1. Victory, not style, was coach P.J. Fleck's aim
Riding a three-game losing streak, the Gophers needed a victory on Saturday to prevent their season from spiraling out of control. To do so, coach P.J. Fleck went to his bread-and-butter: a punishing run game behind Mohamed Ibrahim. Minnesota ran the ball on 53 of its 74 offensive plays, grinding out 253 yards on the ground at 4.8 yards per carry. Ibrahim had 36 of those carries for 159 yards and three scores. The offensive flavor might have been vanilla, but it provided a needed taste of victory.
2. Tanner Morgan efficiently managed the game
With quarterback Tanner Morgan coming off a concussion, Fleck kept him out of harm's way with safe throws, with none traveling more than 20 yards in the air. Morgan went 14-for-21 for 122 yards, and 17 of his passes were 10 yards or fewer or behind the line of scrimmage. On the Gophers' two first-half touchdown drives, Morgan went 7-for-9 for 91 yards.
3. Cody Lindenberg came to play
In the 2020 season opener, linebacker Cody Lindenberg made his first career start as the Gophers lost 49-24 to Michigan. He was limited to three games in 2021 because of a foot injury. On Saturday, he made his first start, collecting five tackles, including one for loss, against Rutgers. "Being able to learn from Coach [Joe] Rossi and especially older guys like [Mariano] Sori-Marin in the room has helped me tremendously,'' Lindenberg said.
4. Tyler Nubin is playing at a high level
Gophers safety Tyler Nubin continues to be one of the top defensive backs in the Big Ten. On Saturday, the fourth-year junior intercepted two passes and made three tackles. He ranks second on the team with 35 tackles and leads the Gophers with three interceptions. "It's slowed down a lot for me and, that's a testament to my coaches putting me in the right positions,'' Nubin said.
5. There's still much to play for
A loss to Rutgers and a four-game losing would have been disastrous for the Gophers. They took care of business with a dominant victory, and now need to be sharp at Nebraska. With four games remaining, the Gophers (5-3, 2-3 Big Ten) still could get to 9-3 and reach a decent bowl game. Barring an Illinois collapse, the Big Ten West title seems out of reach, but there still are trophy games against Iowa and Wisconsin to close the season.
