Notebook: Gophers OC Greg Harbaugh Jr previews season opener
On Monday afternoon, Minnesota offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr met with the media as the Gophers end fall camp and begin preparation for their August 28 season opener against the Buffalo Bulls. Here are several important takeaways from his time at the podium.
How does Minnesota avoid a slow start offensively?
Last season, outside of a strong performance against FCS Rhode Island, the Golden Gophers’ offense got off to a slow start. The Gophers, through their first five games, totaled just 300+ yards in one game, that being against Nevada. In their three games against Power Four programs, they totaled 244, 386, 288, and 296 yards.
As a result, the Gophers started the season off 2-3. The offense would begin finding its footing in the weeks to come, but had the success come sooner in the season, the Gophers’ 2024 season could’ve looked quite a bit different.
This season, the Gophers are hoping to avoid such a slow start. So, how does Greg Harbaugh envision the Gophers avoiding such?
“I think we just have to continue to do what we’ve been doing. I have no reason to not expect for us to come out and execute,” he said. “I’ve really liked how we’ve attacked this training camp. I love the way the quarterback’s playing right now. I love how each position group is playing. I think it’s just gonna come down to execution, taking care of the football.”
“I don’t really compare it to the last two seasons, other than the fact that the last, really the last three, cause you go all the way back to New Mexico State, they had, I believe they had a new DC going into that game,” he continued. “So it’s the last three years where we’ve prepared for a defense that maybe we don’t know necessarily what we’re gonna get. So I know with Buffalo, with what Coach Bowen put on tape last year, that’s been consistent about his tree and what he’s gone about defensively for most of his career. So I’m excited about that opportunity, but they’re good coaches too.”
“So we’re also prepared for the opportunity that they might present something that’s a little bit different. Just because they probably studied themselves, studied things that gave them trouble within their defense. So we’re expecting a lot of different things.”
What has he seen from wide receiver Jalen Smith?
Very few players on the Gophers roster this fall camp have generated the buzz that redshirt freshman Jalen Smith has. That buzz continued on Monday when Harbaugh talked with the media.
“Sky’s the limit,” Harbaugh said. “He’s worked extremely hard this offseason to put himself in a position where he’s able to make plays out there for us. I’ve loved just his whole maturation process, how he’s gone about his business.”
Harbaugh also noted how Smith’s relationship with quarterback Drake Lindsey goes back multiple years at this point
“I remember the summer camp when before they signed, and they were both there. And just a connection that they already started to build then, and then as they started to get to know each other through the recruiting process,” Harbaugh said. “I’ve loved the fact that Jalen’s just stayed to the course, learned from Coach Simon, spent time with the quarterback, spent time with the other receivers. And I’m looking forward to seeing him play.”
Harbaugh discusses Drake Lindsey’s poise
When asked about Drake Lindsey’s makeup and if Harbaugh is confident the young quarterback will be able to overcome any mistakes that may occur this fall, the Gophers’ offensive coordinator called back to Lindsey’s senior season at Fayetteville High School in Arkansas and his state championship game performance.
“That goes back to watching him in the state championship game. I just remember seeing they were down a little bit to Bentonville during that game, I see the poise that he has, and he gets that from just his upbringing,” Harbaugh said.
“Being around his parents, how his parents are with him, how they’ve raised him. And I just see he’s really never phased by hardly anything,” he continued to say. “And there will be a time where I think he’ll throw a pick, we’ll turn the ball over, something negative will happen. And that’s when it’s gonna really show his true leadership and the poise that he plays with, that’s what I’m excited about.”
“But I remember seeing him in a state title game, just how he handled that. They were, I think they were down in the fourth quarter. There was a possibility of them losing the game. I remember him making big throws down the stretch, and they ended up winning. And I just saw that throughout his senior year and even just in his junior year when we evaluated him, nothing really rattled him. And his heart rate stays the same the whole time. That’s the cool thing about him. Again, just like with the question with Jalen, I’m really looking forward to seeing Drake play.”
What will the Gophers’ offensive identity be in 2025?
Every year, while an offensive system may change, an offense’s identity changes as the coaching staff adapts to its strengths and weaknesses. So what will the Gophers’ identity be in 2025? Here’s what Harbaugh had to say.
“I’ve said this before, I think it’s all centered around the quarterback, what his strengths are,” he said. “I know with a young quarterback, and this goes without saying the run game has gotta be his friend. You have to set everything up off the run game.”
While the run game may be the Gophers’ best friend this fall, Harbaugh has been preparing Drake Lindsey to have quite the responsibility as a first-year starter.
“But I know throughout training camp, I challenged him day in and day out to be able to handle protections, handle things in the pass game,” he said. “I just want us to be an offense that doesn’t put the ball in harm’s way, is physical and attacks people. And I think if we can do that, I’ll be very happy with the identity of our offense. And I go back to the same thing with what we want, we wanna be 1-0 on each play. And if we can do that, and we can stack plays on top of each other, play after play, we’ll see where we end up when the clock hits zero.”
“But I’m very encouraged by the mix of intermediate passing game, down the field passing game, and being able to be multiple in the run game. That’s what I’m really encouraged by. And I think our guys have handled it very well. But I just want us to be physical, execute, not put the ball in harm’s way.”
Versatility and the running back room
The good news for Minnesota entering this fall is that while they will look to rely upon the rushing attack, they have arguably their deepest and most versatile running back rooms of the P.J. Fleck era.
“I’m very encouraged by the way Darius has developed, AJ Turner, with Cam Davis too, and even Fame Ijeboi, those four guys, I said to the staff before, I feel very comfortable with any of the four of those guys out there,” Harbaugh said about his running back unit.
“They can do a lot of different things, but they’re also different at the same time. As we used Darius last year, I mean, we can motion Darius out, put him into a route, we can use him in empty, that’s put on tape last year, everyone’s seen that,” he continued. “But then with these other guys like AJ, I mean, his tape at Marshall, I mean, it’s fantastic with how explosive he is, how well he sees the game. Cam’s an extremely smart player, and then Fame’s as tough as they come. And I’m just encouraged by the development of that group under Coach Everett. I’m excited to see them play too.”
How much will the Gophers use Koi Perich on offense?
Once again asked about Koi Perich’s potential role this season on offense, the Gophers remain coy.
“We’ll use him, it’s a question I get each time. I wasn’t shy about using him in open practices, because at the end of the day, I want Drake to be comfortable with the guys that are out there,” Harbaugh said. “He’s gonna be used in all facets of the game. Just like on defense, Danny expects him to be able to execute his defense, well, I’m gonna expect him to execute our offense. And he knows that, and that’s the expectation.”
