UCLA football (1-4, 0-3 Big Ten) is heading back to the Rose Bowl to face Minnesota (3-3, 1-2) on Saturday. With the Gophers on the heels of an upset victory and the Bruins without a conference win, both teams will come into Saturday’s contest with something to prove. Here is this week’s scouting report from assistant Sports editor Connor Dullinger – who will be waiting for the Bruins first Big Ten victory.

Minnesota’s Offense:
Offensive scheme: Run multiple
Run-pass percentage: 51.4% Run, 49.6% Throw
Strength: Ball control and running the ball
Weakness: Passing offense
X-factor: RB Darius Taylor

The Gophers’ offensive arsenal has never been considered flashy, dynamic or explosive under coach P.J. Fleck.

Rather, its long been fueled by winning the possession battle and dominating the run game.

This trend did not stop in 2024, either.

The Minnesota running back tandem of Darius Taylor and Marcus Major led the way for the squad this season, tallying a combined 631 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. Taylor has rushed at 5.5 yards per attempt this season, while his counterpart has maintained a 4.2 clip. The Gophers’ evident reliance on the ground attack can be attributed to their run-pass percentage which is essentially knotted up at 50% each.

While the ground game has propelled Minnesota to three victories – including a 24-17 win over USC and a narrow defeat to Michigan – its passing game has led to the squad’s demise.

Quarterback Max Brosmer has passed for 210.5 yards per game this season – slotting in at seventh in the Big Ten – but so far has failed to create sufficient scoring opportunities. The Roswell, Georgia, local threw for just six passing touchdowns alongside four interceptions in 2024.

Brosmer’s slow offensive figures could be a result of his lack of a clear apex wide receiver. The Gophers have just one player with over 300 receiving yards in Daniel Jackson, and just one more with over 200 receiving yards in Elijah Spencer. Moreover, of Brosmer’s six passing touchdowns, no pass-catcher has caught more than one.

While the ground and air attack have pushed the Gophers offense into their opponent’s territory, the special teams unit has failed to put points on the board. Kicker Dragan Kesich made seven of 12 field goals this season, his longest coming from 53 yards.

Despite scattered shortcomings, Minnesota will have the tools to capitalize on a UCLA defense that has yielded just 30 points a game and 102.8 rushing yards per game this season.

Minnesota’s Defense:
Defensive scheme: 4-3
Strength: Rush defense
Weakness: Pass coverage
X-factor: LB Cody Lindenberg

While the run game is the Gophers’ bread and butter on offense, defending it is their pitfall on defense.

Minnesota’s defense has allowed 164.6 rushing yards per game this season – including Iowa’s 272-yard rushing performance and USC’s 173-yard field day. Moreover, the Gopher defense has given up eight rushing touchdowns thus far, with four coming from their contest against the Hawkeyes.

Despite Minnesota’s runstopping struggles, Lindenberg has been the X-factor for the program this season. The Anoka, Minnesota, local has contributed 42 tackles – good enough for fifth in the Big Ten – while adding a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and two defended passes.

While the Gophers’ run defense has struggled all season, their pass coverage has spurred their three victories this year. The unit leads the Big Ten with 10 interceptions, boasting three players with two or more including defensive back trio Koi Perich, Kerry Brown and Ethan Robinson.

Minnesota’s secondary limited opposing quarterbacks all season long – surrendering 200 or fewer passing yards in every contest this season. The secondary’s most recent performance came last week against USC where quarterback Miller Moss threw for 200 yards – the Trojan’s worst affair of his tenure.

The greatest strength of the Minnesota defense, though, is that it often wins the turnover battle. Not only does the squad lead the conference in interceptions, it also ranks eighth in forced fumbles with four.

Considering redshirt senior quarterback Ethan Garbers has delivered underwhelming figures all season – failing to throw for more than 140 yards in two of the four games he has played in this season – the Minnesota defense should be able to seamlessly contain UCLA’s arsenal.