Analysis: Gophers coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. puts the offense in position to succeed

Greg Harbaugh Jr. worked his first season as the primary play-caller for the Gophers in 2023, and as first impressions go … let’s just say it was a work in progress.

The Gophers ranked 126th of the 134 FBS teams in passing offense at 143.4 yards per game. Their completion percentage of 52.6 was 123rd. And they averaged 20.9 points per game, which ranked 110th. It added up to a 5-7 regular-season record that was capped by an 0-4 November. They landed in a bowl based on their lofty Academic Progress Rate.

A year later, and Harbaugh, the team’s co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, is rewriting the story. The Gophers have a legitimate passing attack, and one that’s become the strength of their offense. They’re passing for 83 yards more per game than they did last year, completing 68.8% of those throws and are scoring seven points more per contest.

The main reason for the improvement, of course, is the quarterback. Max Brosmer, a graduate transfer, started for three years at New Hampshire, and last year he was one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Award, given to the top player in FCS. He replaced Athan Kaliakmanis, who in 2023 was a redshirt sophomore in his first year as a starter.

Harbaugh, though, deserves his share of the credit for helping identify Brosmer as the quarterback the Gophers needed and developing game plans in which he’s excelling.

Take Saturday’s 48-23 victory over Maryland, for example. Brosmer had his best game as a Gopher, completing 26 of 33 passes for 320 yards and four touchdowns as Minnesota built a 24-0 lead. He distributed the ball to seven different targets, led a highly efficient field-goal drive in the final 28 seconds of the first half and squelched any chance of a Terrapins rally by throwing his fourth TD pass on the first possession of the second half. Brosmer received an outstanding 93.3 grade from Pro Football Focus, his best of the season.

Gophers coach P.J. Fleck credited Brosmer for his play and the offensive line for allowing no sacks nor quarterback hurries. And he didn’t forget about the play-caller.

Harbaugh often speaks of his relationship with Brosmer as a partnership. They collaborate on the game plan, and there’s give and take when needed.

“It’s fun to be in there when he’s game-planning,” Brosmer said. “Sometimes you’re like: ‘Dude, where are you going with that? I have no idea what you’re saying.’ He’s seeing some random stuff on film, and I’m not seeing it. I’m like: ‘Dude, I have no idea what we’re talking about. It’s like you’re speaking Spanish.’ Then a day later, he’s like, ‘All right, I finally got it down to what I’m trying to say.’ He’ll teach it to you in a way that makes sense, and that’s what he’s really good at.”

That teaching is apparent in Brosmer’s improving play. Early in the season, he had games with completion percentages of 61.9%, 61.5% and 59.5% and three TD passes and three interceptions combined. In the past three games — comeback wins over then-No. 11 USC and UCLA, plus the rout of Maryland — he has completed 75.3% of his passes for 682 yards and six TDs with no interceptions.

The Gophers improved to 5-3 with the win over Maryland, and they begin a regular season-ending stretch of three road games among the final four Saturday at No. 24 Illinois. Then it’s off to Rutgers for a meeting with Kaliakmanis, a home game against No. 3 Penn State after their second bye week and a trip to Wisconsin to finish.

They will enter November with the knowledge that their passing game is in good hands — both at quarterback and coordinator.