Minnesota: Can loaded offense carry rebuilt defense?

What was a known is now unknown. What had been a question is suddenly a cornerstone for the Golden Gophers.

A year ago, coach Glen Mason knew he had a defense, but had no clue what was going to happen on offense. After all, they had new co-offensive coordinators, no experience at quarterback and little experience at running back.

As the Gophers prepare for the 2001 season, only two defensive starters return and there isn't a single defensive assistant back after a late-season defensive collapse. It was a defensive freefall that saw the Gophers give up an average of 39 points over the final five games, culminating in a blown 24-0 lead in the bowl game.

Gophers at a glance

SportsLine.com rank: 44

2000: 6-6 overall, 4-4 Big Ten (tied 5th)

Coach: Glen Mason -- 22-25 in four seasons at Minnesota; 81-89 in 15 years as a head coach

Returning starters: 13; 9 offense, 2 defense, kicker, punter

Players to watch:
QB Travis Cole, 6-3, 205, Sr.
RB Tellis Redmon, 6-0, 192, Jr.
WR Ron Johnson, 6-3, 216, Sr.
DE Greg White, 6-2, 265, Sr.
P Preston Gruening, 5-10, 204, Jr.
K Dan Nystrom, 5-11, 205, Jr.

Primary strengths: Significant offensive experience and firepower. Ron Johnson is as explosive as any player in the Big Ten. Plus, the Gophers return a 1,000-yard rusher in Tellis Redmon.

Potential problems: Can the Gophers stop anyone? Minnesota returns just two starters from a defense that was brutal toward the end of the 2000 season.

Overview: Getting to that third consecutive bowl game won't be easy for a team that will have to score in bunches to win. And it doesn't help that Indiana is off the schedule, replaced by Michigan.

Fixing the defense is the biggest issue for Mason -- who insists he's done coveting other jobs, after he was left twisting in the wind for weeks in the offseason by his alma mater, Ohio State. He says he's intent on staying in Minneapolis for a good long time ... and wants Gophers fans to value back-to-back bowl trips and relish the opportunity to make it three in a row for the first time in school history.

Yes, the Gophers' offense -- which returns quarterbacks Travis Cole and Asad Abdul-Khaliq, the Big Ten's top receiver in Ron Johnson and a 1,000-yard rusher in Tellis Redmon -- will score points. But, a Big Ten team is not best served hoping to win via the track meet every week.

"There are going to be a lotta, lotta, lotta new faces," Mason said of the defense. "You're going to need a scorecard to tell who's over there, including the coaches."

End Greg White and cornerback Mike Lehan are the only returning starters on defense, but the Gophers are optimistic that their group of talented youngsters will be able to perform at a Big Ten level.

The back of the defense is what Mason says he feels best about. Former wide receiver Jack Brewer, one of the team's best athletes, has moved to free safety and redshirt freshman Dominique Sims, a high school All-America selection out of Minneapolis De La Salle, has been impressive.

Up front, White is the main pass rusher after recording six sacks and 15 tackles for loss as a junior. But after that, there's not much experience.

Astein Osei, who returns after a medical redshirt season, is expected to lead the linebackers. Still, he has to be able to come back from a neck injury and make the move from middle linebacker to drop linebacker.

The nickelback a year ago, Jimmy Henry will move up to the weakside linebacker while Phil Archer is expected to start on the strong side.

The Gophers offense, which set a school record last season with 429.1 yards per game, will have to cover at times for the defense.

"We're going to do what we have to do to win," wide receiver Ron Johnson said. "If it's 54-52 and we win, that's fine."

In Johnson, the Gophers have one of the most explosive threats in the Big Ten. He'll break a long gain on any given snap; last year, he caught 61 balls for 1,125 yards and 11 touchdowns. Johnson has the speed to blow past defensive backs, and at 6-foot-4 he has the size to outjump them.

In the backfield, the Gophers return one running back who gained more than 1,000 yards last season and another who appears to have as much potential as any Gopher.

Last season was supposed to be the breakout year for former St. Paul prep phenom Thomas Tapeh, who sat out the 1999 season because of academic issues. Last year, he played in seven games -- gaining 183 yards in a victory over Baylor -- but injured his foot.

With Tapeh out, Redmon finished the season with 1,368 yards, third most in Minnesota history. In the Micronpc.com Bowl, Redmon had the best game of his career, gaining 246 yards on 42 carries. He'll be running behind a line with three returning starters.

The Gophers are very solid on special teams, with both punter Preston Gruening and kicker Dan Nystrom back. Gruening led the nation in punting for most of the season before finishing with a 44.5-yard average. He dropped 17 punts inside the 20-yard line and had 17 that went for at least 50 yards.

Nystrom is looking to rebound from a disappointing sophomore season. As a true freshman, he made 17 of 21 field goals including his last 12. But in 2000, that consistency was absent (25-for-37).

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