MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota has had a frustrating and uneven start to this season, losing all three games against power conference teams in painful fashion.

Despite all the setbacks and struggles, the Gophers have been at their best defending the pass – as in, the best in the nation. They are the only team in the FBS that has allowed fewer than 100 passing yards per game, which is exactly the kind of trait a group would want to have in a game. matchup with Southern California on Saturday evening.

The Trojan horseswhich are in last place at 11th Associated Press pollhave picked up with quarterback Miller Moss where they left off with predecessor Caleb Williams, who was the first pick in this year’s NFL draft by the Chicago Bears and the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner at USC. Moss is 11th in the FBS with an average of nearly 300 passing yards per game and leads USC’s new conference, the Big Ten.

“It’s one thing to be a sharpshooter, it’s another thing to be a sharpshooter, that’s right,” Gophers coach PJ Fleck said.

Last week against WisconsinMoss passed for 308 yards to nine different receivers with three touchdowns and led a surge in the second half of a flat first half by the Trojans (3-1, 1-1 Big Ten) en route to a 38-21 victory. Ja’Kobi Lane had 10 catches for 105 yards, both career highs, with two scores.

“They have explosive athletes all over the field. That’s pretty obvious,” Gophers safety Coleman Bryson said. “Their passing game is dynamic. Their running game is dynamic. But I think we’re just concerned about doing the best job we can.”

In their third season under head coach Lincoln Riley, the Trojans have been busy keeping up the program’s proud legacy of players at skill positions.

“One thing that Lincoln has done really great during his career is he runs the ball more effectively than ever before, and he doesn’t just use the ball to break the throwing lines. He manages to run the football with effectiveness,” Fleck said. “I’ve studied him for many years and when I look at what he’s done at Oklahoma and USC, I think he’s part of the generation that kind of reinvented the game.”

Despite losing safety Tyler Nubin to the NFL draft — he was a second-round pick of the New York Giants — the Gophers (2-3, 0-2) under first-year defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman have improved their rushing and coverage relatively aggregated. good for a productive start against the pass.

The teams they lost to (North Carolina, Iowa and Michigan) each had success on the ground with a 100-yard rusher — and then some in the case of Hawkeyes star Kaleb Johnson and his 206-yard game. But the Gophers haven’t kept passing totals (96.8 yards per game) low simply because of a lack of action. They are tied with Maryland and lead the Big Ten with eight interceptions, and their opponent’s passer rating is the second-lowest in the FBS, behind Iowa State.

“They’re a really experienced group, and a group that has a really good new defense system in place,” Moss said. “There’s not a lot of broken coverage. For a group that is in its first year of the system, they are performing very well. I think that shows across the board on the tape.”

The art of rebounding

Minnesota lost in Michigannow ranked 10th in the AP Poll, with the same score (27-24) last week as USC entered the game previously. The Gophers outscored the Wolverines 21-6 in the second half and even recovered an onside kick with 1:37 left, but were flagged for a dubious offside penalty the Big Ten later admitted they had been called in error.

“We finished in a way that allowed us to take confidence from the way we played on both sides of the ball in the second half,” quarterback Max Brosmer said.

Perich, the prodigious punt returner

Koi Perich set up one of Minnesota’s fourth-quarter touchdowns at Michigan with a 60-yard punt return to highlight what has been a promising start for the dynamic freshman, who plays safety on defense.

“I don’t know if he realizes it yet, but those actions energize a team,” Brosmer said.

Wounded Trojans

USC’s vastly improved defense could be without one of its best players. Linebacker Eric Gentry is questionable due to an injury he suffered in the second half against Wisconsin. The senior leads the team in tackles (30), tackles for loss (6 1/2) and sacks (two). On the other hand, safety Akili Arnold, a transfer from Oregon State, is leaning toward a return after sitting out the Wisconsin game with an injury.

Folded flags

The Pac-12 was known for its aggressive and sometimes confusing play. The Trojans have taken over refereeing in the Big Ten thus far, calling fewer penalties overall.

“That’s good, right? Let the players play a little bit and see where it goes,” center Jonah Monheim said.

USC is marked for an average of 40.5 yards per game, which ranks 24th in the FBS. That includes 13 flags for 85 yards in the conference games against Michigan and Wisconsin. The Trojans ranked 123rd in 2023 with 64.9 penalties per game and 90th in 2022 with 58.

___

Freelance writer Dan Greenspan contributed from Los Angeles.

___

Receive poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 all season long. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll And https://apnews.com/hub/college-football