WATCH: Daniel Faalele, Minnesota punch in epic big man touchdown
The stakes are higher during bowl season, and so, too, are the touchdown scorers: just ask Minnesota offensive tackle Daniel Faalele.
The 6-foot-9, 380-pound offensive lineman for Minnesota was subbed in early in the second half of the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against West Virginia, and Faalele — lining up on the two-yard line — bullied his way into the end zone for a touchdown.
Faalele’s touchdown run came at the perfect time for Minnesota, as the Golden Gophers’ offense was struggling to get anything on the board — despite out-gaining West Virginia by a substantial amount. Minnesota forced West Virginia to punt in a three-and-out during its first two drives, and its third drive — a five-play, zero-yard possession resulting in a punt — was equally as favorable for Minnesota. However, the Golden Gophers missed a field goal attempt on their first offensive drive of the game, then they fumbled on the second, both coming in the red zone. Faalele’s score broke the tie, and Minnesota converted the two-point try to put the Golden Gophers up 8-0.
Faalele, a native of Melbourne, Australia, is senior amid his third full year as a starting offensive lineman, as he opted out of the 2020 season during the COVID-19 pandemic. Faalele has been a frequent contributor for the Golden Gophers ever since his freshman year; in 2018, he played 10 games for Minnesota, starting the last eight of the season at right tackle, and blocked for a defense that averaged 28.9 points per game, tied for the most in program history since 2005.
As a sophomore, Faalele had an even bigger impact, starting 11 games at right tackle and helped block for an offense that totaled over 5,600 yards of offense. Now a senior, Faalele had his most productive season to date, and he was named an All-Big Ten First Team selection by the coaches, and an All-Big Ten Third Team selection by the media.
Faalele weighed as much as 400 pounds coming out of high school. Despite being from Australia, he prepped and boarded at IMG Academy, blossoming into a four-star recruit via the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was ranked the No. 22 tackle in his class, and the No. 48 recruit out of Florida, and four years later, Faalele will certainly get picked in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft.