventh under head coach P.J. Fleck, Thursday night as it hosts Nebraska at Huntington Bank Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. with a national TV audience on FOX.

2 | Minnesota is 97-36-6 all-time in season openers, including wins in five of its last seven openers (4-2 under Fleck). The Golden Gophers are 101-31-7 all-time in home openers with an identical stretch of five wins in their past seven home openers (also 4-2 under Fleck). Minnesota, which is opening a season at home for the 11th straight year, is 9-5 in home openers since Huntington Bank Stadium opened in 2009.

3 | For the third time in the last four seasons, Minnesota opens the year with a Big Ten opponent after facing Michigan in a 2020 schedule that featured only league action and Ohio State in 2021. Thursday’s matchup with the Huskers will be the 11th time in program history that Minnesota faces a conference foe in the season opener. The Gophers are 2-8 in those previous games. Overall, Minnesota is 64-55-8 in Big Ten openers, including a 71-51-5 mark at home. Thursday marks the seventh time that Minnesota opens the season against Nebraska, going 3-3 in the previous games in a span from 1946-64.

4 | Minnesota is coming off a 2022 campaign where it finished with a 9-4 record overall, capping it off with a 28-20 win over Syracuse in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. Minnesota reached nine wins in a season for the 11th time in school history and the third time in the past four years under head coach P.J. Fleck, something that hadn’t happened since 1905. Fleck is just the second Minnesota coach to have at least three seasons with nine or more victories. Henry L. Williams had six such seasons from 1900-21, while all other coaches in program history have a combined two ninewin seasons. Combined with a 9-4 record in 2021, the 18 wins over two seasons are tied for the most in Gopher history since 1904-05 and it’s just the eighth time ever the team has won at least 18 games in consecutive years. In addition, Minnesota went 5-4 in league play after a 6-3 Big Ten record in 2021. It’s the first time with back-to-back conference seasons over .500 since 1968-69.

5 | The 2023 campaign is the seventh for head coach P.J. Fleck at Minnesota, where he holds a record of 44-27. He is already fifth in program history for wins and sixth in Big Ten wins (26) and games coached (71). Fleck’s .620 win percentage is third best among the 11 Minnesota coaches with at least 45 games under their helm behind only Henry L. Williams (.786, 1900-21) and Bernie Bierman (.716, 1932-41, ‘45-50). In his 11th season overall as a college head coach, Fleck is 74-49 (.598).

Combine all of those internal positives with a weak 2022 Big Ten West and a Gophers schedule void of matchups vs Buckeyes or Wolverines; the optimism in Dinkytown was running amuck. But then, the game vs Purdue kicked off and everything changed.

Gophers hit Purdue wall

The Minnesota Gophers were punched in the face immediately. Purdue forced an opening drive 3-and-out, then charged down the field, themselves, and scored a touchdown. It took until the 3rd quarter, but the Gophers did eventually tie the game, 10-10. They’d never get the lead, though. Three Tanner Morgan interceptions and a flacid run game choked the life out of their offensive effort. Final: 20-10, Purdue wins.

Just like that, the population of PJ Fleck’s 2022 hype boat has declined rapidly over the past 20 hours. It’ll only get worse from here, too. They’re top-25 AP Poll ranking will disappear on Sunday afternoon. And media members will jump ship for the next two weeks, given the Gophers impending bye.

But is the current bandwagon exodus warranted? After the Purdue loss, how worried should fans be about Minnesota’s chances in the Big Ten West? The answer to these questions, of course, is “yes” and “no”. But, more “yes” than “no”.

Most Concerning: Running Back Depth

Mohamed Ibrahim dressed and worked out before the game but didn’t take the field for Minnesota’s first snap. Or for any thereafter. Instead, the Gopher running game was anchored by Trey Potts and Bryce Williams. And it didn’t go well.

Tanner Morgan handed the ball off just 20 times on Saturday (Williams: 11, Potts: 9). Probably because those handoffs totalled just 48 yards (2.4 YPC). With or without Mo, the Minnesota Gophers under PJ Fleck will always be a run-first team. They lost two elite backs to the transfer portal this offseason, so the depth issues aren’t surprising. Nonetheless, if the run game is reliant on Ibrahim’s health, that’s worrisome.

#Gophers first half rushing yards: 17#Gophers second half rushing yards: 17

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) October 1, 2022

Don’t Worry Defense

If Gopher fans need a happy place to go to, think about the defense. Yes, they struggled in the first drive, but from there, they fought ever single down and gave the Minnesota offense a multitude of opportunities to get back into it.

It has depth, it has speed and it has talent. It also has Joe Rossi. Every opponent on the schedule will struggle to score points against the Minnesota Gophers and that means they’ll be in every matchup. Yes, Kirk Ciarrocca & Co struggled on Saturday and RB depth is a concern. Still, this team is much better offensively than last season, when they finished 9-4.

The Key: Tanner Morgan

And that brings us to what matters most: Tanner Morgan. Given Minnesota’s depth issues in the backfield and the determination opponents have to stop the run, offensive productivity throughout the season will land on Tanner’s shoulders.

Michigan State challenged him and he made them pay. In return, the Gophers won easily. Purdue did the same thing, even with Ibrahim sidelined, and Morgan struggled. Thus, the Gophers failed to move the football consistently and lossed.

So, the jury is still out on Tanner Morgan. You know Illinois will force him to make plays in two weeks, when the Gophers resume their schedule after the bye week. How does Tanner respond?

More Optimism

Even with their struggles offensively, the Minnesota Gophers should have won yesterday. Mike Brown-Stephens dropped an easy TD that turned into an INT and Tanner Morgan was careless with the football. On top of that, the OL struggled throughout the day.

Great throw by Tanner. Michael Brown-Stephens has to catch that ball. #Gophers pic.twitter.com/NsutzCn3oy

— Noel Thompson (@N0ELTHOMPSON) October 1, 2022

These are the issues that are unlikely to be repeated. Morgan is never careless with the football, PJ Fleck’s wide receivers do not drop passes and the Gopher o-line is one of the best in the conference.

Most importantly, if we’re eyeing a Big Ten West championship, is the inadequecies plagueing the rest of the division. Wisconsin and Iowa both lost AGAIN yesterday and Minnesota’s biggest competion looks like Illinois, who they face in two weeks.

Yes, there’s reason for concern around Dinkytown. But overall, the Gophers are still in really great shape.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Jeff Brohm’s shiny new offense had posted 38 or more points in 4 of its last 5 games, going into the matchup. Oddsmakers saw a track meet (o/u: 58.5), even though the forecast called for snow. Instead, Rossi & Co punched the Boilermaker offense in the face for four-straight quarters, while Kirk Ciarrocca picked their defense apart. Final score: 41-10, Gophers win.

Brohm was 1-0 vs PJ Fleck, as a Big Ten rival, going into that late-season dual. Overall, Brohm was 2-0 against PJ (1-0 vs Fleck with W. Michigan). Since that victory, Fleck has beaten the Fighting Jeff Brohms three-straight times and now holds a 4-1 record vs Purdue as Minnesota head coach (4-2 overall).

Deeper than Purdue

But it wasn’t just the division rivalry vs Purdue that Joe Rossi helped turn around, on that snowy night in Dinkytown. That win and the arrival of Rossi turned the tide on PJ Fleck’s program at the University of Minnesota. The Gophers lost the following week, to the eventual Big Ten West champions (Northwestern: 14-24). then closed out the season with two more dubs.

The defense dominated Wisconsin (37-15), in Madison, to close out the regular season. Then, they suffocated Georgia Tech’s (34-10) triple option offense in the Quick Lane Bowl a month later. In 2018 the Gophers were 4-5 with Robb Smith as DC; 3-1 under Rossi.

Then, 2019 happened. Minnesota went 11-2 and beat Auburn (31-24) in the Outback Bowl. That made the PJ Fleck and the Gophers 14-3 with Joe Rossi as defensive coordinator. The last two years haven’t been as successful, from a record standpoint. But that was more of a Mike Sanford problem, it appears, than an anything else problem.

Joe Rossi + PJ Fleck

Zoom out even further, PJ Fleck held a 9-12 record with Smith as his defensive coordinator. Since Joe Rossi took the reigns (mid-2018 to current), the Minnesota Gophers are 30-11. Now, time accounts for some of those wins. Fleck’s program was a lot younger, when Robb Smith was DC.

But the change under Rossi has been monumental. Minnesota went from a defense that gave up 40-50 burgers on the regular, to one that opponents are lucky to score 10 on. And yes, the Gopher offense has been high powered through four games this season and ripped up the Big Ten in 2019. But outside of some hiccups in 2020, it’s been the defense that has kept this program afloat in harder times offensively.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

➡️ Undefeated and 4-0 ATS
➡️ 183-24 point differential
➡️ Averaging 543 yds/game
➡️ Starting defense has allowed 3 points
➡️ 0 rush TDs allowed
➡️ Allowing 187 yds/game
➡️ 40:35 avg time of possession

Row the boat ski u mah go gophers 〽️ https://t.co/onBOFPMWHh

— Barstool Gophers (@BarstoolUMN) September 28, 2022

The Minnesota Golden Gophers (@GopherFootball) have allowed under 280 total yards in 11 consecutive games, dating back to last season. pic.twitter.com/dNFv3ZU3R8

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) September 27, 2022

And I don’t want to alarm anyone with this stat, but it feels wrong not to share it. With Kirk Ciarrocca and Joe Rossi at PJ Fleck’s side, the Minnesota Gophers football team is 18-3. I’m counting the Outback Bowl because Kirk may not have been there, but it was his offense the Gophers ran.

Enjoy Joe Rossi While He’s Here

The Gophers’ dominance on defense goes beyond wins/losses and statistics. If you prefer anecdotal evidence, talk to Rossi’s players. He’s nicknamed “The Guru” because he remembers everything and he’s always considered the smartest guy in the room. What’s even better about him? He hates that nickname.

Here’s a clip from PJ Fleck defending Rossi, when things were going sideways in 2020. Below it is a 2021 quote from linebacker Mariano Sori-Marin, about his DC’s steel-trap of a brain.

Joe Rossi's not getting fired. #Gophers pic.twitter.com/QuJ3rA3brz

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) November 2, 2020

“He is the walking library of plays. He can watch a play in practice and say the Sam linebacker … sheds (a block) early and the ball bounces. He can go back in time and tell you exactly when that happened in game, a 10-year-old play. He’ll be like, ‘I will tell you a time Indiana was playing Ohio State in 2017 and their Sam linebacker did the exact same thing and the ball bounced for a 40-yard touchdown. It’s just funny because guys get a little chuckle out of it. It’s true because sometimes he’ll pull up the play and show us.” — Mariano Sori-Marin (via Pioneer Press)

There’s some bitterness to writing this blog about how great Joe Rossi is. Blogs and articles just like this one are sure to hit the world wide web frequently over the next couple of months. Hype that is likely to push Rossi into a head coaching job this offseason. And he’ll deserve it.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

But while waiting for the end of December to draw a little closer, I’ve been looking forward to the 2022 season schedule. On paper, it looks easier than what we saw in 2021, mostly because the Big Ten schedule misses both Ohio State and Michigan. That, however, is a blog for another day.

We know that PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Gophers have a knack for making early season matchups vs lesser opponents way too competitive. Game plans and scheming against teams like South Dakota State, Georgia Southern, Miami (OH) and Bowling Green during the last two non-conference season have been more much more bland than what we’ve seen in Big Ten play. They got away with it in 2019 (barely) but it cost them a win vs BGSU in 2021.

But if there was any year where Fleck and his staff would “change their best” during non-conference play, it might be in 2022.

Wk 1: New Mexico State w/new HC, Jerry Kill

Jerry Kill hates PJ Fleck and that’s not hyperbole. Kill has come out publicly multiple times, since the University of Minnesota hired Fleck, and denounced both the hire and how his former staff was treated on their way out.

There is absolutely nothing else Jerry Kill will think about during this offseason than beating PJ Fleck. He could lose every other game and still call the season a success if he comes to Huntington Bank Stadium to knock off his old Gophers and his most-hated peer.

For PJ Fleck, that’s a nightmare he cannot afford to see come true. Writers in this town would NEVER let him forget about losing to a “Year Zero” New Mexico State team coached by Kill.

Wk 3: Colorado w/new OC, Mike Sanford

Mike Sanford lasted two season as Minnesota Gophers offensive coordinator, before being fired at the end of November. His tenure will not be remembered fondly. Sanford will forever be known as the OC who ruined (or almost ruined, depending on how 2022 goes) Tanner Morgan as a quarterback.

Now, Mike Sanford is heading to Colorado University where he’ll be offensive coordinator and QB’s Coach. The Buffaloes football brain trust must’ve liked what they saw when the Gophers thumped them 30-0 in Boulder. So much so that they’re willing to ignore what happened to Minnesota’s passing game after Sanford took over.

Tanner Morgan's career #Gophers stats:

– 2019: 250.2 passing yards per game, 30 TDs

**Mike Sanford Jr. hired as OC

– 2020: 196.3 passing yards per game, 7 TDs

– 2021: 161.3 passing yards per game, 10 TDs

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) November 29, 2021

Sanford vs Rossi

The Minnesota Gophers and Colorado Buffaloes will fulfill their two-year home/away football agreement in 2022 when CU comes to Huntington Bank Stadium in week 3 of the non-conference. I can promise that Joe Rossi and his defensive staff aren’t bringing a vanilla scheme or game plan to that matchup.

Mike Sanford will be in a new environment and working for a new head coach. His offense is bound to have a much different flavor than what we saw while he was here. It will be up to Joe Rossi and PJ Fleck to change up what they’re doing enough defensively that Mike can’t take advantage of what he learned while here.

We’ve seen PJ Fleck’s Gophers play down to, and even lose, vs opponents who shouldn’t belong on the same field. So it doesn’t really matter how good the 2022 New Mexico State or Colorado teams are. Fleck will have to get his team more ready to play in next season’s non-conference than he has in the past or he could face a terrible and embarrassing start to the season. Because more than ever, the opposing coaching staffs will be ready and hungry to taste the tears of PJ.

Now watch the Gophers’ one non-conference loss be against Western Illinois in week 2. That would be the Minnesota way.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan