Minnesota Football: 11 Reasons Why the Gophers Finish over .500

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are coming off a 3-9 campaign, but there is reason to believe that the Goden Gophers will finish over .500 in 2011.

Can Jerry Kill turn around the once proud program that has given the NFL some of their top talent? Why will 2011 be different than recent memory?

All of those questions will be answered, as here are 11 reasons why the Minnesota Golden Gophers will finish over .500 in 2011.

11. Jerry Kill Is the Right Man for the Job

Jerry Kill has turned bad teams around before. He turned Saginaw Valley State into a powerhouse as he went 38-14 over five seasons there.

He continued his winning ways at Southern Illinois and Northern Illinois, and he will do the same thing in Minnesota.

This is the big-time gig that Coach Kill has yearned for and quite frankly deserves. His teams have always been fast and athletic, and he will recruit more skill players in the near future.

Jerry Kill was the right man for the job.

10. Big Ten Is Weaker Than Recent Past

Two of Minnesota's three wins last season were against teams from the Big Ten. The Golden Gophers do not have to play either Ohio State or Penn State in 2011 due to scheduling, so that is a plus as well.

The Golden Gophers most likely will be favored in three of their first four games as their schedule is loaded with weaker teams. Look for Minnesota to gain a lot of confidence in Coach Kill and continue their winning ways throughout the season.

An easier schedule than in year's past doesn't hurt either.

9. Do It for Murray

The greatest football coach the University of Minnesota has ever had in Murray Warmath died in March at the age of 98. Warmath led the Golden Gophers to a national championship and back-to-back Rose Bowl victories.

Warmath was the face of the program for 18 seasons, and it seems fitting that the Golden Gophers would return to national prominence in honor of the late coach.

This season is for you, Murray!

8. Home-Field Advantage

The Minnesota Golden Gophers will play three of their toughest conference games at home in 2011. Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin all will present different obstacles for the Golden Gophers to overcome, but if the fans can be the difference in just one of those games, the Golden Gophers will finish over .500.

Playing inside a dome is home-field advantage enough, so imagine if the fans show up in numbers and are loud.

7. MarQueis Gray

MarQueis Gray has to fill the shoes of departed QB Adam Weber, but the dual-threat junior is more than capable of stepping in.

Gray averaged almost five YPC in 2010 in limited playing time, but Coach Kill will love having a QB with the athleticism that Gray possesses.

Gray had five receiving TDs in 2010 and it became quite apparent that good things happen when the ball is in his hands.

There is no other position on the field where he could touch the ball more than quarterback. MarQueis Gray will become known nationally in 2011.

6. Duane Bennett Is a Beast

Duane Bennett had over 100 carries in 2010, and he averaged over four YPC. Bennett scored three touchdowns and showed (in a limited role) that he has the speed and agility to score from anywhere on the field.

Bennett may be small at 5'9", but his 210 lb. frame is more than ready to handle the pounding of the Big Ten.

Between Gray and Bennett, good things are bound to happen for the Golden Gophers.

5. Senior Leadership

The Minnesota Golden Gophers will have a plethora of veteran leadership to go around in 2011. The offense is only projected to have three players starting who are not a junior or senior.

This group of seniors have grown together now for four (and five) years, and they are ready to do whatever it takes to turn this program around before they leave.

Never discredit veteran leadership in a locker room, and that leadership will lead the Golden Gophers to an above-.500 record.

4. The Air Up There

The transition for MarQueis Gray as QB should be made a lot easier because he has Da’Jon McKnight to throw to. McKnight is quite simply one of the best wide receivers (and players) in the Big Ten.

McKnight had double-digit touchdown receptions in 2010 (10 TDs) and averaged over 15 yards per catch. McKnight is strong, fast and physical and will demand a lot of double-teams from opposing defenses.

With at least 10 guys having a catch in 2010, there should be a lot of confidence in the wide-receiving corps for the Golden Gophers.

3. On the Job Training

The Minnesota Golden Gophers have a huge challenge facing them on September 3, as they head to Southern California to play Lane Kiffin and USC. This is actually a good thing for the Gophers, as they do not face another team as good as the Trojans for another two months.

If Minnesota can stay competitive with USC, they will have a ton of confidence headed into the weak part of their schedule in Week 2.

2. Not That Far Away

The Gophers may have finished 3-9, but they were competitive in 10 of 12 games in 2010. Also, they finished the season with consecutive victories against teams that were bowl eligible in Illinois and Iowa.

Look for Coach Kill and the crew to build on that success and continue it into their 2011 campaign.

1. Defense Wins

The Golden Gophers have a lot of experience returning to their abysmal defense from 2010. They return eight starters, but a newcomer in the middle is the guy that has Gopher fans excited.

Sophomore Brendan Beal is extremely talented, as he has great size and speed. Beal was a star recruit for Florida, but suffered a torn ACL and never saw playing time after that.

Beal is a welcome addition to this unit and look for him to be an All-Big Ten selection in the very near future.