The Gophers’ struggles in non-conference play last season were frequently used as evidence that they were not as good as their record. Me? I approach the non-conference slate with a single objective: Survive. And Minnesota did exactly that, collecting narrow wins over South Dakota State, Fresno State, and Georgia Southern that paved the way for a 9-0 start to the season.
I’d be lying if I said the stress-inducing nature of those three victories didn’t feel like cause for concern at the time. But with the benefit of hindsight — and an 11-win season under out belt — we can now appreciate those games for what they were: Growing pains.