Glen Mason has gotten tired of hearing the questions.

The questions about how good his Gophers could be and what they could accomplish. No, it's not the questions that he has had to face this summer, but it's the cumulative effect of hearing questions about the quality of his team for each of the last three years.

The Gophers have been a bowl team each of the last three years, but they have not made a run at the Big Ten title. Mason is tired of being asked if this is the year the team can finally make a breakthrough and get to the upper echelon. He wants to know the answer himself.

The Gophers start off the season with a very winnable non-conference road game at Tulsa. Minnesota has been dominating outside of the conference -- having won its last 16 games against non-Big Ten foes -- and there's no reason that the streak will come to an end against the Golden Hurricane. Steve Kragthorpe's team was 4-8 last year and they simply don't have the defense to hold up against the Gophers' powerful running attack. However, they are playing at home and should come up with a big effort.

Laurence Maroney may be the best running back in the Big Ten. He was recently put on the Walter Camp player of the year watch list and he could be on his way to a remarkable season. After splitting time with Marion Barber III the past two seasons, Maroney gets to be the man this year. He rushed for 1,348 yards and 12 TDs last year while averaging 6.2 yards per carry. If he can keep up his yards per carry average, a 2,000-yard season is a distinct possibility.

Bryan Cupito will try to get off to a good start in non-conference play. He is a solid athlete with good arm strength and a quick release. If he can improve his accuracy, the Gophers could finally take that big step up the ladder.

The Gophers should be able to handle out-of-conference foes like Tulsa, Colorado State and Florida Atlantic. But Purdue, Penn State and Michigan will test the team once the Big Ten season begins. So don't expect any celebrations if the Gophers get off to a 3-0 start yet again. Mason knows his team faces a long season with many hurdles along the way.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: The Gophers are quite confident that they will be able to put points on the board and do it in explosive fashion. Laurence Maroney is one of the best backs in the nation and has an outside shot at contending for the Heisman Trophy. Minnesota has a powerful offensive line that should be able to open holes for him all year. If QB Bryan Cupito can improve his accuracy, he should be able to hook up with Ernie Wheelwright, Jared Ellerson and Jakari Wallace on a consistent basis.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Kyle McKenzie goes back to outside linebacker after moving to the middle last year. He has significant sideline-to-sideline ability and is the team's leading returning tackler. He had 79 stops last season, including 7 behind the line. If McKenzie can get a significant contribution from a largely unproven defensive line, the defense could be fairly productive. FS John Pawielski, who is like a coach on the field, leads the secondary. While he lacks speed, he is a very nasty hitter.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Greg Eslinger is the best center I've ever been around, and I wouldn't trade (left guard) Mark Setterstrom for anybody." -- Head coach Glen Mason.

THIS WEEK'S GAME: at Tulsa, Sept. 1 -- The Gophers begin their season under lights against the newest member of Conference USA. The Golden Hurricane don't appear to have the defense to slow down players like Laurence Maroney or Ernie Wheelwright, but they are playing at home and Steve Kragthorpe can be an inspirational coach. Minnesota brings a 16-game non-conference winning streak into this game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: C Greg Eslinger -- The key to the Gophers' outstanding offensive line. Eslinger was a first-team All-American last year and could repeat that status this year. He is extremely quick and understands how to block much bigger and stronger men.

OG Mark Setterstrom -- Probably the best guard in the Big Ten. Somewhat undersized at 6-3 and 295, he is a student of the game and an excellent technician. He can easily handle blocking assignments against much bigger men.

RB Laurence Maroney -- He has excelled in the Gopher system the last two years, but he should be even better this year now that he does not have to split time with Marion Barber. Maroney has an outside shot to contend for the Heisman Trophy this season.

QB Bryan Cupito -- The Gophers are expecting Cupito to step up in a big way this season. He completed only 47.1 percent of his passes last year, but he has good arm strength and had a 14-7 TD-interception ratio.

WR Jared Ellerson -- He slipped a bit last year and head coach Glen Mason is anxious to see if he can become the big-play performer he was when Asad Abdul-Khaliq was the quarterback in 2003. If he can, his big-play ability will complement the running of Maroney.

ROSTER REPORT: The Gophers should be healthy for their opener against Tulsa. Tight end Eric Clark (personal) is questionable.