Minnesota Dominates in Season Opener Against Eastern Illinois

The Minnesota Golden Gophers have returned to Minneapolis where fans have been eagerly waiting for some football. Eastern Illinois rolled into Huntington Bank Stadium on Thursday, hoping to shock the world. Unfortunately for them, PJ Fleck and the Gophers took care of business.

After leading Minnesota to a 8-5 record last season, Junior QB Drake Lindsey returned to the field with his hopes set high. He certainly delivered last night, passing for over 250 yards with a nearly 80% completion rate. Last season, which was Lindsey's first time as starter, he showed a ton of promise, having dominant performances over Big 10 opponents like Rutgers and Northwestern. It is obvious that Lindsey improved in the offseason, and will be ready to take on tougher opponents.

The real star of the night was Senior WR Javon Tracy. He went for nearly 100 yards off just 5 receptions, but that wasn't the most impressive thing about him last night. Tracy returned not 1, but 2 punts for touchdowns. He is the first player in Minnesota history to do that, and only the 4th ever in the Big 10. This year should give Tracy a chance to shine. Last season he split catches with Le'meke Brockington and Jalen Smith. With Le'meke graduating, it seems like Tracy has moved to the clear WR1 spot and will have a breakout year.

Another player with a breakout performance was Darius Taylor. While he didn't rush for a ton of yards, netting just 56 over 14 carries, he found the end zone 3 different times. Additionally, he found another 31 yards through the air on 3 receptions, which brings his total to 87 yards with 3 touchdowns. Certainly a noteworthy showing, and I am ready to watch what he can do in his Senior season.

Defensively the Gophers played a great game too. Senior linebackers Maverick Baranowksi recorded 6 tackles, TJ Bush Jr. recorded 4 tackles and a sack, and Nate Cleveland forced a fumble, though Eastern Illinois did recover the ball.

Next week, Minnesota will take on Mississippi State in a Big 10 vs SEC battle. Last year Mississippi State was able to take down 12th ranked Arizona State, and brought 15th ranked Tennessee to overtime. Ultimately, they did go 1-7 in conference play, so this will be a very interesting matchup.