Minnesota Gophers football: Abysmal

The University of Minnesota's 1-6 football record speaks for itself, but the Gophers' statistics scream something. Namely, WE STINK!

Of the 120 teams in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision, Minnesota ranks in the bottom 96 in passing offense, passing efficiency, total offense, scoring offense, rushing defense, total defense and turnover margin.

The Gophers are last in the Big Ten in rushing offense, total offense, scoring offense, passing efficiency and turnover margin.

In Big Ten games alone, Minnesota is 0-3 and has been outscored by the total of 144-31. Fourteen of those points came against Nebraska last Saturday after the Cornhuskers had compiled a 34-0 halftime lead on the way to a 41-14 cruise.

Iowa is averaging 29.7 points in Big Ten games, and that's fourth-best in the conference. Minnesota averages 10.3 points, almost five full points worse than the next-poorest, Indiana.

The Hawkeyes are allowing 22.7 points per league game, seventh-best. Minnesota yields 48 points per game, almost eight full points than the next-poorest, Indiana.

In its three conference games, Minnesota is averaging a woeful 214.7 yards a game. That's 100 yards worse than all but one other Big Ten team. No, it isn't Indiana. It's Ohio State. Indiana's 414-yard land grab at Iowa helped pad its average.

Minnesota has allowed 489 yards per game in Big Ten play. That actually is 1.5 yards better than another conference squad. Yep. Indiana.

The Gophers are the only team that is yet to intercept a pass in conference games. But the need to throw against them isn't great, as evidenced by them allowing 308 rushing yards in league play.

Minnesota has been outgained by 274 yards a game in the conference. Repeat, 274 yards a game!

Bad team, folks. Abysmal.

But I have done the Hawkeyes a horrible disservice by writing this? One reader will surely think so. Here's an email I got after I wrote last Monday that Iowa's next two foes (Indiana, Minnesota) were the least of the Leaders and the lousiest of the Legends:

Mike, thanks for adding to all the locker room hype that Indiana and Minnesota ( "Bottom Dwellers" ) need in preparing for Ipwa the next two weeks. Your article will definitely adorn the walls of their facilities. This is not how you deal with your future opponents, whether it comes from the Hawkeye program, or from our local media sources. You have excellent jounalisitic skills and should have better judgement in the way you word these articles. They will only come back to haunt the Hawks, if not in the near future, then definitely in the next couple of years when those teams are more competitive. You had better hope that we win the next two games or the Hawks will be among the "Bottom Dwellers"