Sure-handed tackling has been a big part of Gophers’ defensive success

The sport is known in the United States as football, but sometimes it’s referred to as “tackle football” to differentiate it from other versions. That adjective also gets to the heart of the matter of what’s happening on the field. Defensive players must tackle the opposing ballcarriers to the ground, or force them out of bounds, to end a play.

With that in mind, the Gophers have taken tackle football literally this year. According to Pro Football Focus, through two games this season, Gophers defensive players have combined to miss only three tackles. That’s a remarkably low total through 81 combined plays run by the offenses of Buffalo and Northwestern State, and it was a coaching priority all offseason through training camp.

By comparison, the Gophers missed 22 tackles in their 19-17 loss in the 2024 season opener against North Carolina, by former defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman’s estimation.

“It’s something we’ve been emphasizing all offseason, in camp and the first couple of weeks of the season, and it’s something we’re going to continue to emphasize,” said Maverick Baranowski, who is tied for the team lead of 11 tackles with fellow linebacker Devon Williams. “We start every practice with a tackling circuit. We practice hard, and we practice tackling all week. You get what you emphasize, and we’re going to continue to emphasize that and continue to tackle well.”

The Gophers likely will need more of the sure hands and hard hits when they face California on Saturday night in Berkeley, Calif. The Golden Bears feature true freshman quarterback Jeron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who has passed for 593 yards and three touchdowns in victories over Oregon State and Texas Southern.

“He doesn’t play like a freshman,” Gophers defensive coordinator Danny Collins said. “He’s really comfortable back there. It looks like he’s been running their offense for a lot of years. Very confident young man — a mature guy who leads that football team."

The Golden Bears have other weapons, too, including running back Kendrick Raphael, who has rushed for 159 yards at 6.1 yards per carry this season; and top wide receivers Trond Grizzell (seven catches, 115 yards, one TD) and Jacob De Jesus (10 catches, 87 yards).

Saturday night’s game will serve as a better test for the Gophers defense than the first two games of the season. By giving up a combined 10 points to Buffalo and Northwestern State, the Gophers can boast the No. 1-ranked team in total defense (96.5 yards allowed per game) and passing defense (65), the No. 3 rushing defense (31.5) and a scoring defense that’s tied for sixth (5.0 points allowed per game).

A veteran line, led by end Anthony Smith and tackle Deven Eastern, set the tone for dominant defensive performances so far. If the defense can get to Sagapolutele early, that will be all the better.

“It’s very competitive,” Eastern said of the defensive line starters, a group that also includes tackle Jalen Logan-Redding and end Jaxon Howard. “When you’ve got four guys that are hungry for it, want to go out there and make plays, it only makes you a better player. It makes everyone on the ‘D’ line a better player.”

Against Northwestern State, the Gophers scored two defensive touchdowns. The first came on the first play from scrimmage when cornerback John Nestor jumped a route and returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown. The second TD belonged to the linebacker work of Baranowski and Matt Kingsbury. Baranowski punched the ball out of the hands of running back Zay Davis, and Kingsbury scooped it up and raced 25 yards for a touchdown. Garrison Monroe added another forced fumble in the second quarter, which Kingsbury recovered, leading to a Minnesota field goal.

“Good things happen when you run to the ball,” Baranowski said, “and Kingsbury always runs to the ball.”