Gopher Football vs Middle Tennessee State University:
1st Quarter
The first drive for the Gophers was beautiful. It was an 11-play drive that spanned 68 yards. Unfortunately, it would stall and require a Carpenter field goal. The Gophers’ offense would get the ball two more times in the quarter but they would falter both times. Luckily, their defense is extremely good.
3-0 Gophers
2nd Quarter
The Blue Raiders would put their first points on the board in the 2nd quarter, with a field goal. The Gophers would turn around and match that to go back up by a field goal.
6-3 Gophers
It seemed like Fleck was waiting for MTSU to make a mistake. The Gophers weren’t flashing but it didn’t really seem like they were trying to. If that is what Fleck was banking on, it paid off.
He was grinding down MTSU’s defense with the run. It wasn’t that much fun to watch but it was working. Finally, after Rodney Smith had been taking chunks of yards over and over, Kobe McCrary got the ball in the redzone. With Shannon Brooks out due to injury, he was the guy.
If your name’s Kobe, you gotta score.
And Kobe McCrary does just that for @GopherFootball‘s first TD of the afternoon: pic.twitter.com/pDltNO9uwS
— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) September 16, 2017
Then, on the next drive after the touchdown, it was the defense’s turn.
Row the Boat all the way back to the ?.
Pick Six for @GopherFootball as their lead swells to 20-3: pic.twitter.com/IGYREatn2I
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 16, 2017
20-3 Gophers
That is how the half would end and things were looking good for our Golden Gophers. Rodney Smith, however, took a hit on the last play of the half that put him in the locker room for the rest of the game. Hopefully that is just precautionary…
3rd/4th Quarter:
Things REALLY started to turn in the Gophers’ favor in the 2nd half. Kobe McCrary went ballistic after Rodney Smith got hurt. The Gopher defense was impenetrable. It was good, sound football. I will just let you watch:
Final: 34-3 Gophers WIN
This one was a blowout and it was over early in the 3rd quarter. I’m not really sure why PJ left his starters in so long. I’m hoping to hear more about that from Randy Johnson of the Star Tribune. I wasn’t the only one bothered by it…
.@RJstrib please ask @Coach_Fleck why he kept the starters in so long.. game was in hand for 1.5 quarters. Unless he answers this…??
— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) September 16, 2017
Why are any starters or contributors in the game still? #Gophers
— Aj Mansour (@AjKFAN) September 16, 2017
I have no idea why Rhoda is in the game right now.
— Ryan Burns (@RyanBurnsMN) September 16, 2017
Rhoda still in the game, up 31 and with only 5 mins to play… pic.twitter.com/TOY1djLWJZ
— Kyle Goblirsch (@GobieMN) September 16, 2017
Anyway, the Gophers looked DOMINANT and made sure to let MTSU know what Big Ten Football is like. They get a bye week to try to get healthy. They will need it. Shannon Brooks didn’t play at all, even though he dressed, and Rodney Smith left the game after being lit up on the last play of the first half.
After the bye, they will host Maryland at TCF Bank Stadium to open the B1G Season.
Eric Strack
Minnesota Sports Fan @RealMNSportsFan
Stat help from NCAA.com
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