The turnaround was so sudden and so striking — and let's be honest, so completely out of nowhere — that attempting to explain it felt like an assault on common sense.
The Gophers fielded one of the worst defenses in college football last season … until they became a brick wall.
Yes, P.J. Fleck fired his defensive coordinator once the elevator hit rock bottom, but it still seems strange that an in-season coordinator change could have that kind of impact.
Like a flip of a light switch, a unit that couldn't tackle or cover started tackling and covering. Once discombobulated and emotionally comatose, the defense displayed cohesion and a sense of purpose under interim coordinator Joe Rossi, who got the permanent gig in a move that was less suspenseful than a 5-year-old choosing chicken nuggets for lunch.
Now for the follow-up act. Time to find out if that four-game flourish to close 2018 becomes a starting point for a new season.
The defense returns some familiar names — Carter Coughlin, Thomas Barber, Antoine Winfield Jr. — but there are questions to be answered elsewhere. How will the rebuilt interior line hold up? Who will emerge in the secondary? Can it generate more pass rush?
Barring a rash of injuries, the offense should score lots of points. The defense likely will determine whether the Gophers emerge as contenders in the Big Ten West and continue to ascend in Fleck's third season.
"We're right where we need to be," Rossi said this week in advance of Thursday's opener against South Dakota State.