Minnesota looks to spread ball around vs. Nevada

Minnesota shut out Rhode Island last week, thanks in large part to a passing attack that used multiple targets, bringing the Golden Gophers to 1-1 for the season.

But for the Golden Gophers to surge past .500 and beyond, coach P.J. Fleck said his team must repeat that approach, starting Saturday against Nevada in Minneapolis.

"That's going to have to be the key for us to have success," Fleck said. "The ability to spread it around. ... For this to work the best it can work, everybody has to be reliable."

Following a disappointing opening loss to North Carolina, Minnesota saw its offense click against Rhode Island. Darius Taylor led the running game with 64 yards, while quarterback Max Brosmer completed 24 of 30 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Brosmer and his understudy, Drake Lindsey, connected with 12 different targets.

Plenty of defensive playmakers emerged for the Golden Gophers, too. Minnesota snagged three interceptions, with Jack Henderson taking his to the end zone for a 25-yard TD in the fourth quarter.

"We have a swarming defense that plays with legal football violence in everything that we do," Fleck said. "And I think that's been the message from Day 1 with our players, and they've responded really well in two games with that."

In addition to staying sound in all three phases of the game, Nevada (1-2) must pare down a recent rash of penalties to stay afloat at Minnesota.

The Wolf Pack were penalized 14 times for 134 yards in last week's 20-17 loss to Georgia Southern, including a pair of personal fouls on consecutive plays late in the opening half.

The sequence led to a Georgia Southern touchdown pass in the closing seconds of the second quarter.

"We've been walking that line," Wolf Pack coach Jeff Choate said. "We crossed the line, and that was the first time it really hurt us. I think that lesson can now be learned in a really tangible way, and we can tighten the screws on them a little bit more because we have evidence, ‘Hey, this can cost us a game.'"

Quarterback Brendon Lewis passed and rushed for a touchdown against Georgia Southern while accounting for 368 yards of total offense, including 271 through the air.

Saturday will mark the first meeting between Nevada and Minnesota. The Wolf Pack are 2-5 against competition from the Big Ten and will aim to improve on a 27-0 loss at Iowa in 2022.

--Field Level Media