Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Gophers will make their first postseason appearance since 1986 when they face the Ducks. Head coach Glen Mason, named Big Ten coach of the year, led his inexperienced and youthful squad to an 8-3 record. The Gophers finished 5-3 in conference after getting out to a 3-0 start against non-conference play. The Gophers got the job done with a balanced offensive attack that finished 11th in the nation in rushing. Senior tailback Thomas Hamner was the backbone of the attack, rushing for 1,362 yards and 10 touchdowns. QB Billy Cockerham is a versatile weapon, passing for 1,834 yards, with 12 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing scores. Despite throwing eight interceptions, Cockerham was steady for the Gophers and gave the team exactly what it needed at the position. The offensive line went virtually unnoticed, but only allowed 19 sacks and did an excellent job creating running room for Hamner.
The Gophers finished 11th in the nation in pass defense and eighth in scoring defense. However, the pass defense is a concern against an Oregon team that loves to open it up and throw. The Gophers had trouble against Purdue and Drew Brees because of a wide-open passing attack that spread Minnesota's youthful secondary thin. The Gophers rely heavily on the play of safety Tyrone Carter. Carter's incredible tackling and coverage skills have allowed the Gophers to play a lot of different schemes to stop the run and pass. Carter wound up breaking the NCAA's career record for tackles by a defensive back. He finished 1999 with a team-high 127 tackles, including 99 solo. Minnesota's defensive line is an experienced, veteran unit which does an excellent job of stacking against the run, but their ability to get to the passer is a concern. Against pass-oriented teams like the Ducks, the Gophers did not get enough pressure on the quarterback, which left their secondary vulnerable.
Oregon Ducks
After being picked fifth in Pac-10 preseason polls with the expectations of rebuilding after a losing several key components from an 8-4 team, the Ducks simply reloaded in going 8-3 overall and 6-2 in the Pac-10. The Sun Bowl is Oregon's seventh bowl since 1989, and its fifth in the past six years. Oregon ranked near the top of the Pac-10 in every offensive category, and looks to be firing on all cylinders heading into the Sun Bowl. Oregon's only real offensive problems were injuries to RB Reuben Droughns and on the offensive line, which rarely started the same five players. Neither of those should pose a problem as the entire unit is healthy heading into the game. The Ducks' offensive system is solid; after losing QB Akili Smith to the NFL the team hardly missed a beat. The Ducks still finished 19th in the nation in total offense at 423.4 yards per game and were 13th in scoring offense, at 35.1 points per game. The quarterback position was handled in tandem between A.J. Feeley, who started the first eight games, and Joey Harrington, who started the last three. They will have their choice from a group of talented receivers. Tony Hartley led the Ducks with 49 receptions, while Marshaun Tucker had 31 and Keenan Howry added 26. The Duck passing game benefitted from a strong rushing attack led by RB Reuben Droughns. Droughns finished as one of the top backs in the Pac-10, averaging better than 150 yards in Oregon's last five games. He was also the biggest workhorse in the Pac-10, carrying the ball 45 times for 202 yards against Arizona and rushing 38 times against Arizona State.
Oregon held each of its last four opponents under 20 points, concluding with the overpowering performance against in-state rival Oregon State. The Ducks play a soft form of defense, leaving the unit with a ranking of ninth in the Pac-10 against the pass and sixth overall, but the team does not give up many big plays, and is a tough unit inside the redzone. Safety Michael Fletcher was among the most dominating players in the conference as a big- hit guy against the run. Fletcher finished with 60 tackles on the season, but he was also a reliable pass defender and the overall team leader. Senior LB Peter Sirmon is another feared defender, making a team-high 93 tackles and earning all-league honors as Fletcher did.
Keys to the game
1. Minnesota's ability to get to the Ducks' quarterbacks. A.J. Feeley and Joey Harrington are going to split time at the quarterback position in this game. Oregon uses a wide-open passing attack, similar to the offense that Drew Brees runs at Purdue. The Gophers lost to Purdue, having tremendous trouble against the Boilermakers' approach. The Gophers played soft coverage in that game, giving Brees time to make his reads and throws. Minnesota is going to pressure the spread-out passing attack, looking to force the Ducks into quicker throws to keep them out of a rhythm. If the Gophers dedicate personnel to the blitz and are unable to get to the quarterback, their young, inexperienced secondary will not be able to hold up.
2. Oregon's running game. The Ducks have been most successful this season when RB Rueben Droughns has carried the load. He is a big, punishing back who is at his best when wearing defenses down. The Ducks have been throwing the ball with great efficiency this season, but if the running game is there, it will make the passing attack more of a surprise and that much more effective.
3. Billy Cockerham's aptitude as a passer against Oregon's soft zone. The Ducks like to play a lot of soft zone coverage to protect their shaky secondary. The Gophers have some big-play threats on offense, especially WRs Luke Leverson and Ron Johnson, and have benefitted from a strong running game to open up the play-action passing attack. However, against the Ducks, Minnesota is going to have to be able to work the short-to-intermediate zone in the passing game to force Oregon to tighten up its coverage. Cockerham is a much-improved quarterback from the first game of the season, and his ability to read defenses and make the throws is a primary reason why the Gophers have been so successful.
War Room Edge: Minnesota Golden Gophers
This matchup features two teams with very different philosophies. The Gophers are a balanced Big 10 team which plays strong in the trenches and wins games with good defense and a punishing ground attack. The Ducks are representative of Pac-10 football, throwing the ball to win and playing soft defense to avoid the big plays. The Ducks are coming into this game firing on all cylinders and are finally healthy at every position. They have a dangerous offensive attack, especially with Reuben Droughns in the backfield behind a healthy line, but the Gophers are going to have too much up front on both sides of the ball. Minnesota is balanced, and will be able to get pressure on the Oregon quarterback to upset their passing rhythm. The Ducks made a great late-season run, but they have not seen competition this stiff all season and will be overpowered by a more physical and tenacious Gopher football team.
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