Although the football season is still about five months away, Gophers fans caught their first glimpse of next year’s team during the annual Spring Game on Saturday. The high-scoring game with low stakes included big plays, players playing outside of their usual positions and an intense two-minute drill.
On April 17, the University announced it would be moving the game indoors and barring the public from attending. Head coach P.J. Fleck cited an unusable scoreboard and a “threat of inclement weather” as the reasons behind the decision. In-person invites were limited to family and media, who filled the team’s indoor football facility endzone-to-endzone.
Right tackle Aireontae Ersery of the Maroon Team was the first player to get the ball as he was lined up in the backfield and took a handoff up the middle for a gain of a few yards. Maroon’s offense finished on a three-and-out and the Gold Team pulled out a trick play of their own during next possession.
On his first snap, quarterback Cole Kramer connected with temporary wide receiver Tyler Nubin down the sideline on a “hide the man” play for a touchdown. On their next drive, Kramer hit actual wide receiver Le’Meke Brockington for a significant chunk of yards and brought Gold to the 2-yard-line. Redshirt freshman Zach Evans then punched it in the following play, putting Gold ahead of Maroon by two scores in the first quarter.
“Evans had a heck of a day, and it’s good to have him back healthy,” Fleck said during the post-game press conference.
Evans, who came off of surgery last season and played in one game, was one of the three recipients of an MVP award, along with Nubin and Brockington. While Evans and Nubin scored in the first quarter, Brockington’s touchdown did not come until the fourth quarter from another deep pass by Kramer.
“[The quarterbacks] have been great this whole spring ball. They’ve been working together as a group,” Brockington said after the game. “We became connected with him as a receiving group, meeting together, building that bond and building that trust in each other.”
The game was tied 31-31 in the fourth quarter and Maroon had to go a considerable distance to reach the endzone. Their attempt was unsuccessful and Fleck called for an end to the regulation period and a transition directly into a field goal competition.
Kickers on both Maroon and Gold made their attempts and Fleck switched gears again, this time switching to an overtime simulation.
Maroon had the first shot at a 2-point conversion, but Gold’s defensive line clogged the designated gap and stuffed Maroon’s back at the one yard-line. The Gold offense marched out afterward and ran an outside run to Evans, icing the game 36-34.
Sideline view of RB Zach Evans on Team Gold punching it in for six and the win pic.twitter.com/bnM03cSN48
— Theo (@TheoJFranz) April 22, 2023
The Spring Game is typically Minnesota’s first taste of live-action football. With notable long-time starters on both sides of the ball graduating or leaving for the NFL, this was the coaches’ first time witnessing how the relatively young yet deep roster could perform in game-time conditions.
“We’ve got to keep transitioning over to a player-led team,” Fleck said. “I told the guys beginning in January, with the inexperience, we are probably a little more coach-led. And now we’re in between coach and player — they took a good step.”
The Gophers don’t open up the season until Aug. 31, when they host Nebraska. Their inexperience must turn to experience by that time if they want to compete in the Big Ten West. But until then, Fleck remains positive about the development of his student-athletes.
“This team has grown up over the last four months. Are we there yet? No, but I’m really proud of the progress we’re making,” Fleck said.
