5 things: As expected Spartans defense shines, Gophers struggle to throw
The University of Minnesota football team closed out its regular season Saturday with a 14-3 loss to Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. The Spartans finished with a perfect 8-0 record in the Big Ten, while the Gophers dropped to 4-4 in conference play and 8-4 overall. Minnesota must now wait to hear which bowl game it will play in. Meanwhile, here are five things we learned from the Gophers' loss Saturday.
1. Michigan State's defense is no joke
The Gophers knew they were up against a tough defense this weekend. In fact, the Spartans have the best total defense in the country, allowing just 236.6 yards per game. Michigan State also surrenders just 12.5 points per contest, fourth-best in all of college football. While Minnesota did surpass MSU's average yards allowed by racking up 249 yards, the Gophers' offense failed to score a touchdown for the second straight game. In fact, Minnesota's offense hasn't found the end zone in 10 straight quarters after failing to score a touchdown Saturday. The Gophers' only touchdown last weekend against Wisconsin came via an interception returned to the end zone by linebacker Aaron Hill. Minnesota had its chances in the red zone against the Spartans, but MSU's defense held the Gophers in check each of the three times they were inside the 20-yard line. Minnesota settled for a field goal during its first red zone trip, missed a field goal the second time and fumbled the ball away on its third time in the red zone.
2. David Cobb was the one Gopher to have success against MSU's defense
The Spartans had given up just 59.4 rushing yards per game on the ground entering Saturday's game, the best rushing defense in college football. Only one player -- Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah -- had reached the 100-yard mark this year against MSU. That is, until Saturday as Cobb finished the game with 101 yards on 27 carries. Cobb began the year as Minnesota's third-string running back but made the most of his opportunity when Donnell Kirkwood and Rodrick Williams missed time with injuries. While Cobb topped the century mark against the best rushing defense in the nation, he didn't do so by breaking off any big runs. Instead, he earned the tough yards on his 27 carries, the longest of which went for just 12 yards. It marked the fifth time in the last six games that Cobb rushed for 100 yards, but it was the first time he did so in a Minnesota loss. Still, he deserves credit for finding holes in MSU's defense and earning the extra yards.
3. Minnesota's passing game remains unsettled
Sophomore quarterback Philip Nelson didn't have much success Saturday against Michigan State's tough secondary. He threw a pair of interceptions -- both of which went to Spartans cornerback Trae Waynes, his first two career interceptions -- and finished just 6-for-18 for 77 yards. Nelson came out of the game in the second half when he was injured on a late hit by Michigan State. Redshirt freshman Mitch Leidner came in and moved the ball on one drive, including big passes to freshmen wide receivers Drew Wolitarsky and Donovahn Jones. But Leidner's fumble on the MSU 11-yard line killed the drive and effectively ended the game. Leidner was just 3-for-7 for 48 yards in place of Nelson. Minnesota was without top wide receiver Derrick Engel, but both Wolitarsky and Jones stepped up Saturday. Each freshman had three catches, with Wolitarsky's grabs going for a team-high 56 yards. Still, the Gophers didn't make enough big plays through the air to put points on the board.
4. Ra'Shede Hageman added to his NFL resume tape
Including Saturday, Hageman had just two games left to show NFL scouts what he can do. The senior defensive tackle's size -- he weighs in at 6-foot-6, 311 pounds -- has always been intriguing for NFL personnel, but the strong play during Hageman's senior season has continued to bolster his draft stock. That includes his game Saturday, during which Hageman made a great tackle on fourth down to stop a Spartans drive. He also got his hands on a pass and batted it down on 3rd-and-11. In the second half, Hageman pounced on a fumble after fellow lineman Theiren Cockran stripped it out of the hands of MSU quarterback Connor Cook. Hageman routinely does the little things right on the defensive line, but making big plays like he did on Saturday will only help get his name out there even more.
5. Minnesota's bowl destination remains a question mark, but the season is still a step forward
With a win over Michigan State, the Gophers could have certainly improved their standing in the bowl game order. A win might have meant sneaking into the Outback Bowl, which would not have been fathomable when the year started. Instead, Minnesota will probably see its bowl positioning drop a bit with Saturday's loss. It's likely the Gophers will now end up in either the Gator Bowl on Jan. 1 or the Texas Bowl on Dec. 28. Regardless of which bowl game Minnesota plays in, this season should be considered a success and a big step in the right direction for head coach Jerry Kill and the Gophers program.
Few people expected Minnesota to reach eight wins this year, especially after the Gophers started 0-2 in the Big Ten. But a four-game winning streak helped Minnesota get to that mark and ultimately to an 8-4 record, the school's best regular-season finish since 2003. The Gophers' last two losses came against teams that could be playing in BCS bowl games in January, yet Minnesota was competitive against both Wisconsin and Michigan State. It's clear that this Gophers team has far more confidence than it has in recent years and truly believes it can compete with any team in the Big Ten. Minnesota did just that for a while on Saturday but fell short against a Spartans team that will play in the Big Ten championship game.
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