3 things the Gophers learned Saturday
Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks remain potent
Smith had two carries for 18 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown. Brooks had two carries for 12 yards. That was all P.J. Fleck needed to see from those two standouts.
The backup running backs are strong, too
Kobe McCrary managed only 19 yards on seven carries, but three of those brought first downs in short-yardage situations. Jonathan Femi-Cole had eight carries for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
The young offensive linemen are resilient
With just five healthy offensive linemen, Donnell Greene, Bronson Dovich, Conner Olson, Quinn Oseland and Nick Connelly had to take every single rep Saturday, just as they did for most of camp.
3 questions that remain
Can this team get healthy?
Twenty-two Gophers needed surgery after last season. Three starting offensive linemen — Vincent Calhoun, Garrison Wright and Jared Weyler – and starting tight end Brandon Lingen are among those expected back for fall camp.