MINNEAPOLIS -- Though the Gophers scored 42 points in their 42-20 win over Eastern Illinois in last Thursday's season opener, yet both numbers in that score were a bit deceiving. Minnesota's offense struggled at times despite the 42 total points, and the defense looked better than the 20 points it allowed. Most of the questions in this week's mailbag focused on the offense and how the Gophers can improve in that facet. Here are my answers to your questions as Minnesota prepares to face Middle Tennessee State on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium.
Q: Any chance we see more of Streveler as the year goes along? Leidner needs to be a run option to be his most effective, but in doing so if he runs like he did last year we will need a backup that is capable of playing and Streveler can run the same offense. -- Zach, New Ulm, Minn.
A: I certainly think we'll see the Gophers mix Streveler in at times, like they did once Thursday's win was safely in hand. But I don't think they'll go with the two-quarterback rotation nearly as much as they've done the last few years, including rotating Mitch Leidner and Philip Nelson from series-to-series and game-to-game. There's no question that this offense belongs to Leidner this year. His teammates have confidence in him, as do his coaches. I think people are overreacting a bit to Leidner's less-than-stellar season debut. He admitted he was nervous to start the game, but he did eventually settle in and make a few nice throws later in the game. So to answer your question, Zach, we will see some of Streveler throughout the course of the season, but I wouldn't anticipate him getting a ton of reps behind Leidner.
Q: What, if anything, do you think we really could tell from the Gophers after playing an FCS team? -- Brian, Minneapolis
A: It's always hard to glean too much from a situation like Minnesota's first game in which the Gophers were playing a team one level lower. But there were several things I took away from Thursday's opener. For starters, Minnesota's defense is legit. Yes, it allowed 20 points, but that came in the final six minutes of the game when most of the Gophers first-team defense was on the sideline. And yes, it was against an FCS team, but Eastern Illinois was one of the most prolific FCS offenses last year and, despite losing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, has some talent again this year.
Additionally, we learned that Minnesota needs to get the ball to the playmakers on offense more often -- and Gophers head coach Jerry Kill admitted as much during his press conference Tuesday. Tight end Maxx Williams, arguably Minnesota's biggest threat in the passing game, had just two catches and was barely targeted. Wide receiver K.J. Maye never touched the ball. Of course, some of that had to do with what the Panthers' defense was doing to counteract Minnesota's offense. But quarterback Mitch Leidner needs to look to get the ball into the hands of the Gophers' playmakers more frequently.
Q: We need more Berkley Edwards! That guy was awesome! Do you see him getting more snaps as a third down RB catching passes and getting a chance to run? What about on returns? We need him getting as many touches as possible. -- Simon, Windom, Minn.
Q: What is the upside on Berkley Edwards? Could he be a bell cow running back? -- Eric, Rochester, Minn.
A: I got a few questions regarding the freshman running back Berkley Edwards this week, so I figured I'd lump them together. As for Simon's question, I think we'll definitely see his snaps increase as the season progresses. He carried the ball just four times Thursday, but two of those four carries ended in touchdowns. That included a 42-yarder in which Edwards showed off his speed by darting to the outside and taking it down the sideline to paydirt. Simon also asked about Edwards possibly seeing some action on kick returns. I'd venture to guess that at some point this season -- sooner than later, possibly -- we'll see Edwards returning punts, kickoffs, or both. He's got as much speed as just about anybody on the Gophers. He deserves a chance to return some kicks.
In regards to Eric's question as to whether or not Edwards could be a bell cow -- a running back who gets the bulk of the carries and leads the herd, so to speak -- I'm not sure he's the type of player built to be an every-down back. For now, Minnesota has a running back it feels can carry the brunt of the carries, and that's David Cobb. But Edwards is a nice change-of-pace back and has a skillset that the Gophers' other backs (Cobb, Rodrick Williams and Donnell Kirkwood) don't have. However, he'll still get involved in the game whether it's the occasional handoff or catching passes out of the backfield.
Q: The defense definitely played good, but I don't like that the coaches and players talked about how well they played so much afterward. It was just Eastern Illinois and Minnesota hasn't exactly earned the right to get cocky yet. My question would be did they actually look as good as they said they were or was it more playing a mediocre team at home that made the D look dominant for most of that game? -- Marcus, Minneapolis
A: I wouldn't say the coaches and players were by any means cocky in their comments about how the defense played Thursday against Eastern Illinois. Kill did say that the final score of 42-20 didn't indicate how good the defense played, and he's absolutely right. Minnesota could have easily pitched a shutout if not for a few late scores by the Panthers against the Gophers' second-team defense.
I thought the secondary looked as good as advertised Thursday. They allowed just 110 passing yards through three quarters, and safety Antonio Johnson had an interception of Panthers quarterback Jalen Whitlow. Yes, Minnesota allowed 310 passing yards, but again, much of that came against backups. Meanwhile, the Gophers held Eastern Illinois to just 99 rushing yards for the game as the Panthers' rushing attack never posed much of a threat.
Minnesota's secondary will be its strong suit this year, and we got a taste of it on Thursday. You say the Gophers were cocky, I'd call it confidence. And there's nothing wrong with a team being confident in its ability, especially if they back it up on the field.
Q: How do you see the depth and rotation at defensive line shaking out with some banged up bodies? -- Ricky, Eagan, Minn.
A: It's clear that the depth could be an issue after the injuries Minnesota sustained at defensive line Thursday. The Gophers confirmed Tuesday that defensive tackle Scott Ekpe is out for the season with an injury. Meanwhile, defensive end Michael Amaefula didn't play in the opener, but Kill said he expects Amaefula to return for Saturday's game. Alex Keith -- who recovered two fumbles against Eastern Illinois -- and Yoshoub Timms were also dinged up, and the status of those two remains up in the air.
That means several other young defensive linemen will get their opportunity to contribute. Among them is Steven Richardson, a true freshman defensive tackle who impressed in fall camp and played in Thursday's opener. Fellow freshmen Andrew Stelter and Gaelin Elmore also played Thursday, and defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys said that trio will see an increase in playing time with other linemen out. Robert Ndondo-Lay, a redshirt junior who previously played at Winona State, also saw his first action as a Gopher on Thursday and will be in the mix on the D-line.
Q: Since it seems like Minnesota still can't pass down field, the receivers are weak, the rushing offense is good and Mitch Leidner looks like he can run a little bit, do you see them trying some option plays? It could make them a little more dangerous and keep defenses off balance, right? Thanks. -- Tim, Bloomington, Minn.
Q: I think it's possible that our offense may be even worse than last year (unless Leidner's passing improves drastically). Nearly eliminating the read option to preserve Leidner's health might take away what little pop we had to begin with. Would it be worth the risk to Leidner to run more of the read option? -- Nathan, Moorhead, Minn.
A: Two similar questions here, so I'll tackle them together. The Gophers did run some read option last year, but what did it really get them? Minnesota was the second-lowest scoring team in the Big Ten in 2013, and had the worst passing offense in the conference. This isn't an offense that will run many (or any) traditional option plays like you see some other schools run. The read option isn't really the same as an option, as the former allows the quarterback the option to run or pass, while the latter gives him the option to run or lateral to a back. We haven't seen that with Kill's teams, and I don't foresee that we will.
I don't think that this year's offense will be worse than last year's. I believe that the Gophers have more playmakers on offense in 204, including the previously discussed Edwards. Minnesota's wide receivers should be improved this year, too. Drew Wolitarsky -- who missed Thursday's game with an injury -- and Donovahn Jones both played as true freshmen last year and should give Leidner options in the passing game.
Minnesota is trying to limit the amount that Leidner takes off and runs this year, in part to keep him healthy, though the coaches admitted Tuesday that it "isn't in his DNA" to avoid contact, as offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said. Leidner can still be an asset with his legs on occasion, as he was on his two touchdown runs, but he'll be relied on more as a passer than a runner. The Gophers saw previous quarterbacks get banged up running the read option, and they can't afford that with Leidner.
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