Minnesota Football: 10 Spartans to know ahead of Saturday
As we continue to preview this weekend’s matchup between Minnesota and Michigan State, Gophers Nation takes a look at 10 Spartans that Minnesota football fans should know ahead of Saturday afternoon.
Spartans’ offensive standouts.
QB Aidan Chiles – PFF Grade: 64.0: Chiles this season has completed 128-of-203 passing attempts for 1,392 yards and 10 touchdowns with three interceptions. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been struggles along the way, however. Chiles has been benched in multiple games this season. Last week against Michigan, he completed 14-of-28 passing attempts for 130 yards. That performance came just one week after completing 27-of-33 for 243 yards and a touchdown against Indiana. Before that, he notably completed just 9-of-23 passes against Nebraska and 8-of-7 against UCLA, throwing for 85 and 66 yards, respectively, in those games. Overall, just don’t know what you may get with Chiles week-to-week.
RB Makhi Frazier – PFF Grade: 74.0: Frazier is coming off his best game of the season against Michigan with 14 carries for 109 yards. It was his second 100+ yard performance of the season, alongside a season-opening 14 carries for 103 yards against Western Michigan. For the season, Frazier has 108 carries for 493 yards and two touchdowns.
WR Nick Marsh – PFF Grade: 72.7: One of the best wide receivers in the Big Ten, Marsh has 42 receptions for 479 yards and five touchdowns this season for the Spartans. Over his last three games, Marsh has been exceptionally strong with 20 receptions for 216 yards and two touchdowns, including six for 75 against Michigan.
WR Omari Kelly – PFF Grade: 67.8: A Middle Tennessee State transfer, Kelly has been Chiles’ No. 2 option in the passing game with 30 receptions for 435 yards and a touchdown. He’s been kept to just nine catches over the last four games, totaling 118 yards. He did notably have a six-reception, 133-yard performance against USC at the end of September with a touchdown.
TE Jack Velling – PFF Grade: 56.6: Velling is a quality tight end for the Spartans who is third on the team in receptions with 20 for 169 yards and two touchdowns. His best performance of the season was six receptions for 70 yards against Youngstown State. In Big Ten play, he’s totaled 13 receptions for 96 yards and two touchdowns in five games.
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Spartans’ Defensive Standouts
DL Jalen Thompson – PFF Grade: 64.9: Thompson is the Spartans’ most disruptive defensive lineman with 22 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks on total quarterback pressures. He has three tackles for loss in his last three games and recorded a season high of six tackles against Michigan.
LB Jordan Hall – PFF Grade: 69.3: Hall leads Michigan State with 60 tackles. He also has 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks with one interception, and one forced fumble. Hall is susceptible through the air as well, with 23 receptions allowed on 29 targets for 118 yards and three touchdowns.
CB Malcolm Bell – PFF grade: 71.7: Bell has been one of the Spartans’ best defensive backs this season, allowing nine receptions on 15 targets for 114 yards and one touchdown. While he doesn’t have an interception, he has broken up two passing attempts.
S Malik Spencer – PFF Grade: 64.6: Spartans’ offensive standouts. The safety has recorded 33 tackles this season for the Spartans and has also recorded a pair of sacks. Spencer has been targeted 15 times this season, allowing 12 receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown.
Spartans’ Special Teams Standouts
K Martin Connington: Kicker Martin Connington is 7-for-9 in field goal opportunities this season and 17-for-18 in extra points. Connington is perfect this season within 40 yards at 6-for-6 and is 1-for-3 at 50 yards or beyond with a season-long of 50 yards.
Stay Tuned
Stay tuned to Gophers Nation as we bring the latest updates on Minnesota football and the Golden Gophers’ upcoming matchup against Michigan State.
