P.J. Fleck shouldn't treat Gophers passing game as an afterthought this season

Tanner Morgan threw 19 passes in the season opener, which was his exact average attempts per game in the 2021 season when the Gophers finished ahead of only three service academies in allowing the quarterback to use his arm.

Don't worry. This won't be a case of déjà vu of that odd offensive imbalance.

The Gophers didn't need to throw the ball to trample overmatched New Mexico State last week. Nor does coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca need to unveil his entire playbook against FCS member Western Illinois on Saturday. Expect another heavy dose of run, run, run, run.

Eventually, the Gophers will be forced to rely on their passing game, and unlike last season, this shouldn't become an unrealized theory. They have a savvy play-caller with Ciarrocca back running the operation, a quarterback who has started 40 games and enough playmakers at receiver and tight end to avoid treating their passing game as an inconvenience or afterthought.

"When you look at it," P.J. Fleck said, "it's more well-rounded than we've had in the past."

Fleck will never deviate from his offensive identity as an old-school, run-the-ball-down-their-throats coach. A robust passing game isn't an outlandish concept, though.

The passing game offered so little production last season that the formula essentially became Chris Autman-Bell or bust. A combination of limited receiver options, zero creativity in scheme and lack of trust from coaches in the passing game made the offense one-handed.

It's easy to overreact to one game, but the opener last week provided some encouraging developments. Ten players caught a pass, notable since there were only 16 completions total. Three tight ends combined for five receptions. Yes, tight ends. That's not a misprint.

Ciarrocca showed his sense of humor by calling a 2019 playbook staple — RPO slant — on the first offensive play in his return. Morgan hit Autman-Bell for a 15-yard gain.

He called a pass on the second play too: a 26-yard completion to Michael Brown-Stephens.

Ciarrocca made the congregation shout "Hallelujah" by incorporating the tight ends after that position group accounted for only 30 catches in 13 games a year ago.

"It makes the play-calling more diverse," Fleck said. "It gives you the ability to be way more balanced. This style of offense with the personnel we have, as of today, gives us ability to do a lot of different things."

Two players loom as X factors in determining how the offense evolves: receiver Dylan Wright and tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford.

Those two possess high-end physical and athletic traits. They create matchup problems for defenders. The onus is on them individually and the coaching staff to maximize their advantages.

Fleck routinely lauds Wright's work ethic and dedication to improving at his craft. It's a matter of being consistent in every facet, which was reinforced in the opener when Wright dropped a pass.

Wright showed flashes of his big-play talent last season. His challenge is to turn flashes into reliability. If that happens, defenses won't be able to shift so much attention to Autman-Bell in coverage.

Spann-Ford is impossible to miss on the field at 6-7 and 270 pounds, which makes his statistical resume a head scratcher. He finished third on the team in catches last season with 23, but that equated to less than two catches per game. That's unacceptable usage for a player that physically gifted.

Morgan connected with Spann-Ford on a 20-yard completion last week off a scramble that resulted in what Morgan described as a "cat-and-mouse game" with the linebacker. Spann-Ford was the No. 2 option in his progression. Morgan made the correct read.

"There are a lot of guys on the field who can go and make plays for you," Morgan said, "which is a huge help for our offense and obviously for me."

The notion of offensive balance is relative because it will never be 50-50 between run and pass under Fleck. But the ratio shouldn't get so out of whack this season, with the receiving options available. Treat the passing game as an asset and it could turn into that.