UNC Football: Getting to know the 2024 Minnesota Gophers

Ahead of the UNC football program's clash with Minnesota on opening night, we wanted to provide you all with some in-depth analysis on what Tar Heels fans should expect from the Gophers.

We spoke to Noel Thompson of Gopher Hole about the current state of the Minnesota Gophers. Make sure you follow Thompson on X and check out Gopher Hole's content leading up to the big opening night clash!

Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said that the Gophers have one of the most “underrated home environments in college football.” Why do you think that is, and how could it impact the UNC football program on opening night?

"Nobody will blame you if Huntington Bank Stadium doesn’t come to mind when you think of Big Ten venues and atmospheres. The Big Ten conference has some of the best traditions and venues in all of college football. No doubt the Minnesota football program has taken a huge step in the right direction under P.J. Fleck. Fleck has already established himself as one of the winningest coaches in program history; with that success comes more people in the seats. The university has taken advantage of that by introducing game themes throughout the season. This year they will have a “Gold Out," “Maroon Out,” and “Stripe Out." Like last year against Nebraska, the home opener against North Carolina will be a “Gold Out." The atmosphere was electric last year in their home opener. Once again, the Gophers open their season with a nationally televised night game on a Thursday. I expect this game to be close to a sellout and the atmosphere to be loud. While it isn’t the loudest place in the Big Ten, I think North Carolina will be surprised by the home crowd of the Gophers. It could make an impact."

Like North Carolina, Minnesota struggled down the stretch a season ago. What do you think is the key for them to turn things around this season?

"Consistency and staying healthy. Obviously you have little control over injuries, but the Gophers were down to their third and fourth-string players at linebacker and running back for a good part of the season last year. That certainly made an impact. But if they can be more consistent in the fundamentals of the game, this team has the potential to prove a lot of people wrong this year. The passing game was one of the worst in the Big Ten last year; it was either a bad throw or a bad drop. Goodness, if the passing game can just improve a little bit, this team could be dangerous with the running backs that they have. Inconsistent play at the linebacker position last year led to a lot of missed tackles in the run game and giving up a ton of explosive plays. Now they have their leader back and healthy in linebacker Cody Lindenberg, which should bring some consistency in the linebackers corp."

Like the Tar Heels, Minnesota will feature a new starting quarterback in Max Brosmer. What should UNC football fans expect of Brosmer?

"After having one of the worst passing attacks in the Big Ten last year, the Gophers decided to move on from last year's starter in Athan Kaliakmanis and hit the transfer portal for a veteran playcaller. They were able to get a finalist for the Walton Payton Award, which honors the outstanding offensive college football player in the FCS. In his time at New Hampshire, Brosmer started over 30 games and threw over 8,000 yards. Last year, he led the FCS with 3,498 yards in the air while throwing 29 touchdowns and six interceptions. Brosmer brings exactly what the Gophers need: an experienced game manager who makes good decisions. He is very composed in the pocket and has already established himself as the leader of the offense. Now, how will all of this translate on the FBS level? That is something we will all find out on Thursday."

Darius Taylor is back for his sophomore year, but now the backfield seems to be a two-headed monster with Oklahoma transfer Marcus Major joining the mix. How do you think these two backs complement each other, and do you expect them to essentially split the load in the run game?

"Due to transfers and graduations, Fleck hit the portal extremely hard this past offseason to bolster the depth of his running backs. I’m sure being forced to start your fourth-stringer last year due to injuries also gave him motivation. As you mentioned, Marcus Major comes from Oklahoma and brings plenty of experience. Major has been the talk of fall camp for his play on the field and has really impressed the coaching staff. He runs with more power than Taylor and is more of a physical back. Major is more of an east-west guy, while Taylor is more of a north-south guy. The expectation entering the season is for Major to lighten the load off of Taylor this year. When healthy, Darius Taylor was one of the best tailbacks in the nation last year.

Important note: Darius Taylor’s status for the UNC game is up in the air. Taylor appeared to injure his hamstring during practice on August 13th. P.J. Fleck keeps every injury update/news pretty close to the chest. We won’t know anything until two hours before the game. If Taylor can’t suit up against the Tar Heels, I would expect Major to get the start, with Ohio transfer Sieg Bangura being the next man up."

Again, just like North Carolina, Minnesota has a new defensive coordinator in Corey Hetherman. How will the Gophers' style of play on defense change, and what players should Tar Heels fans keep an eye out for on opening night?

"Schematically, the defense won’t change much as Fleck decided to go a familiar route and hire Hetherman from Rutgers. Fleck spent time under Rutgers coach Greg Schiano. While the base defense will look the same, Hetherman has made it clear that the defense will be more physical. Rossi tended to be more conservative in his blitz packages, whereas Hetherman has been known to have a super aggressive defense in his previous stops.

I really like the defensive line for the Gophers. They lose one starter and return a good amount of talent and experience up front. It starts with defensive ends Jah Joyner and Danny Striggow, who should land on some All-Big Ten teams at the end of the season. In the middle, you have tackles Jalen Logan-Redding and Deven Eastern, who have worked hard in the off-season to improve on their 2023 campaign. The linebackers are led by Cody Lindenberg, who will be playing on Sundays in the future. Justin Walley at cornerback is a name to watch as well."

Playing at home on opening night, what’s your prediction for the upcoming matchup between Minnesota and North Carolina? Additionally, what must Minnesota do to win this game?

"This game is hard to predict. Both teams bring back experience but have new players in important positions.

While the Gophers have their own question marks heading into the season, one thing that is comforting is that Minnesota is experienced and talented in the trenches on both sides of the ball. The offensive line returns four starters, including All-American Aireontae Ersery at left tackle. If Minnesota can win the battle in the trenches, which I think they should, I like their chances in this game. Given that this game is at home at night, I will give the edge to the Gophers. I think the Gophers preseason All-American kicker, Dragan Kesich, will be the X-factor in this game."

Give me Minnesota: 27. North Carolina: 24