The success of the season will depend on the Gophers’ defense

Those stats take on added importance because the rest of the Gophers’ schedule is against Big Ten opponents, starting at 6:30 p.m. Saturday against Purdue at Huntington Bank Stadium.

The Boilermakers (2-3, 0-2) are a significantly improved team under new coach Barry Odom, who replaced Ryan Walters (5-19 in two seasons). Purdue averages 36.2 passes per game and has only been held to fewer than 27 points this season.

“You can tell this team is playing at a very high level for him,” Fleck said of Odom. “They played three really, really, really good Power Four opponents (USC, Notre Dame, Illinois) and scored a lot of points.”

The Gophers entered the season knowing their defense had a mix of strengths and question marks.

Minnesota was strong but not too deep along the defensive line with standout tight end Anthony Smith and veteran tackles Deven Eastern and Jalen Logan-Redding. At safety, the Gophers were fortunate to have a duo of sophomores Koi Perich and Kerry Brown that would be the envy of most teams.

Cornerback was a concern with two starters to replace, plus a nickelback role to fill.