Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi has a confirmed positive COVID-19 case and has entered an isolation period at home to work remotely. Earlier this week, Rossi had a positive antigen test confirmed by a positive PCR test, the school said Thursday.
According to the U, no other members of Minnesota’s coaching staff have tested positive during daily testing this week.
Without Rossi, Minnesota’s safeties coach Joe Harasymiak will call the defense at Illinois. Harasymiak was the defensive coordinator and head coach at Maine before joining the Gophers staff prior to the Quick Lane Bowl in 2018. He led the Black Bears to the FCS national semifinal before coming to Minnesota.
Big Ten protocol requires staff members to isolate 10 days. While it’s unclear when Rossi entered isolation for the coronavirus, it’s believed to be early this week. On Monday, head coach P.J. Fleck said on his radio show that the program has “already been thrown some certain challenges this week.”
If Rossi went into isolation before Tuesday, that would set up his potential return to his routine spot in the press box against Iowa at TCF Bank Stadium on Nov. 13.
In the meantime, Harasymiak, who was promoted to Minnesota’s co-defensive coordinator after the 2019 season, will be tasked with trying to put a Minnesota defense in the right spots after a brutal start.
What is wrong?
The Gophers defense, which is replacing four NFL draft picks and three other starters from last season, has allowed an FBS-worst 9.48 yards per play through two games. Its scoring and total defense stats also are among the nation’s worst.
In losses to Michigan and Maryland, the Gophers surrendered an average of 47 points and 578 yards. Excluding an end-of game situation vs. Michigan and an overtime drive at Maryland, Minnesota has forced two punts in 22 total drives.
Big Ten Network analyst Anthony Herron, who will call Saturday’s game, has watched both of Minnesota’s losses this year. While Gophers fans have taken to social media to decry their team speed, Herron, who played for Iowa from 1997-2000, said Minnesota’s inexperience is leading to missed assignments, not actual speed.
Herron compared the Gophers’ situation to Northwestern, which looks to have rebounded from a 3-9 record in 2019 to a 2-0 start this season.
“They are not a squad defensively that would probably win in a relay race against Minnesota’s defense, but they have guys that seemingly know exactly what they are doing and what their assignment is,” Herron said. “They are comfortable being in attack mode at a major college level.”
Heading into Saturday’s game, Minnesota has six defensive players who have made three or fewer starts. That showed up last Friday at Maryland, said Herron, who played one game for the Detroit Lions in 2000. He said the more-experienced defensive line must pick up slack for green linebackers.
“I’d like to see them play with a little bit more physicality up front,” Herron said. “That can put you in a position where you are able to condense holes and condense run lanes when you hit blocks. It makes the job of the linebackers that much easier.”
That onus really falls on nose tackle Micah Dew-Treadway, the Notre Dame transfer who made his 15th start for Minnesota on Friday. Big holes have led to big plays when linebackers Mariano Sori-Marin and Cody Lindenberg miss or slowly diagnose plays because there is more area for them to miss tackles.
“An arm tackle turns into 20- or 30-yard gain as opposed to being right there in the hole to meet a guy flush,” he said.
The Gophers have given up 17 plays of 20-plus yards, nine of them rushes.
Leaders, playmakers?
“They haven’t made that many plays yet, so there aren’t guys jumping off the film in that regard,” Herron said.
Cornerback Coney Durr made his team-high 25th start last Friday to lead a more-experienced secondary that includes fellow corner Benjamin St-Juste (15 starts) and safety Jordan Howden (19). The Gophers took St-Juste out of last week’s game he contributed to a 76-yard Maryland touchdown in the first quarter.
The Gophers haven’t been able to produce a consistent pass rush — only two sacks in two games — and have been playing a lot of off-coverage in the secondary. Where they put players says a lot, Herron said, adding, “Then I think you sort of get a sense for who they like or who they trust.”
The Gophers might never have a player on the level of Antoine Winfield Jr., the unanimous All-American now a candidate for NFL defensive rookie of the year with the Buccaneers, but Herron likes true sophomore Tyler Nubin’s potential at that vacated free safety spot.
“He seems to be a guy with some physical gifts,” Herron said. “I would like to see more consistency from the way he sort of attacks every snap, and there are times when it seems like his path during the flight of the football is a little bit inconsistent. It’s just him getting more time on the field, figuring the game out. … You will see him in a position to be able to make more plays throughout his career.”
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Struggling Gophers defense will try to improve without coordinator Joe Rossi - Grand Forks Herald
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