Gophers football has yet to click early in games leading to early deficits and uphill battles that led to losses in Big Ten play.
Minnesota has not scored a touchdown in the first quarter in any of their first five games this season. They have yet to win a conference match since Oct. 28, 2023, when they defeated Michigan State.
Their recent loss to Michigan left Minnesota with a 2-3 overall record (0-2 Big Ten record) with three ranked opponents left on the schedule, including No. 11 USC, No. 7 Penn State and No. 24 Illinois.
The margin of error continues to shrink for Gophers football’s effort to make a bowl game. The Gophers must win four of their last seven games to qualify.
Offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. said the offense is attempting to score touchdowns on every drive.
“The one thing we have to do offensively is quit feeling out how the other team is,” Harbaugh said. “We have to just go, and that’s been a huge emphasis for our guys this week.”
The Gophers punted on each opening drive against all three Power Four opponents they played in 2024.
Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer said starting games fast comes down to players’ mindset.
“We’re waiting too long to get into a rhythm,” Brosmer said. “We have to be able to move from play one, snap one and drive one.”
Brosmer said the offense will go back to the drawing board to figure out how to become more intentional at the start of games.
The three field goals against Nevada and Rhode Island were the only scores in the first quarter. The Gophers’ Power Four opponents this season shut them out in the first 15 minutes of the game.
Head coach P.J. Fleck said the Gophers are not executing well to start games.
“We have a drop here, missed protection, an early fumble, we have something that gets us off our row, our rhythm,” Fleck said.
A hurdle that comes with the Gophers’ early offensive struggles is that the defense has been identical to start games. North Carolina, Iowa and Michigan took touchdown leads to open the scoring against Minnesota.
The problem was extrapolated in Ann Arbor when the Michigan Wolverines jumped out to a 21-0 lead over the Gophers in the first half.
Fleck said if he had the exact answer, he would have stopped the chaos before it got out of hand.
In six straight Big Ten losses, Minnesota allowed 27 or more points. The Gophers host Southern California on Saturday, who average 34.25 points per game through four games, their only loss coming when they scored less than 27 points.
Gophers defensive back Coleman Bryson said Southern California has explosive athletes on the offensive side of the ball.
“Their passing game is dynamic. Their running game is dynamic. But we’re just worried about doing our best job,” Bryson said.
Southern California is totaling 460 yards of offense per game and leads the Big Ten in passing yards per game (316).
The Gophers are winless in the Big Ten and still have three ranked opponents on their schedule.
But as Fleck says, the Gophers must go 1-0 in this championship season against Southern California on Saturday.