Gophers lagging in QB sacks

Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter felt pressure and rolled to his right, looking for an open receiver. Positioned near the Gophers sideline, Painter waited and waited and waited for what seemed like an eternity before throwing the ball away.

That play last week served as a snapshot for Minnesota's struggles in getting to the quarterback through four games. They got enough pressure to force Painter out of the pocket, but they couldn't close the deal with a sack.

So far, the Gophers have collected only three sacks, the fewest in the Big Ten. Only four teams in Division I-A have managed fewer sacks. Moreover, no team nationally has faced more pass attempts than the Gophers at 199, meaning the Gophers have had more opportunities for sacks than anyone else.

Things won't get easier Saturday against an Ohio State offense that has allowed only four sacks, third fewest in the Big Ten. (The Gophers rank second with only three sacks allowed).

"I don't think we're really going to change anything," defensive tackle Eric Small said. "We work on pass rush every week. It just hasn't been working as well as we thought it would, but we're not going to abandon what we've been trying to do. We just have to get more sacks, simple as that."

It's not from a lack of effort. The Gophers have used different personnel, schemes and blitz packages. They have tried just about everything to get pressure on the quarterback, but it hasn't resulted in sacks.

"The thing you can't do is get so obsessed with [getting sacks] that you don't do what you're supposed to do," defensive line coach Tim Cross said. "You're flailing away and not going where you're supposed to go. You have to keep being relentless and they'll come."

The Gophers posted 25 sacks last season, including 10 by defensive end Willie VanDeSteeg, whose sack total was the most by a sophomore in school history and ranked third in the Big Ten. VanDeSteeg has yet to collect a sack this season.

"I'm not happy with my [performance]," he said.

VanDeSteeg makes no excuses, but he has several factors working against him. Opposing offenses are well aware of his success last season and pass-rushing ability so they often slide protection his way.

VanDeSteeg also is playing with a cast on his right arm after suffering a broken hand three weeks ago. VanDeSteeg acknowledged the cast is a "factor" but he doesn't use that as an excuse.

"It's not frustrating at all because I'm still getting some pressure, still doing some things," he said. "I can still make some moves. But when they do this quick [passing] stuff it gets more frustrating because if you do beat your man, [the quarterback] is already getting rid of the ball."

Teams have employed a lot of three-step drops and quick-hitting pass plays against the Gophers this season, which limit sack opportunities. But other defenses face similar schemes too.

The Gophers felt they made progress last week. Gophers coach Tim Brewster said his defense got pressure on Painter and made him feel uncomfortable at times, although they didn't record a sack.

With a secondary that is young and thin in talent, the Gophers must be able to pressure the quarterback to keep him from establishing a rhythm. If that happens, they believe sacks will come.

"We can make plays," VanDeSteeg said. "There's no doubt about that. We just have to keep fighting. We just have to grind and grind and grind and see what happens."

Chip Scoggins • ascoggins@startribune.com