Since it's State Fair time, people often offer words of caution about consuming empty calories. You've likely been told countless times that a couple of servings of cotton candy on a stick might not suffice as a balanced meal.
Such was the case Thursday night at Huntington Bank Stadium, when the Gophers opened their football season with a 38-0 dismantling of New Mexico State for their first sugar rush of 2022 — with another scheduled next Saturday against Western Illinois.
In shutting out an FBS team that went 2-10 last year and facing an FCS squad that was 2-9 in 2021, the Gophers aren't digesting opponents with a lot of gristle. What they got Thursday, though, was a fulfilling evening in which they finally could face an opponent, test their internal mettle and feel good about themselves.
That was apparent with the team's offense in general and Tanner Morgan and Kirk Ciarrocca in particular.
Morgan, the sixth-year quarterback, and Ciarrocca, the offensive coordinator in his second Dinkytown go-round, showed that their reunion should be a productive one. Morgan looked comfortable and poised, completing 13 of 19 passes for 174 yards and making things happen with his feet. Ciarrocca's play-calling showed aggression to start and pragmatism throughout as the Gophers amassed 485 yards, including 297 in the run game.
"When you watch him go through his progressions, you could just feel Kirk speaking to him,'' Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said of Morgan. "He looks more poised.''
That was especially true in key situations Thursday. The Gophers converted 11 of 14 third-down situations, and a closer look shows they were even better with Morgan and the first-team offense in the game, going 9-for-10.
Mohamed Ibrahim, who rushed 21 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns, converted all three of his third-down carries, covering 4, 7 and 1 yards, the last for a TD.
