Minnesota Golden Gophers 2010 Season Preview/Prediction
The College Football season may be 5-6 weeks away but our man Kyle Hunter has been deep in study and will provide his take and 2010 College Football Predictions on as many NCAA teams as he can before the 2010/11 season kicks off.
We start from the top and move our way down so keep checking in for more college football previews for the 2010-2011 NCAA Football Season!
2010 NCAA Football Predictions – Teams | Analysis | Previews Online
Big Ten 2010-2011 Football Previews: Minnesota Golden Gophers
Coach: Tim Brewster
2009 Record: 6-7
Minnesota Gambling Odds from Sportsbook.com to win BCS: +5000
After a 7-1 start in 2008 it appeared Tim Brewster had really turned things around for the Golden Gophers. Minnesota lost their final five games that year, and then turned in a bit of a disappointing 6-7 campaign last season. The Golden Gophers offense took some big backward steps last season, although injuries were certainly part of the problem.
The Golden Gophers averaged the least amount of yards per game, and the least amount of points per game of any team in the Big Ten in 2009.
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The offense returns all of its starters except for two, while the defense only returns two starters. The defense was improved last season, but now it is time to retool. In order for the Gophers to stay out of the bottom of the Big Ten, they’ll need the defense to exceed expectations.
Team Strengths:
The team is set at the quarterback spot with senior Adam Weber and sophomore MarQueis Gray. Weber has the starting spot and is a very adequate player, but I fully expect Gray to get some more playing time and prove a nice playmaker at quarterback. In fact, the Golden Gophers rank among the best in the Big Ten as far as depth at the signal caller position. 
The defensive tackles may be new starters, but Kirksey and Edwards are both big guys who have played quite a bit and are solid players.
The middle linebacker spot is also looking like a strength, so Minnesota could be able to clog up the middle quite well on defense.
Team Weaknesses:
The Golden Gophers are definitely hurting at the wide receiver spot. Eric Decker was a great one and he is in the NFL now. Minnesota is pretty thin at this position, and it could be difficult for Weber and Gray to find a top target on the outside.
The secondary could be a real concern as they are breaking in a lot of new players. The Big Ten has turned into more of a pass oriented league and all these young guys could struggle to keep the opposition at bay.
The running game is a real weakness for Minnesota. Last season they averaged a paltry 99 yards per game on the ground, last in the Big Ten. The production from the offensive line and running backs must be much better for them to get out of the bottom of this conference.
2010-2011 Minnesota Football Prediction: 4-8
The Golden Gophers defense won’t be one of the worst in the Big Ten, but the offense won’t be very good. The out of conference schedule is tough, and they don’t miss any of the best teams in conference either.
The Golden Gophers won’t be very good this year, but the schedule will keep them from reaching six wins. Expect it to be a long year for Tim Brewster and company.
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