UCLA Football Preview: Minnesota's Offense Looks Like They are Underutilizing Max Brosmer
The Gophers run the ball more than they pass, which is odd considering how Brosmer threw the ball at New Hampshire.
As Bruin fans, we are already too familiar with how terrible the UCLA offense has been all season. The Bruins are ranked 127th in the nation out of 133 teams in total offense.
The good news is that Minnesota’s offense isn’t much better than UCLA’s. The Golden Gophers are ranked 109th in the country in total offense.
The bad news, though, is that Minnesota has scored 18 touchdowns to the Bruins’ five. That is an absolutely huge gap. Considering that the Gophers have played six games already this year, it means they are averaging three offensive touchdowns per game while UCLA’s offense is still averaging just one per game.
On its face, that would seem to indicate that the Bruins may lose again this weekend, but UCLA should have a fighting chance this weekend and shouldn’t get beaten as badly as they did in any of the last three games.
The Gophers are a well-balanced offense. They throw the ball almost as much as they run it. Through six games, they have run it 51.4% of the time and they have scored 11 touchdowns on the ground versus just seven through the air.
Let’s look at the Golden Gophers’ offensive personnel.
Quarterback
Sixth-year senior Max Brosmer joined the Golden Gophers this season as a grad transfer from New Hampshire. His stats from New Hampshire were impressive. In 2023, he led the FCS in passing yards (3,464), passing yards per game (313.55) and total offense (325.0 yards/game). He was also ranked second in passing touchdowns (29), points responsible for (208) and points responsible for per game (18.9) while also being ranked fourth in completions per game (26.64).
So, it’s a bit surprising to see that he went to Minnesota which isn’t a pass-heavy offense, but maybe, he chose the school for either academic purposes, i.e. the graduate program he is studying in is a very good program, or maybe Minnesota as the best offer he had for playing another season of college football.
Either way, he will be the starting QB for the Golden Gophers on Saturday.
This season, he’s completed 67.63% of his passes for 1263 yards. That means his passing yards per game has dropped by about a third to 210.5. At the halfway point in the season, he’s thrown just six touchdown passes, an average of one per game). So, his passing touchdowns look like they will drop off significantly from last season.
It also looks like his number of interceptions will increase this year compared to last year. Last season, he threw just five interceptions all year with the Wildcats. He’s already thrown four this year for the Gophers.
Of course, there are all sorts of reasons as to why he may not be putting up stats like he did last year. His supporting cast of receivers may not be as good as the guys he was throwing to last season. The level of competition at the FBS level is almost certainly tougher than it was with an FCS school. It could be that the coaching staff isn’t calling plays which would let him show off his arm in the same way the New Hampshire staff did. I’m sure there are more reasons for the differences.
In fact, another reason could be the quality of his offensive line. While he’s gained 81 yards on the ground, he’s also lost 90, giving him minus-nine net rushing yards. That’s likely due to being sacked by opposing defenses. Opposing defenses have sacked Minnesota quarterbacks 14 times for a total of 86 yards lost. It doesn’t appear that backup QB Lindsey Drake has lost any rushing yards. So, I’m guessing that Brosmer is the one who has been sacked all 14 times.
Passing Game
Brosmer’s favorite target has been redshirt senior Daniel Jackson. He has made 32 receptions for 362 yards, but he’s still only scored one touchdown.
Brosmer second favorite target is sophomore running back Darius Taylor. Taylor has made 26 receptions for 206 yards and a touchdown. He is averaging more receiving yards per game than any other Minnesota receiver except for Jackson.
Redshirt senior Elijah Spencer has been another one of Brosmer’s frequent receivers. Spencer has caught 19 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown. It’s worth nothing that no Gopher receiver has caught more than one touchdown yet this season.
The only other Gopher with more than ten receptions this year is Oklahoma grad transfer Marcus Major who has 12 receptions for 108 yards, though redshirt junior Le'Meke Brockington whose 154 yards on eight catches makes him the only other receiver with more than 100 receiving yards.
Rushing Game
Taylor and Major make up Minnsota’s one-two punch at running back. Taylor is the team’s starting running back. Against Iowa, the Gophers started both Taylor and Major instead of a third receiver or second tight end, but they’ve started a third receiver in three of their six games.
This season, Taylor has gained 402 net yards on 73 rushing attempts for an average of 5.5 yards per carry. Major has carried 49 times for 205 rushing yards, giving him an average of 4.2 yards per carry. So, there isn’t a very big difference between the two, but Taylor is definitely the guy the Gophers will give it to more often, and he is certainly the choice at the goal line, given that he’s scored five rushing touchdowns to Major’s two.
The only other Golden Gopher with more than 10 carries is Brosmer who’s carried 42 times. While Brosmer has gained 81 yards on those carries, he’s also lost 90. So, he’s actually lost nine net yards on those 42 carries, which basically neutralizes him as a running threat. That said, I still expect to see him trying to run the ball throughout the game and he will gain some yards that way. Hopefully, the Bruin defense will get to him enough on pass plays to negate any yards he does gain running the ball.
Analysis
Brosmer seems like a bit of a square peg in a round hole. He’s a passer, but Minnesota runs a little more than they pass. When Brosmer does throw, it looks like he moves through his progressions quickly and dumps it off to one of his running backs a lot.
So, the Bruin defense needs to watch out for the running backs coming out of the backfield and getting the ball.
The fact that no Minnesota receiver has caught more than one touchdown yet this year is likely due to a reliance on the run in the red zone. UCLA needs to find a way to stop both Taylor and Major.
If they can do that and the Bruin offense can score more than a touchdown, UCLA may be able to win this game. But that’s a pretty big if.
Go Bruins!
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Well, after Saturday we'll be 1 - 5, the same record as previously 10th ranked Florida State. Ouch.
A Mt. Everest sized if. But then that's why we play the games and not just speculate amirite?