#142 ASA PLAY ON Minnesota +2.5 over North Carolina, Thursday at 8 PM ET - We like the host getting points in this one as we expect the Gophers to win outright. These 2 met last season @ UNC and the line was -7 in favor of the Heels which tells us Minnesota should probably be a slight favorite here and maybe even more when we look closer at what these teams have returning. Minnesota controlled the trenches in last year’s loss averaging 5.5 yards per carry compared to just 2.8 for UNC. The Heels couldn’t run the ball at all on this Gopher defense and will have a tougher time this year with 4 new starting offensive linemen, none who have ever started a CFB game. Minnesota, on the other hand, returns most of their front 7 which shut down this running game last year. The Tar Heels don’t have top 5 pick QB Drake Maye to rely on this season after accounted for 448 of UNC’s 518 yards last year. Head coach Mack Brown said they may go with a 2 QB rotation here with A&M transfer Johnson (who is OK at best) and returning back up Harrell who is not a great passer. If UNC struggles to run the ball again do we trust these QB’s to carry the load behind a new offensive line? We don’t. On the other side of the ball, the Gophs should have one of the better offensive fronts in the Big 10 with 4 starters back including their LT who is a potential 1st round pick. Their top RB Taylor, who ran for 138 yards on 6.3 YPC vs UNC last year, was banged up a bit in camp but looks like he’ll be ready to go. Even if not, they’ve brought is some solid RB’s and HC Fleck considers that room very deep. New QB Brosmer, who transferred from New Hampshire, was a finalist for the FCS’s version of the Heisman last year and has been solid in camp by all reports. He shouldn’t have a ton of pressure on him to carry the load here if Minny can run the ball like we think they will. Minnesota should control the trenches on both sides of the ball in this one and we have them as a slight home favorite here. We will take the value with them as a dog.