The jet sweep seemed like a transformative play for the Gophers last season. Offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover used it as part of a diverse game plan against Nebraska, with Donovahn Jones rushing four times for 42 yards. Jones finished the year with 16 carries for 73 yards.

This year, the Gophers haven't used the jet near as much. Jones has two rushes for 13 yards. Last week, offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover explained.

"Well I think it's with a lot of things," he said. "I look back in the NFL a couple of years ago, the wildcat [formation] was popular," he said. "The Dolphins were doing it, and eventually people catch up and do their homework. The jet sweep package is good at times, but you can't make your living in that. You've got to pick your spots.

"We try and find a couple of spots each game, or a couple of formations, that we can do it out of. But the defenses have caught up with some of that stuff. They see those things happening and can react quicker.

"If you look at the teams that have had success over the last couple of years -- you know, watching Wisconsin play Northwestern, I don't know if they actually handed the ball on a jet action. They maybe did it once with Melvin Gordon as a fake. It's getting harder to find those spots where [defenses] can't read and react.

"It's just like the zone read in the NFL or wildcat. People catch up with you so you got to get ahead of the curve and find that next thing that will keep them off balance."