Rants & Raves: U of M

The Jacks took on an ascending Golden Gopher squad Thursday night.  This writer entered the stadium with confidence but plenty of questions.  Many of those questions were answered but I left with a feeling of what could have been.  There is PLENTY to be happy about and this game has to give even the most pesimistic Jack's fan optimism for this season.  The night was a picture perfect night for football and the view of the game, even from the cheap seats, was really good.  I was able to go back and rewatch the game Friday afternoon and catch some of the details I missed at the game. 

Rave: Manchigiah's interception in the first quarter was about as good as you will see.  He read the play perfectly, sunk in to help on the run but maintained his position to make a play in the passing game.  Morgan (UM QB) threw it right to him and Josh showed great hands to catch the heater.

Rave: Aron Johnson had a PHENOMINAL game at right tackle.  Carter Coughlin, Minnesota's best defensive player, lined up across from him for most of the game and Johnson really limited his impact.  Coughlin finished with just 3 tackles (1 solo).  Johnson also made a key block on J'Bore's touchdown run.  If Aron continues this level of play he will be an All-American candidate.  What an impressive showing!

Rave: The #605Hogs as a whole played a really good game.  The Gophers defensive line has experience but isn't probably in the top half of the BIG 10.  However, the #605Hogs controlled the line of scrimmage for most of the game and didn't allow a sack until the final offensive play.  Great start for a group that is still growing together. 

Rant: The tackling by the defense was not good in the first half.  On the rewatch I counted a half dozen missed tackles in the first half alone.  This improved in the second half and I hope it carries forward.

Rave: The defensive line rotation was excellent.  At defensive end Winkelman and Earith got the start but Tolu, Smenda, and Terveer all saw action.  Winkelman and Earith each had a sack and I thought Tolu was very effective in his playing time.  On the interior Ward and Hildahl started but Krolikowski, Sanders, and Stacker were all effective.  The stunts and twists that the defensive line ran were especially impactful.  Earith's sack came on an inside loop when the OL couldn't communicate.

Rave/Rant: The Jacks shut down Tyler Johnson (3 rec for 28 yards) but were not as effective vs. the pure speed of Rashad Bateman (5 rec, 132 yards, TD).  However, the Jacks adjusted and held Bateman without a catch in the second half. 

Rave: I loved the diamond formation in the backfield.  NDSU has ran this look for a few years and have enjoyed great success out of it.  The few drives when SDSU used this look, Minnesota was completely lost.  I would have liked to see this formation on the final drive of the game.  The Gophers were completely lost in their communication against this set and the Jacks seemed to be equally effective running and passing out of it. 

Rant: Minnesota fans were pretty pitiful for a few reasons.  One, I got a lot of weird looks for cheering.  Not obnoxious cheering but just general cheering after a nice play.  Two, they boo'd their team at the end of the third quarter during the season opener.  Three, the stadium was 2/3 empty by the middle of the 4th quarter of a one point game.  It was bizarre. 

Rave: I think a play of the game that may be underrated is Mikey Daniel's tackle after Ben Dinkel's 55 yard punt.  If he doesn't make that play, Minnesota may have had a huge return.

Rant: The two holding penalties that negated touchdowns were indeed penalties.  The kick return holding was ticky-tack but I can certainly see what caused the flag to come out.  The downfield penalty on Strong's touchdown reception was unnecessary as I think Pierre would have still found the endzone.  I appreciate the effort by the players but I'd love to see them play just a bit smarter.

Rave: The touchdown drive after the pick-6 was beautiful.  The Jacks marched 92 yards in 10 plays and took 4:38 off the clock.  I was blown away by this drive as it felt like the wheels were starting to come off.  Then, the defense came out and got a stop (big tackle by Gardner, drop by Tyler Johnson, sack by Earith) and the offense proceeded to score another TD to take the lead at 21-20.

Rant: It was really nice to have the athleticism and power of Matt Clark back on the field.  However, I hope he can gain some consistency on his snaps.  Besides the snap that rolled on the ground, there were a handful of others that were really slow getting back to Gibbs. 

Rave: The 3rd quarter, outside of the pick-6 was one of the best quarters of Jackrabbit football that I have ever seen.  Total yards were 191 to 20.  Great quarter of football!

Rave: I love carrying two kickers on the travel roster in Vinatieri and Cole Frahm.  Having a fresh leg to ensure a touchback in the 2nd half is an awesome idea that limits the potential of a game turning special teams return.

Rant: As good as Coach Eck's play calling was for most of the game, I didn't love the play calls on the final drive.  Hindsite is 20-20 but I think he would say the same thing.  Overall, I loved the creativity that he showed and the variety of formations that he used.  This is going to be a high octane and powerful offense again in 2019!

Game Balls

Offense: Aron Johnson
I already talked about him but what an impressive showing for the sophomore.  Coughlin is one of the better BIG 10 defensive players and Johnson eliminated him and was part of a #605Hogs unit that kept Gibbs clean and paved the way in the running game for an impressive 5.1 ypc average.

Defense: Christian Rozeboom
As usual, Rozeboom was everywhere.  He finished with 7 tackles and a tackle for loss.  However, I think these stats only tell half the story as he was constantly around the ball.  In the run game he really plugged alot of holes that forced the Gophore running backs to look for options elsewhere.

Go Jacks!
Matt