Desperation Setting In? Here Come the Huskies: NIU @ Minnesota Preview

If this week's game preview post title seems a bit cocksure, don't misinterpret.  Desperation is indeed looming, and could set in fully if Northern Illinois beats us at home.  And the NIU Huskies are a pretty decent MAC team with a pretty decent quarterback (more on him later) that could easily send this season into a nightmarish death spiral. A decent that might not even be slowed by the winning of a few 'trinket games' later in the year.

And as if this game wasn't enough for the team to focus on, now there seems to be an undercurrent of dissent among at least one player.  WR/KR Troy Stoudemire made it public by his recent Facebook declaration that he is no longer a Gopher.  One assumes this was caused by Brewster's indefinite suspension of Troy for 'conduct detrimental to the team'.  The team has said nothing officially about Stoudemire's departure, and apparently he's not yet spoken to the staff formally about leaving 'the U'.  Maybe he's just blowing off steam over the internets?  If so, its too bad he missed the halftime public service announcement at last week's USC game about 'going to far' with social networking.

Whatever the case, the loss of our #3 receiver and top kick return man shouldn't be our primary concern going into this game.  That honor goes to Husky QB, Chandler Harnish.  Harnish, who wasn't the Week 1 game starter under center, lost the QB battle to DeMarcus Grady in training camp.  But after a rough 3 INT opener at Iowa State and a wacky low-angle throwing motion, Harnish was given the start in Week 2 vs. UND.  No stranger to starting, Harnish has led the Huskies at QB in 18 games over the last 2 years. And in just two games this seasonb(UND and Illinois), the junior QB rolled up some impressive numbers -- 350 yards in the air and nearly 300 on the ground.  Uh oh - dual threat QB. Dante Warren, but with more experience, comes to mind.  And that smells like trouble.  I presume this time around we'll actually gameplan for a QB with legs.  Perhaps worst of all, he sort of has that bad-ass, focused, football-is-my-life, Eric Decker-esque look to him.  Great.

Chandler Harnish means business

Harnish is not alone in the backfield either, as he can turn around and hand the ball to Chad Spann, a 5'9" 198 lb senior halfback.  Spann has averaged nearly 80 yards per game, and already broke a 79 TD this season.  Statistically, none of the Husky receivers stand out - none have even 100 yards receiving thru 3 games, so Harnish is doing a nice job spreading the ball around, but his wheels are the bigger concern.  Its clear then, that stopping Harnish and Spann will be paramount if a Gopher win is to occur.  To many 6-7 yard runs on 1st or 2nd down will put the Gopher defense in a bad spot, and allow the Huskies to keep the D off-balance, keeping them guessing if Harnish will be throwing or running in short down and distances.  Watching some of Harnish's highlights from the Illini game, they have some designed QB runs that look very effective, and some short delayed passing routes over the middle that will keep our linebackers busy.

The NIU defense has allowed fewer yards than their offense has gained, but that hasn't translated into wins for them.  They have been gashed for 175 yards per game on the ground, and look like they could be a team susceptible to the Gopher's run game.  Illinois racked up over 300 yards on the ground last week, so that bodes well for us and controlling the clock.

I have little faith that our defense will be disciplined enough to stop Harnish all game, and so I think the key this week lies in keeping him off the field by dominating the time of possession.  If the offensive line can play well and Bennett is back and healthy, this is the most likely route to victory for the Gophers.

This Saturday's game is an opportunity for the Gophers to get up off the ground, dust off our pants, wipe the blood of our nose, and play like a real Big Ten team.  That means putting down the Huskies with the same type of ball-control offense we saw versus the Blue Raiders in the opener.  Make no mistake though, NIU was a preseason pick to win the MAC West division and are eager to beat a big conference opponent before moving on to their conference schedule.  They also have a recently infirmed coach to play for and rally around.  Coach Jerry Kill was recently hospitalized for dehydration, and also had an undisclosed surgery earlier in the season, though he will be on the sidelines of TCF Bank Stadium this Saturday night.

Originally, I had called for this game to be the let-down loss on the schedule, after stealing a win from USC.  Obviously, that scenario didn't play out.  But based on the Chandler Harnish film I watched this week, I am still VERY skeptical that we can win this game.  Harnish looks to be a dangerous player, the kind that our defense may not be experienced enough to stop.  If the RB Spann was the focal point of the NIU offense, I'd be much more confident.  Unfortunately he is not, and Harnish will likely shred us as he can pass on the run, or just tuck it and take off with deceptive speed and good vision.  Ball control with Bennett, Eskeridge, and Kirkwood is needed to limit Harnish's touches. Can the Gophs control the clock for 45 minutes out of 60 again to gain the victory? I fear not.

Prediction: Minnesota 24, Northern Illinois 31

Gopher Player of the Game: Duane Bennett - 24 carries for 145 yards and 2 TDs

Huskie Player of the Game: Chandler Harnish - 15 carries for 110 yards rushing and 2 TDs, 14-20 for 120 yards and 2 TDs