After a somewhat disappointing football season to some Gopher fans, Minnesota has finally ended up in a bowl game. And unfortunately, it’s not the Rose Bowl. The Gophers were just one win and a Purdue loss away from clinching a spot in the Big Ten Championship, during the last week of the regular season. And if they proved the playoff committee enough in that game, they could’ve possibly bought themselves a chance to play in the Rose Bowl too. But instead, the Gophers fell to Iowa at home, but later went on to beat Wisconsin on the road. Which brings us to the Empire State, and a matchup with the ACC’s very own Syracuse Orange.
Syracuse was one of many teams to have a very interesting season this year in the college football world. Starting off the 2022 campaign with a 6-game win streak including a victory over #15 ranked NC State. But a tough stretch in their conference schedule eventually knocked them out of the AP Poll, and eligibility for the ACC Championship Game.
Game Information
The 12th annual Pinstripe Bowl will kickoff at 1:00 PM CT, at the legendary Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, and will be aired nationally on ESPN.
History
The U of M is looking to win their 6th straight bowl game, dating back to the Citrus Bowl in 2015. Syracuse is also on a win-streak of their own, winning 4 straight going all the way back to 2010. Including 2 previous Pinstripe Bowl victories.
Who has the Edge?
Minnesota’s stellar defense is clearly going to give them the edge in this case. Despite both offenses putting up the same Points per game, The Gophers allow almost 10 less Points per game compared to the Orange. Not to mention Syracuse’s star running back, and offensive weapon Sean Tucker opted out of the Pinstripe Bowl, in order to prepare for the NFL Draft in April.
Which means junior quarterback Garett Shrader will have to rely on the young tight end Oronde Gadsden II. The pair have made 6 connections for a touchdown, and will be Syracuse’s most likely chance at scoring, considering Minnesota’s lack of tight coverage for bigs.
Syracuse’s defense will also have a tough time dealing with one of the nation’s best running backs Mohamed Ibrahim. Who’s gotten into the end zone 9 times in his last 5 contests. Ibrahim is just 37 yards away from breaking the Gopher’s single season rushing record. Which should be easily attainable for Mo, as The Orange defense allowed 200+ rushing yards in 4 of their 5 losses this year.
And lastly, Minnesota freshman quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis should be getting the start for the Gophers, despite little information being given out regarding PJ Fleck’s QB room. Kaliakmanis is coming off the best game in his young career, after putting up 319 passing yards and 2 passing touchdowns.
Players to Watch
Minnesota
RB Mohamed Ibrahim, WR Daniel Jackson, TE Brevyn Spann-Ford, LB Mariano Sori-Marin, DB Tyler Nubin, DB Terell Smith
After Chris Autman-Bell’s season-ending injury in Week 3, former NFL wide receivers coach, and current head coach PJ Fleck called upon Daniel Jackson to be the new WR1. Ever since then, he’s led the Gophers in receiving yards, and helps lead a run-heavy offense with his run blocking ability.
— brevyn spann-ford (@brevyn_) December 27, 2022
Which brings us to the well-seasoned tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford. Who just recently announced that he will be returning for the Gophers in 2023. Spann-Ford can make a freshman quarterback feel like they’re a senior, with his great natural blocking ability, and his crazy athleticism while making catches. And that is exactly what he’s done, with the transition of Kaliakmanis starting under the helm.
Last but certainly not least, the Gopher defense. Sori-Marin leads the unit which is ranked Top 5 in almost every defensive statistic you can think of. Sori-Marin has amounted 78 total tackles himself, while also recording a sack and 3 pass deflections. Tyler Nubin on the other hand had 4 interceptions, along with 3 pass deflections as well. The NFL Draft Prospect also has a forced fumble and 55 total tackles on the year. Lastly Terell Smith can do it all. The Senior has recorded 38 total tackles and 2 sacks, along with 2 interceptions and 5 pass deflections.
Syracuse
QB Garrett Shrader, TE Oronde Gadsden II, WR Devaughn Cooper, LB Marlowe Wax, LB Mikel Jones,
If Syracuse wants to score, it’s going to be up to Garrett Shrader to do so, it’s that simple. With Tucker out, the run game responsibility will be placed on the shoulders of LeQuint Allen. And personally, I’m going to take a Top-5 run defense in the nation over a backup running back. Although, Shrader is pretty mobile himself, and will be something the Gophers and their defense need to plan for. They will also need to plan on covering Oronde Gadsden the entire game, who’s not afraid to show his great hands and pass-catching ability. Devaughn Cooper is someone the Gophers’ secondary also needs to keep their eye on. Cooper has shown signs of elite shiftiness, and an even better field-vision.
On the other side of the ball, 2 linebackers stand out from the rest of the Syracuse defense. Marlowe Wax and Mikel Jones have almost identical stat lines for the 2022 season. Both players have 80+ total tackles, and at least 4 sacks. Which could create problems for Minnesota’s offensive line and backfield.
Picks and Prediction
First stating the obvious, Mohamed Ibrahim will easily break the Gophers single-season rushing record in the first half alone. But with a combination of poor run defense on Syracuse’s part, Ibrahim should easily run for 100+ yards, and will also punch one in from the ground. Daniel Jackson should also be getting lots of balls thrown his away, along with Brevyn Spann-Ford. But if Syracuse steps up in the pass-defense game, expect Minnesota to rely on Ibrahim more, and even deeper into the backfield with Trey Potts and Bryce Williams.
Garrett Shrader will try and perform his best without star running back Sean Tucker. But it’s going to be difficult going against a defense such as Minnesota. He’s going to try and rely on his legs a lot, depending on how aggressive Minnesota’s defense is with blitz packages.
Final Score Prediction: Minnesota 24, Syracuse 14
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