Gophers defensive tackle Mark Losli sounded steaming mad, which in itself qualified as a major development. Quiet and studious by nature, Losli is typically as even-keeled as they come.

"I am mad," he said. "It was tough. I'm mad at the way we performed as a team and mad at myself. It was not exactly one of my most shining moments at all."

Rest assured, the Gophers defense was challenged mentally and physically this week in practice, but no one more so than its pair of senior tackles.

The Nittany Lions repeatedly hurt the Gophers on inside runs, pounding the ball right up the gut, largely because their offensive line dominated the trenches. Penn State rushed for 364 yards, the most given up by Minnesota since 2002. Quarterback Michael Robinson ran for a career-high 112 yards, many of them coming on draws.

"I hope it was only one game," Mason said Tuesday. "If we don't play better right up the middle, I don't know if we'll win another game. [But] it's not just two guys."

Which is true. The burden falls on everyone. But it starts with Montgomery and Losli, a tandem that has started a combined 60 career games and was viewed as the strength of the defense when the season began.

The two have a wealth of experience and ideal size (Montgomery is 6-5, 310 pounds; Losli is 6-6, 295), but they have combined for only 22 tackles, one sack and no quarterback hurries.

To be fair, Losli missed two games because of back spasms and Montgomery regularly sees double teams. Their play also had steadily progressed leading up to the Penn State game. Still, the Gophers are hoping last week's game was more of a hiccup than a serious warning sign. It remains to be seen whether the fallout will spark a fire that fuels an inspired performance against Michigan's mammoth offensive line on Saturday.

"It's a huge week for them," defensive line coach Carey Bailey said. "What they have to do is lead by example, and two, they have to play hard."

Everyone agrees that effort was the primary problem against Penn State. The entire defense did not play with the same fire and attitude that it showed in previous games.

"We took a step backwards," defensive coordinator David Lockwood. "It was because we didn't play hard. You live and you learn. My responsibility is to get them going this week."

It has to start up front where the Gophers face a daunting assignment. Michigan's starting offensive linemen have an average weight of 315 pounds. In fact, every offensive lineman on the Wolverines' two-deep weighs more than 300. And they're talented, too.

"It falls squarely on our chests," Montgomery said. "As the captain of the defense I accept responsibility for that. I have to make sure I come out and be on top of my game from the start. Michigan has big, strong guys up front. They're going to drive you off the ball. We just have to be ready for it and attack."

When Penn State attacked, the Gophers didn't answer the challenge until it was too late. The coaching staff noticed a breakdown in fundamentals, but the lack of intensity was far more frustrating.

"It was part technique, part effort and maybe taking them for granted," Bailey said. "You can't overlook anybody or underestimate anybody. Each time you go out you have to play hard. The biggest thing was not being physical. It's one thing if you sell out, you do everything you're supposed to do, you play hard, you're being physical, you're being violent, and you come up short. But when you don't put yourself in position by doing those things, you walk off the field pretty disgusted."

"It's about getting yourself ready to play, getting yourself jacked up to play," Losli said. "When things get down, you still have to have the confidence to go back. You have to respond."

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