The Gophers have a tight end problem

It’s no secret the Minnesota Golden Gophers have struggled to run the ball this season.

As of this writing, the Gophers rank 16th in the Big Ten and 116th nationally in rushing offense, averaging 120.4 yards per game on the ground. They have yet to even crack 200 rushing yards in a game this season. The low point through the first five games was undoubtedly the 13 total rushing yards Minnesota amassed in a blowout loss to Mississippi State at home. The following week was the high point, albeit against an inferior opponent, as the Gophers rolled up a season-high 191 rushing yards against the overmatched Akron Zips.

So what’s the problem?

You could point to a lack of physicality on the offensive line, though that has improved the last two weeks, especially against Michigan. Offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. has made schematic changes to the running game since Week 3, when he started mixing in gap scheme run plays as a change of pace from the zone blocking that has been Minnesota’s bread and butter during the P.J. Fleck era. The results have been encouraging, though there has been a learning curve for the offensive line and running back Darius Taylor, who is more accustomed to using his patience and vision than running downhill into a specific gap.

There is one contributing factor that has not gotten as much attention: The tight ends.

The Gophers came into this season needing to replace their top three tight ends from last season. Oklahoma transfer Kaden Helms was brought in to add a veteran to what is a very inexperienced tight end room, led by redshirt junior Pierce Walsh and redshirt sophomore Julian Johnson. Behind them are redshirt junior Sam Peters, redshirt sophomore Jacob Simpson, and true freshmen Roman Voss, George Rohl, and Gabe Weaver.

Walsh, Johnson, and Helms have drawn the majority of the snaps this season.

And as far as run blocking is concerned, there is a lot to be desired.

Watch this third down play from the second quarter of Saturday’s game against Michigan:

The Gophers are facing 3rd & 2 at their own 33-yard line, and they are lined up in 11 personnel with tight end Julian Johnson attached to the right side of the offensive line. Wide receiver Javon Tracy has motioned in from the field side to serve as an extra blocker. Johnson is responsible for blocking linebacker Nathaniel Staehling, but gets pushed aside immediately, allowing Staehling to meet Darius Taylor in the backfield for a loss.

If Johnson is able to make his block, I don’t know if Darius Taylor is able to make the line to gain, because linebacker Chase Taylor is left unblocked. But he would have only needed to make one man miss. Instead, the play gets blown up immediately as Taylor is met as soon as he takes the ball from Drake Lindsey.

Here is another third down play from later in the second quarter:

Here, Minnesota is running the Wildcat in 11 personnel, with Darius Taylor taking the snap and Xavier Ford lined up to his right. Two receivers are on the boundary side (including quarterback Drake Lindsey), and one is split out wide on the field side. Tight end Pierce Walsh is attached to the right side of the offensive line, lined up off the line of scrimmage. Michigan is lined up in a two-high shell, leaving only seven defenders in the box.

The play is to the C gap between the right tackle and the tight end, and the blocking by the offensive line is outstanding. Right tackle Daniel Shipp knocks back the defensive tackle into the linebacker, taking both of them out of the play. It is left to Walsh to block the edge rusher… and he gets thrown aside immediately. Ford saves the play by picking up the edge rusher, leaving a narrow lane for Taylor to run through for the first down.

Back to Johnson, here is one of the most egregious examples in the third quarter:

The Gophers are in 11 personnel again in a bunch formation with wide receivers Jalen Smith and Javon Tracy and tight end Julian Johnson lined up to the left of the offensive line.

It brings me no joy to single out Johnson again, but he is the only blocker who fails to knock back his defender — and it completely alters the trajectory of the play.

The center Greg Johnson and the right side of the offensive line take care of the defensive tackle and the defensive end, with a linebacker getting caught in the wash. Left guard Bennett Warren blocks the other defensive tackle with a chip from left tackle Nathan Boy, who climbs to the linebacker. But Julian Johnson gets pushed back by defensive end Tariq Boney, forcing Darius Taylor to his right, directly into a wall.

If Johnson makes his block, Taylor gets a full head of steam and, at a minimum, sets up third and short. But the play only gains a yard. A false start penalty makes it 3rd & 11, and Taylor gets dropped for a loss of four yards on a screen pass that gets blown up by the Wolverines. Minnesota is forced to punt in Michigan territory.

And this is not exclusive to the Michigan game. It’s been a recurring theme through the first five games.

So what is the solution?

To be clear, I don’t think Pierce Walsh and Julian Johnson are bad players. I think they are inexperienced and their development is a work in progress. As head coach P.J. Fleck likes to say, failing is growing, and these two are doing a lot of growing this season. I am optimistic they’ll continue to develop and improve.

I just don’t know what you do until that improvement starts to show on the field.

It’s very apparent that the coaching staff is aware of the problem. Minnesota has not run in 12 personnel with tight ends nearly as often this season as they have in the seasons past, and as you can see in one of the plays above, they’ve even resorted to motioning in a wide receiver to serve as an extra blocker.

One option is to use an offensive lineman as a tight end, but the Gophers’ depth at offensive line is already razor thin with season-ending injuries to Ashton Beers and Brett Carroll, and Jaden Ball sidelined with an arm injury.

For now, I guess you let these tight ends take their lumps and hope they turn a corner sooner rather than later.