It was supposed to be better than this.

The Gophers football team had four straight home games to start the 2024 season — a first since 1987 — and all four were winnable.

Instead, Minnesota sits at 2-2, 0-1 in Big Ten play, heading into arguably its toughest game of the season: at 12th-ranked Michigan in the Little Brown Jug game at 11 a.m. Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The Gophers roster is filled with veterans who should have raised their record to at least 3-1, if not 4-0, at the one-third mark of the season. Among the top 15 players in snap counts on offense and defense, a total of 14 are in either their last year of eligibility or are expected to be NFL Draft picks next spring.

On offense, that includes starting quarterback Max Brosmer, top two wideouts Daniel Jackson and Elijah Spencer and the team’s best three linemen in Aireontae Ersery, Tyler Cooper and Quinn Carroll.

On defense, that elder group includes its top two defensive ends in Jah Joyner and Danny Striggow, its clear-cut best linebacker in Cody Lindenberg and a trio of its foremost defensive backs in Justin Walley, Jack Henderson and Ethan Robinson.

Going into the season, eighth-year head coach P.J. Fleck rightfully touted how all eligible returning starters were, in fact, coming back (besides quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis). This was an offseason victory for the U and its name, image and likeness (NIL) collective, Dinkytown Athletes.

But that group — including what might be the Gophers’ deepest draft class ever — has not produced enough fruit through four games, and the depth of Fleck’s team still has holes.

Given Las Vegas’ over/under win total set for the U at 5 1/2 wins, victories through this point in September appear crucial to reach bowl eligibility with six wins come December.

This is most concerning along the offensive and defensive lines, which were widely viewed in preseason the team’s best two positions groups. But the U’s inability to run the ball on offense or consistently stop it on defense are why they lost to North Carolina 19-17 in the season opener and fell 31-14 to rival Iowa last Saturday.

Both U specialists — punter Mark Crawford and kicker Dragan Kesich — are gone after this year. And Kesich will want back his last-second field goal miss against the Tar Heels.

The right side of the U offensive line rotated from veteran Martes Lewis to redshirt sophomore Ashton Beers at guard and sophomore center Greg Johnson is still getting his bearings at a new position. Meanwhile, the interior of the U defensive line misses departed tackle Kyler Baugh in the middle and Joyner hasn’t been as disruptive as expected off the edge.

Minnesota brought in 12 transfers before the season and not enough have been contributors. Brosmer, Robinson and running back Marcus Major have been assets, but others haven’t produced or are proving more developmental. Leading the wanting-more list are receiver Cristian Driver and nickleback Jai’Onte’ McMillan. Notably, the Gophers did not bring in a defensive tackle via the transfer portal.

The Gophers’ safeties might have been the most concerning position group going into the season. They played well for the most part in the nonconference slate, producing a handful of interceptions, but their lack of execution was a hinge point in the Hawkeyes loss.

Darius Green, the U’s most-experienced safety, had a particularly rough outing against Iowa. He was supposed to be a steadying veteran in the back end of the U secondary. Instead, he serves as a contributing anecdote of what can happen when the U’s best players don’t play their best.

Related Articles

Gophers football at Michigan: Keys to game, how to watch and who has edge

Gophers men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson shares some truth about NCAA transfer portal

Gov. Tim Walz to attend Gophers-Michigan football game Saturday in Ann Arbor

Gophers football: P.J. Fleck’s big buyout provides job security

Gophers football: ‘I-O-W-A!’ chant echoes in Huntington Bank Stadium