The last two seasons have been near mirror images. In 2003 and 2004, the Gophers have been high scoring, explosive teams that have gotten off to great starts before losing to Michigan and going into freefall.

Head coach Glen Mason wants to avoid that at all costs this season. As a result, his emphasis this spring is to pick it up on the defensive end. Minnesota ranked 75th in overall defense and 109th in pass defense.

There are areas to be concerned about on the offensive side, but that is the team's major strength. QB Bryan Cupito returns with experience while Laurence Maroney is now the man at running back since Marion Barber has opted for the NFL draft. The offensive line is strong and deep.

If Minnesota is going to be a major factor in the Big Ten race the key is turning it around on the defensive end. Mason said he will be a "hands-on" coach with his defense this spring and beyond.

"I'm going to spend my time in spring over there," Mason said. "I'm not the defensive coordinator. I don't want to be the defensive coordinator. But I'm going to put more than my two cents in this spring. I really enjoyed being involved during the bowl game, and I'm going to continue that for a while."

One of the things that Mason wants to do is improve the team's tackling. "I'm going to teach it myself," Mason explained. "I may not be very good at it, but I'm going to teach it."

Mason and defensive coordinator David Lockwood need to be successful in that area, or Minnesota may have yet another "what might have been" type season.

BUILDING BLOCKS: The Gophers are truly explosive on the offensive end and most of that is due to the running of Laurence Maroney. He has been one of the best running backs in the Big Ten each of the last two seasons and now that Marion Barber has opted for the NFL, Maroney has a chance to put huge numbers on the board. Maroney ran for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 6.2 yards per carry a year ago and those numbers clearly have a chance to get even better.

QB Bryan Cupito did a good job of getting his feet wet last year as he threw for 2,097 yards and had a 14-7 TD-interception ratio. Cupito suffered from some inconsistency - he completed just 47.1 percent of his passes - but he should be much more comfortable in 2005.

COACHING CAROUSEL: Glen Mason promoted David Lockwood to defensive coordinator from his post as the secondary coach. This is a key move since the Gophers had so many holes on the defensive side of the ball the last two years. The Gophers also hired Kerry Cooks as defensive secondary coach and Carey Bailey as defensive line coach, and reassigned Moe Ankney from defensive ends to outside linebackers coach.

SCHEDULE SITUATION: If the Gophers can handle Purdue in the Big Ten home opener, they once again have a chance to be undefeated when Michigan rolls into the Metrodome in the sixth game of the season. The last two years, the Gophers have blown fourth-quarter leads against the Wolverines. Anyone want to bet it won't happen again?

QUOTE TO NOTE: "What we do defensively will be under the microscope daily, and I expect to see improvement. We've got a lot of questions to answer. It starts with personnel. Making sure you have the right guys on the field and at the right positions, and then being very critical of what we're doing. Is it the best thing for us to have a chance to be successful?" - Glen Mason on the improvement that needs to be made on the defensive side of the ball.

STARS OF 2005: RB Laurence Maroney - He appears to be a clear all-conference favorite and could win even more honors. Maroney should exceed 1,500 yards on the ground and could score 15 or more touchdowns this season. The Gophers have a tremendously soft schedule at the start of the year and Maroney could pile up huge numbers.

WR Ernie Wheelwright - He could be ready to step up after a very solid freshman season. Wheelwright caught 30 passes for 657 yards and seven touchdowns. He should team with Jared Ellerson to form a very productive and threatening WR duo.

TOP NEWCOMERS: LB Alex Daniels- The Gophers found a way to pry Daniels away from Ohio State. Daniels is a great athlete who may be able to make a sizable contribution as a freshman.

DB Dominic Jones - Jones has great hands and picked off 28 during his high school career. That's quite a bit for a team that has had a hard time holding on to potential picks in the past.

ROSTER REPORT: FS John Pawielski has recovered from a broken leg against Iowa and should be healthy again this year. He was one of the few consistent performers in the secondary. Terrance Campbell, Brandon Owens, Quentin White and Dominique Barber will also compete for playing time in the secondary.