- [UPDATED October 17, 2010] After losing six straight games and having a 1-6 record, Head Coach Tim Brewster was fired in the middle of his 4th season at Minnesota. Offensive Coordinator Jeff Horton will serve as interim head coach the remainder of the season.
- This is Quarterback Adam Weber’s 4th year as a starter (although Brewster made him fight for the job during practices this spring). Weber is the career passing leader at Minnesota, but last year they did away with the SPREAD OFFENSE and he struggled. His completion percentage went down by an entire 10%, from a very respectable 62% to a terrible 52%! And his rushing yards decreased significantly. His -133 yards rushing (yes, that’s negative 133 yards) were a far cry from the 617 he put up two years prior as a redshirt freshman in 2007.
- What happened to their running game? Minnesota used to produce some of the most dominating rushing offenses in the nation, but lately that unit has been on the decline. Their 99 rushing yards per game were last in the Big Ten (111th in the nation) as were their scoring and total offenses.
- The good news is that they have a large, experienced Offensive Line this year that should help turn their ground game around. One excuse for last year’s terrible performance is that Brewster switched schemes (ironically to become more of a power running offense) and the line had to deal with adapting to that change as well as injuries. Furthermore, this is the team’s third Offensive Coordinator in three years.
- In contrast to their experienced offense, their defense is young and inexperienced. With just two starters returning (both safeties) they could really struggle this year.
- Their 2010 schedule is tough, with the only upside being that they face USC, Northwestern, Penn State, Ohio State and Iowa at home.
Minnesota 2010
September 1, 2010 by
