Positive reaction
Posted on November 26th, 2008 – 12:06 PMBy Kent Youngblood
So, what do you think about the Gophers’ new assistant, Tim Davis? How do you feel about the addition of a power running wrinkle into the Gophers’ spread offense?
I think it’s a good idea, though I think the biggest problem the Gophers had this year was a young, inexperienced offensive line. Still, in the Big Ten, I think it’s a good idea to have more than one way to attack a team. It gives you options and gives the opponent more to worry about. I see a mix much like the Buckeyes used this year, some spread, some option, some power.
As for Davis, I have heard nothing but good things about him. He’s known as a good teacher and a good guy.
But now what? How will this affect Mike Dunbar? He is a spread purist who resisted a move much like this one while in California, which might have been a big reason why he left there for here after just one season. We’ll see. Brewster said he’ll still be calling the plays, but that it will be a collaborative effort. Hmmm. Anyway, sounds like we’ll see some of the changes when the Gophers line up for their bowl game.
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202 Responses to "Positive reaction"
I think that Davis is a positive. I think how he and Dunbar are able to work togather and consolidate the spread and a power running attack will determine the future of Dunbar. I wonder if Dunbar is thinking of retiring soon and Davis will learn some spread, because the spread in some form is here to stay for awhile. I don’t think Davis came here to be just a O-Line coach he’s to good for that. We could have another impact coach line Roof.
It became painfully obvious that they needed some power in the running game. But I don’t know about have a passing cordinator and a running cordinator. Seems like they are setting up conflicting interests and some inhouse problems when it comes time to call the game.
I like the hire, but like Stager, I have concerns about play calling during games. That said, we need to be able to run the ball, something we caould not do after Weber hurt his knee this year.
He has a pedigree, hopefully they can get more physical up front or else nothing will change. The attack has to be more balanced and you have to be able to put a finger on the ground and run block (and pass block out of a 3 point stance). It is rediculous to try to get leverage on a Big Ten d-lineman or end out of a 2 point stance.
If Coach Davis is so good, why would Alabama release him now when they are trying to win the SEC title and the BCS ?
Sounds like a very good hire. He definitely has the pedigree.
Sledman, it may just be my interpretation but it sounds like he really wasn’t coaching at Alabama and was looking to get back on the field to coach.
He was director of player personnel. He coached at USC when they won 2 titles. He’s been around winning programs. If he can bring that mentality that would be a plus aside from his coaching.
I just dont get the concept of a running game coordinator to go along with the rest of the offense coordinator. This seems like another hairbrained idea by a man who has never demonstrated the ability to even be a coordinator, leave alone a head coach. Brewster should aspire to be a Director of Recruiting somewhere. He cant do anything else related to coaching.
RAH! RAH! RAH!…..ROSE BOWL! ROSE BOWL!….YA! YA! YA!!! WILL THE GOOFERS BE RANKED NEXT WEEK DUE TO THIS AWESOME-TREMENDOUS HIRE THAT COULD HAVE BEN PULLED OFF ONLY BY THE MAN WHO RECENTLY COACHED MN TO ITS WORST BIG 10 LOSS EVER?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! YEEEE…YA…YOU GUYS ARE FAT & STUPID!
‘55 Doughnut’ is Dan Barreiro in disguise. Or Glen Mason. Either way, a total waste of time.
well, I am not Glen Mason or Barreiro, but I agree with 55.
The thing that irks me about Brewster so much is his big mouth flapping all the time,
contrast this to Tubby, who doesnt say a whole lot, but quietly goes about his business,, when this is the case, you dont care so much when he doesnt turn around the program overnight, though he is turning around the hoops program much more than Punky is football,,,
granted, it is easier to do that in basketball, but the key thing is he doesnt blow his mouth all the time
The British have long mastered the art of turning attention away from a debacle by handing out medals and calling the whole thing some sort of great “victory”.
Punky has quickly wiped the postmortem of the single greatest defeat in Gopher Big Ten history into an heroic, Dunkirk type victory. “We shall be back with a much more manly running game in the off season. We SHALL be very buff!”
Great PR BS if one is into that sort of “Big Talk wins games!”
55 Doughnut is not me but I do agree with him. This brewster better win 5 big ten games next year or this prexy b might as well halt construction on TCF Bank Stadium and build better bridges instead.
Kevin … What would be your comment here if Brewster announced he would hold know more press conferences, press briefings, nor answer any media questions ever again?
Would you praise him for not flapping his mouth any more or would you find another reason to mindlessly criticize him?
Just curious.
Wayne, I have sat back long enough reading your rants. From now on I will be your nemesis here on this blog and contrast YOU. I remember meeting you at halftime of a game several years ago and I thought you to be a very loyal and passionate Gopher fan. I was totally wrong. Your mindnumbing diatribes on the Gopherhole and now this blog are the ravings of a lunatic, no pun intended Loon. So Wayne, bring it big boy. Get ready to “crash & burn”! Will I see you in Detroit on December 26th? We are going to road trip it. Bowl games are ALWAYS a good thing Wayne.
There are other teams out there with “passing coordinators” along with the offensive coordinators, so I don’t really think this is something new.
Sorry for Brew to be so excited about his team all the time……at least someone isn’t jumping off the bandwagon as the typical Gopher fans do.
Tim Davis and the change to the offense is great. I’m liking what I see. Brew is driven to succeed, it will pay off in a few years.
Bouncyball is easy to turnaround because you only need a few great players to come in, rather than football, you need a ton. You guys will be bailing on Tubby soon too. Lame.
The beauty of being a mindless critic of all things Brewster is you can bitch all season about the running game and then criticize him when he takes steps to improve it.
But of course wren and the illegal border jumper are loyal Gopher “fans”.
dac–agree with your “mindless critic” analysis. I am glad to see Brewster being proactive and wanting more and better. To answer Kent’s question, I am very impressed with Coach Davis and I think it was a great move. Brewster, Roof, and Davis look like a great combo. Time will tell how Dunbar fits into this equation.
Bayfield—thanks for the recap of Brewster’s WCCO talk with Sid (previous post).
I don’t know how anybody could see this hire as anything but a positive development for the program. DAC nailed it on the head by mentioning that everybody complains about the running game and the line all year and then complains about a press release to announce a change. What I respect about Brewster is that he sees a problem and then makes a change. Last year the biggest weakness was D, we brought in Roof and did an overhaul to the secondary. This year the biggest weakness was the o-line, enter Davis. He has consistently said we need more playmakers, next year we have new recruits Lipscomb and Carpenter on campus.
And if you go back five years Mason pissed off the fans by deciding not to take calls from listeners on his radio show. Brewster is working for a program that is often overshadowed by 4 professional sports and Gopher hockey & basketball so a little PR work is necessary to motivate the base. Not everybody wants to hear it but saying he wants to compete for a Big Ten title should not make anyone mad. What bowl do you want your coach striving for?
Well kelly leeks: I remember you. I felt sorry for you.
Just be up front and honest and be a man about things and we shall have good contrast! I’m all for that.
Here is something though: 55-0. How did you feel about that 55-0 game at the end of the second year for this brewster? It made me realize just how wrong this brewster and his staff have been in putting together what they call a Big Ten program.
What do you think about a 3-13 Big Ten record? I don’t like it and I can’t any kind of stamp of approval on that kind of a record.
And you think that makes me any less of a fan? Just because I don’t buy into this brewster’s hype, his b.s. and all this fantasy recruiting stuff?
Sorry, I don’t like hanging out with dudes and dudettes who think getting commode hugging drunk is life’s greatest pleasure. You and tipsy and lloyd the lush can drink til your livers drop. Do things like stage your own crash and burn fake death. It takes a real man to do that…right kelly leeks? I really have no time for drunks who think that playing horse crap tricks on others is worth while. I think you are not a very good person kelly leeks. You are really not worth knowing. You have no points of merit or of interest as far as I am concerned.
I do still feel sorry for you though. I do remember meeting you at halftime of that game. You were rather pathetic then and based upon the way you have presented yourself…you are even MORE pathetic now.
grunk: It takes him two years to see this running problem? He was killing his quarterback in 2007 and the first half of 2008 because his qb was the best running option. He didn’t KNOW that his offensive line needed to get bigger, stronger, more physical? Now he thinks hitting the weights will help? Why didn’t he have them hitting the weights the last two years then?
He was so gung ho on this stupid dunbar spread-coast Offense that he claimed he was recruiting just the right athletes to make it all go.
Sorry people, in college football two full seasons is a LONG time. For many coaches that would represent half their time at a school being employed as a football coach.
This brewster needs to crank it up…kick it up…pick it up and rip it up. He needs a well-balanced offense that can run the ball.
So why did it take him so long to figure that out? What’s he going to do about it. He needs to ditch this dunbar.
What do you think about DomeSexGate KTBH?
I don’t think Meyer is the fall guy. Brewster saw a problem and decided to address it. He got Davis then told Dunbar we need to make a change in how we run our offense.
This hire makes me more optimistic about next years running game. Limpscomb and Whaley will make a definite impact on our running game also.
I still think next year we’ll at least average 450 yards a game in total offense.
Wayne, I look forward to contrasting you. I am disappointed that you feel that way about me but then again I am 25 years younger than you and I am sure you had some good times in your youth…wink wink!!! Anywho, I am meeting some old friends for a few pints but will be home later. Perhaps we can have some friendly banter if my wife allows it. What do you think about the Davis hire? I like it. I believe Dunbar will be a lame duck coach next year…the last of his contract. That being said, I like the direction Coach Brewster is taking this team. I hope to see you at the bowl game…you will be there right? All bowl games are good. You always said that when Coach Mason was at the helm.
Kelly Leeks reincarnated(sp).
I don’t know diddly about this davis. Good? Bad? Only time will tell. I think he should have just begged Gordy Shaw and Mitch Browning to come in and start working overtime on building an offensive line for a well-balanced attack.
From the first time I ever heard that this brewster was planning on running a spread offense, I shuddered at the thought. He was going to have to recruit too many spread players here and there is too much competition for those types of players from the teams from Texas and other places down south and out west that run spreads. Minnesota is just too far away to get the BEST of those types of recruits in numbers enough to become a top 3 or 4 in the nation spread offense.
There are NOT very many spread players in the state of Minnesota. Not nearly enough to get that job done.
I hope that this davis is good at what this brewster says he wants him to do (Not that I have seen a lot of talk from this brewster about what this davis can do.) He has been an administrator of sorts in his brief stint with Sabin…he has some pro exerience (So did that withers that this brewster paid SO much to as the 2007 defensive coordinator.) Recruiting coordinators and people with a lottle pro coaching experience tend to “red flag” their qualifications for coaching college football for me, but, as I said, the di is cast and now we will need to wait and see. I’d rather chance it with an “iffy” davis than with the devil that we do know…this dunbar. I want this dunbar out of here now! His stuff isn’t working and based upon what this brewster says now…this dunbar never paid any attention to getting bigger, stronger offensive linemen or developing an effective running package. Shotgun snaps on third and two just doesn’t cut it. Three and out is this dunbar’s main theme. Also, “get the qb hurt and banged up…” was another one of his themes. This dunbar has been a lame-duck all along here. He was a lame duck at Cal too. This brewster really was wet behind the ears when he patterened his entire offense on this dunbar’s spread. It was doomed from the start at Minnesota.
So, kelly leeks: you give me your name and lots of details about you and then I will consider whether or not to fill you in on any travel plans I may or may not have. I suspect that you and some of your kind have been rather deep into the attack games that go on around here. Personally, I wouldn’t trust you ever. You just don’t strike me as a very trustworthy or decent person kelly leeks.
I’ll talk some football with you. Otherwise, you seem like a much ado about nothing sort. Gotta be honest kelly leeks. You are headed down a dead end.
What this hire does besides the obvious “don’t mention the iowa game” PR decoy, is that it theoretically moves us back to where we should have left - a high quality running attack based on power, not guile. That would be a good thing if it is not just all talk.
But, at the same time, the reality is what it is. Our last game only continued the trend of the last two years, a very bad O. How anyone could think there are reasons to be optimistic about next year is a mystery to me. 55-0, at HOME, against iOWA screams “badly coached team”.
Once we get our bowl game out of the way, the resident blow hard, Kool-Aid sucking, stars in the eyes Brew Crew can enter their favorite part of the whole year. The part where we don’t play those nasty, reality soaked football games.
Go Hype, Go!!!
Tex … Dunbar may not fit at all in the future equation. Time will tell.
But I do not believe Brewster will go away from the spread offense. Many great teams around the country have proved you can have a balanced run and pass attack out of the spread.
When you have a great offensive line and a great dual threat quarterback the running game can actually be enhanced because the defense must cover the entire field.
The drunk thinks the 18-year-old offensive linemen were not lifting weights?
Drink on, drunk.
A felon(ow) says,
“I don’t know diddly about this davis.”
________
We know that. You know nothing about anything related to the Gopher program. Must you continue to demonstrate that through thousands of column inches of mindless blather?
55-0 D_A_C-OFF…55-0, nOBODY APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN DOING anything FOR THE PAST two YEARS, especially this dunbar and this brewster. Talk, talk, talk. The bottom line was 55-0/ It was report card time, and the report card read 55-0.
Ditch this dunbar.
3-13 in Big Ten play. This brewster doesn’t want people to remember 55-0. And it was the 4th Big Ten loss in succession. The final two home games this brewster was outscored 84 to 6 by tht horrible Michigan team and that iowa team. EIGHTY stinking four to SIX! What an outrage! What has this brewster been doing?????
I wonder if someone could answer me the question of what was the Big Ten record of Glenn Mason the first two seasons he started as head coach for Minnesota? Maybe Wren could answer me that one? Because I don’t know?
About the Davis hire, seems like a good one, why not get an OL coach that helped a team win 2 national championships. Also with this hire it could mean that Dunbars days maybe numbered.
Loon–I’m optimistic about next year because I remember more than just the last game that we played. Even in the last game there were positives…the defense looked tough against Iowa until they were on the field for virtually the entire first half. They gave up 3 pts in Q1 and 17 in Q2 despite playing with the short field most of the half. It looked like the team quit after the fumbled punt return in the 3rd quarter. And Anthony Jacobs played a great game at DE. After seeing the Iowa game I actually think he will compete with McKinley for WVDS spot next year.
If I compare 2008 to 2007 I think the defense made drastic improvements. The overall speed of the defense is much better. The secondary still has room to improve with their coverage skills but we are also taking steps to add depth to it (next year we have 2 Jrs. that will compete for playing time with Royston becoming eligible and the addition of Robinson through recruiting). Tinsley didn’t look ready at LB when he played mop up duty so the depth we will have at LB remains unclear to me until we see Maresh, Cooper, and Reeves at the spring game. Hopefully they all add some muscle this spring too. The D-line actually has more depth than I remember them having in the past with Brown & Small returning and Jewhan Edwards looks good when he has played. At the ends we lose a great one that took a lot of pressure off the secondary so we have one big hole we need to fill.
I remember the USC o-line being very good for the two national championships they won in 03-04 when Davis was there. Obviously you don’t turn the worst o-line in the conference in to the best in one season but unlike Wren that says he knows nothing about this coach–I remember the product he produced and it was outstanding. Bush and LenDale White had huge gaps to run through and Leinert had all the time in the world. When skill position players win Heisman’s the line did their job. We have a 2nd Team all Big Ten QB returning, Decker, Green–who really came on in the last 5 games, Kuznia, Smith, the addition of Carpenter–don’t know what to expect yet, and Stoudemire will hopefully find his way in to more offensive sets. I expect the freshman receivers to make a big jump in year 2 because it helps a lot to be in the offense for a year and learn how to get open within the offense. We return Bennett at RB, and Eskridge and Salamon should only get better with time in the weight room and another year of working in the offense for picking up the holes & blitzes.
If the conditioning coach does his job this team should come back stronger and deeper. If the position coaches do their job this team should come back with better technique and a thorough understanding of the offense rather than just knowing where to line up and run. We should see a better product on the field for the bowl game because for the freshman it is like adding an 15% more practice time than they have seen all year and it is focused on development rather than just implementing a game plan. Everybody is going to benefit from going through spring practice and another fall camp to let everything sink in. Personally, I expect this team to make a jump to 8 wins next year which considering the schedule next year vs. this year is big because we need to beat teams that will go to bowls to do it.
Grunk–well said and I second your analysis. To me, the top concern is RB. SS and DE did not show me Big Ten tailback qualities(I hope they prove me wrong). DB is coming off major knee surgery and it is not a given that he will be back 100%. Incoming freshmen are always a question mark until we see them on the field.
A lot with this davis depends upon what happens with this dunbar, IF this dunbar is ditched, perhaps this davis MIGHT have an impact. If this dunbar is retained, things will just be confused even MORE. This dunbar MUST go. NOW.
Until this dunbar’s status is exposed by this brewster I have NO idea what kind of impact and inluence this davis might have on the offense. Let’s face it gunk: during the final two home games, the offense was outscored 84 to 6 by middle of the road to horrible (in the case of Michigan) teams. Those final two home games didn’t give you ANY cause to slow down by your slurping and sucking of the juice served from this brewster’s “jonestown-style” kool-aid dispensing machine.
mn-cag-veee: The failed and fred Mason was 3-13 after two seasons. So, obviously, year number three becomes the tie-breaker of both of these coaches 3-13 starts.
Sp, flash back to the failed and fired Mason’s 1999 season. A BIG upset win at PSU against a great PSU team propelled Mason to a 5-3 Big Ten season.
That means that his Big Ten record at the end of his third season was 8-16. Now THAT doesn’t set the bar very darn high for this brewster, does it?
This brewster MUST go 5-3 in Big Ten play JUST to stay even with that failed and fired Mason. THAT should be a piece of cake for a truely great recruiter like this brewster…right? It would give this brewster a .333 Big Ten winning percentage IF he can beg, borrow, buy or steal 5 Big Ten wins out of his next 8 Big Ten games. Certainly, he can preform at the failed and fired Mason level, at the VERY least.
This brewster has many things going for him including tons of money for assistant coaches/coordinators, the NEW STADIUM and all theses incredibly hot-shot recruits he has been bringing in.
In fact, wouldn’t you agree that this brewster should be totally taken to task if he fails even this very lowly expectation for his third season?
So, this brewster needs to win 5 Big Ten games in 2009 or he will be exposed as a total fraud and an under achiever.
IF he is a man, he will step down from the job so that his poor overmatched bosses, this prexy b and this maturi may save some face and bring in a coach who CAN get the job done. Oh yes, He would need to refuse ANY buy out money because of the inconvenience he has put on his two stressed and challenged bosses…this prexy b and this maturi. That way they would not have to take out a second mortgage for a football coach from the University of Minnesota General Fund…a fund that supposedly has more important concerns and ear-marked responsibilities.
So, ma-cag-veee: it’s al boiling down to this third season. 2 or 3 Big Ten wins would be a killer for this brewster in head to head competition with the failed and fired Mason’s record. A four win Big Ten season would bring this brewster up woefully short in this critical match-up. ONLY 5 Big Ten wins in 2009 will do. Actually, with all of the advantages that this brewster has been handed, one would think that the LEAST he could do would be to win 6 or 7 Big Ten games in 2009 so that he could at least edge out the 3 year mark record of the failed and fired Mason.
2009 will be a year of big opportunity OR big failure for this brewster in his head-to-head competition with the failed and fired Mason in Big Ten win competition. The recrods can be compared week by week. Wins will help. Losses will hurt…a LOT. This brewster can ONLY afford himself the luxury of 3 Big Ten losses during the 2009 season. The record will be what the record will be. NO excuses any longer. This brewster may be entering the three quarter mark of his stay at Minnesota. IF he wins less than five games in 2009, he might get one ncomfortable, contract running down season to pull off an undefeated Big Ten season in 2010. But, the masses would be calling for a good-old fashioned-coach firing party at the end of the 2010 season. Even the failed and fired Mason had a 12-20 Big Ten record at the end of his fourth year. So, that means that this brewster would need to win 0 out of his next 16 Big Ten games just to keep pace. I thought that we were supposed to be expecting MORE from this brewster and that this prexy b and maturi had expectations of competing for championships in football within the Big Ten Conference.
If, of course, this brewster wins 0 out of his next 16 Big Ten games, I’m sure it would be just fine with you brewster kool-aid drinkers. However, that would give him a 3-29 Big Ten record. It is possible that this prexy b and this maturi MiGHT extend this brewster for another five years, but, it would make it hard for him to recruit.
So, it might behoove this brewster to win at least 9 out of his next 16 Big Ten games so that he might be able to stay right there with the failed and fired Mason’s pathetic record. Perhaps at that moment in time (in order to pay back that loan to the General Fund, this prexy b and maturi might consider inviting the vikings to share the stadium and they might even throw in some free University of Minnesota to the wilfsterto help entice him into developing a shopping mall/entertainment complex and casino right on the East Bank of the University. I’m sure the wilfster would find that hard to refuse.
This wrenbawl is a veteran of Jonestown. Out of 1500 slavish worshippers of that Jim Jones, this wrenbawl seems to have been the only one who drank gallons of the koolaid and stayed alive to re-live the horror daily in his postings.
Welcome back from Guyana, this wrenbawl.
Wren,
This team should be very, very good next year. I’d be dissappointed if we did not win at least 8 games in 20009.
Brewster has a lot of the pieces in place too do well. This team should be very good in 09. Big Ten title in 2009 would not suprise me. We just need to find some pass rushing DE’s, or that may be our downfall in 2009.
Now it’s up to Brewster to see what we can do in 09. I still have not given up hope on Brewster yet. That may change in 2009 but right now I still think Brewster deserves at least another year to prove the program is getting turned around. With Mase I gave him WAY too many chances.
Sounds like there may be some pretty significant changes to the offense:
At least 5 Big Ten wins. And, give no coach too many chances…never again. IF they continues to lose border battle games…if they EVER lose a border battle by half a hundred or more it should be time for immediate dismissal. Being beaten that badly at home is horrible.
Got to move on to the stage of accepting NO instances of incompetence. NOTHING matters except ever improving graduation rates for the football players, running a completely honest football program AND winning a LOT of Big Ten football games.
Hard-hearted, brutally honest and totally unforgiving. THAT is what winning Big Ten football is ALL about. THAT is how a person becomes a true fan. A true fan will NOT accept excuses. That is where I am at after more than 50 years of thinking I was a fan of this program. Now I AM a fan of this program and I will NOT accept anything less than honesty, NO failures and a LOT of Big Ten wins.
THAT is what the bashers and mobbers did a few years ago. Now they are shameless wimps and kool-aid drinkers who make MORE excuses for a failing program than common sense and the reality of the won/loss recrods in the Big Ten standings will allow.
ONLY BIG TEN wins will save this brewster’s scalp. They had BETTER start happening in BIG numbers starting in 2009. He is 3-13 up to now. THAT will not help his case. He needs WINS in BIG Big Ten games, middle of the pack Big Ten games and bottom of the rung Big Ten games. Win, win, win. No excuses for anything else.
“NOTHING matters except ever improving graduation rates for the football players … ”
_________________
wrenbawl’s horrific Jonestown experience has greatly impacted his ability to think.
The goal of a Division 1 football program is to win football games, bring in fans and revenues, and to support all the non-revenue sports for men and women.
There is no goal of a football team to “ever improving graduation rates”. There are minimal standards for academics set by the NCAA and the conference. As long as the team meets or exceeds those standards, that takes care of that issue.
If the team exceeds minimal standards because a high proportion of players actually are interested in a real education and graduating, so much the better. That is not a team priority, it is only an individual priority for those who choose it.
Many Division 1 schools can show higher graduation rates through totally sham advancement through sham courses. There is little or no relationship between these sham degrees and real education.
Here’s the deal, Jonestown survivor … football players who meet at least minimum academic requirements are invited to the university to …. play football. To work like farm laborers for five years to become better football players and to win games and bring in much-needed revenues.
Some will be motivated by family, background, native intelligence, and curiosity to take real classes, do their own real work, compete for grades and get meaningful degrees. Hats off to each of those individuals who takes advantage of the opportunity provided by the university.
Others will work like coal miners to get bigger, stronger, quicker, and better on the football field. They will put in thousands of hours of conditioning, training, weight lifting, and working on the field. They will endure pain, suffering, broken bones, and torn muscles in the process.
They will still be required to meet the minimum educational and classroom standards in order to remain eligible. If that is all they do, that is good enough if that is their choice.
There is no more a requirement to graduate “ever increasing” numbers of football players than there was for you to slavishly assist Jim Jones.
I suppose I will call you Rev. Wayne from now on. Filled your gills full of cyanide laced flavor aid (yes, it was not kool aid). Rev. Wayne the flavor aid drinker who filled his gills full of Jimmy’s poinous concoction found his purpose in live. That purpose is to contrast on this obscure gopher blog. Contrast on Rev. Wayne, this will be lots of fun. Enjoy your turkey and flavor aid Rev. Wayne!
d_a_c-off: Let the expose begin. Let’s expose this prexy b for the crook he is and the NCAA for the sham it is. Tear it all down. There is NO need for that kind of crap. The coming depression will bring these practices to a halt. That boondoggle stadium just MAY bring the University of Minnesota to the brink of insolvency. The state of Minnesota is broke and it is getting worse. The United States Government and Treasury department is becoming a hedge fund backed by the full faith and printing capacity of the U.S. treasury and mint. Hyper-inflation will follow the sting of a great depression. It will take WWIII to get out of this mess.
Tough times are coming and it will bring the bogus governing body of the college prexy’s to it’s knees. No advertising dollars will dry up the NCAA Final Four money. No more big tv contracts for the major onferences. No revenue sharing from the Big Ten. Bankruptcy for the U of M athletic department.
It’s probably going to take WWIII to get out of this coming depression just as it took WWII to get us through and out of the LAST great depression.
All the males will be drafter…no more party time for them.
There may or may not be Service Football teams like the one Bierman coached. A lot of stress, suffering and chaos and discontent is coming down the road.
The NCAA will be going down flaming in a crash and burn scene that is mindful of the one this sad, sick kelly leeks tried to fake.
There will be no money to pay for new stadiums. Contributions and donations to colleges and university con-job artist fund-raisers will put that whole scene in real pain!
So, d_a_c-off…you think this ncaa scam job with sports will survive the coming depression and WWIII? The whole world’s economy is crashing and you are talking scam jobs by the Big Ten, the NCAA, and our own University of Minnesota sports programs. Let it burn…d_a_c-off…just let it burn!
There d_a_c-off and kelly leeks, I can b.s. too!
d_a_c-off, even this sham of an NCAA organization will be taking away scholarships from programs that mess-up academically too much.
We need congress to start investigating the NCAA, one would think. Bring it to it’s knees. Shut college sports that offer scholarships down. Fear the coming depression and get ready for the depression ending WWIII effort that will send millions out to the ultimate battle field experience.
But, before any other moves are made: ditch this dunbar! ;0)
We should be very, very good next year. Now it’s up to Brewster in how this team performs. He seems to be taking the Bull by the Horns in wanting to improve this team.
Can anyone help Wayne? Please? Who would have dreamed the Jonestown experience would have such lasting effects on his mental capacity.
Even the illegal border jumper has borne the weight of his stress better than this wrenjonesdawl.
But just try to keep in mind, Jones, that there are well-established minimum requirements for students to attend the university and for them to remain eligible to compete. There are also minimum team sport graduation requirements.
As long as the program is meeting or exceeding all the minimum requirements, it is then free to concentrate on the important job at hand for football players … winning football games, bringing in paying customers, and assuring those practioners of genteel non-revenue sports can dress in nice clothes, fly around the country and stay in nice hotels, and play their polite sports.
For a conference to have a couple teams with a consistent high win percentage like Ohio State, there needs to be a team at the opposite end of the spectrum like Minnesota.
gold … You continue to amuse with your confident predictions of eight wins next year.
Like the wounded Jonestown survivor, you believe one can look at a schedule, mark down the wins and losses, and cancel the games as uneccesary. After all, why play them when we know who “should” win?
Yet, you do not know how much the offensive and defensive lines will grow and strengthen, how much players will develop, whether incoming recruits will contribute and at what positions. You don’t know what condition Bennett will be in, whether Shady and TDeLeon are bigger and stronger, whether Lipscomb can help. You don’t know if Gray is good enough to challenge for playing time, giving us a true dual threat at QB. You don’t know how much the young receivers will improve. You don’t know how the defense will change or improve.
And that’s your team .. the Gophers .. the team you are familiar with.
If you know little for sure about the Gophers, what in the world do you actually know for sure about Cal? Syracuse? Air Force? Even schools in the Big Ten?
The answer is you know next to nothing, just like me and everyone else. We just don’t know and we never can know whether a team is rising or falling on the day we play them. Who is hurt; who is ready?
It is all speculation, gold. That’s a word for ‘guessing’.
Dac,
I really do believe this team will be a lot better then people think. Our O-line will be a lot better and we will finally have some explosive backs. It will make a big difference. My only big worry is DE. We need guys to step up and make a difference there.
My big worry for 09 is left tackle and the OL in general. Meinke is too small and does not possess the strength. Alford looked horrible against Wisky especially in the 4th quarter. I know his ankle has been problematic and he was lacking stamina and taking turns with Meinke.
Lets hope Carufel will be ready to take that spot and be an upgrade.
gold04
Coach Meyer was definitely the “Fall Guy” for Dunbar’s ineptness. BTW… Carufel has been taking his reps at right guard this fall not at either tackle position.
Gold—if your “only worry” for next year is DE, you are some kind of dreamer. There isn’t one position I feel remotely confortable breaking down. We will see if these coaches can coach up their players bc we have a long way to go. Gold, who is going to kick that game winning 44 yard field goal with time expiring in the wind?? Calm down—I hope you are right but it is way too early. Let’s worry about this bowl game first.
Remember the last two home games in the dome: 84-6. Never forget. Ditch this dunbar now. The spread is dead. Long live POWER football! Tun the ball and stop the run. Win Big Ten Football games in large quantities. Ditch this dunbar NOW, or, this brewster will be run out of time without enough Big Ten wins to survive.
KTBH–much improved wren. Now you are getting to your point quickly and succinctly (sp?). Did you watch the UT v. Texas A&M game last night?? You don’t think UT displayed “POWER” football with the spread?? UT passed for 300 plus yds and ran for 200 plus yards. If we get the horses, you will learn quickly to love this offense.
Also, I think Weber is a better athlete than McCoy. However, McCoy has a couple advantages over Weber: 1) played for his father/coach in HS and they ran the UT spread 2) better vision of the field 3) can throw on the run much better. I am not letting Dunbar off the hook—I have been frustrated with him all year but I will defend the spread.
This brewster will NEVER get the horses from all those southern/western schools to come all the way up to Minnesota…he might get some of them to come, but they won’t consistantly be better than the kids that Texas takes…or even Michigan is able to recruit from Fla, Texas, Cali and costal parts of the country. Michigan, OSU and PSU will always have recruiting superiority on a more national level. Top-20 schmop twenty rankings? That is NOT good enough. You have GOT to be a top, top, top recruiting draw and do it over and over again, year after year, decade after decade. You have got to be CLOSER to the action like Texas, Fla. or Cali. And, if you bring in too many long-distance athletes and some of them want to get back close to home after their first year…or…they flunk out…or their babies mama’s start asking for some support and want the daddy to see the kids once in a while…or you reach too far for too many academicially challenged athletes, you are going to have turnover problems. You know the drill in America in the latter part of this initial decade of the “tewntyworst” century. Helter-skelter, topsey-turvey, all messed-, all shook-up economic problems, sociatal problems and common sense problems.
Haven’t you watched the last two home games? 84-6 the Gophers were outscored by a middle of the road iowa team and a crappy, crappy Michigan team. Man, this spread that the Gophers are running is dead and needs to be replaced. Bring back zone blocking and spread the field that way.
People, READ the handwriting on the wall. What does the scoreboard tell you? Are you people blind? Michigan…then iowa. Look out below unless this brewster dumps/junks/totally revamps his entire offensive scheme. Ditch this dunbar now. That would be a small beginning.
wren—looks like you and I are holding the fort down today. In many ways, the spread is a great equalizer. True, you need some quality skilled players, but if you want to go back to 3 yards and a cloud of dust, those days are gone. The key is a true, born and bred dual threat QB. Look at Ball State for a good example. They had no chance of lining up and overpowering anyone.
Tex … Weber is a better athlete than McCoy? Even though, as you say, McCoy has better vision of the field and throws better on the run?
How exactly, then, is Weber a better athlete? Does he throw the javelin farther?
It is really hilarious that a poisoned refugee from Guyana and a foreign escaped felon are going to lecture professional coaches on how to recruit and coach. Too funny.
DAC—vision of the field and throwing on the run are learned traits. McCoy is extremely cerebral and will make a great offensive coordinator someday just like Major Applewhite is today (if you are familar with UT FB). By athlete, I mean train them both for the decathalon and Weber would kick McCoy’s butt or put them in a cage and I can guarantee you Weber will be the one walking out. My point was, Weber has the physical tools required to run this spread offense. However, they need work and refinement. That is what coaches and the off-season are for.
Wren- Do you know what zone blocking is? The Gophers are using a zone blocking scheme within their spread offense.
And gaining recruiting advantages does take time. I agree that Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State have advantages over us and those were developed over decades of winning and drawing 100,000 or more fans to games. And obviously you are not going to outrecruit Texas in Texas. Turning a program around is always going to be an uphill battle regardless of what offense you are running and what player you are trying to recruit. But it is never a given that you can’t win some recruiting battles and as your team gets better you win more battles down the road.
As you know most kids want to play in the NFL. Every team can sell them on alumni playing in the league and schools like OSU, Texas, Miami sell that better than Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota. But Brewster can also sell that he coached in the NFL, he knows what it takes to get there, and he has worked with and is friends with NFL coaches that can give a player a tryout if they don’t get drafted. That can be a convincing pitch that other head coaches in the Big Ten can’t use. So what I’m saying is that every school and coach can use a different pitch and the Gophers pitch is working pretty well right now. Although I know you don’t believe in ranking recruiting classes until the teams have graduated and you can count the W’s, the recruiting services love the potential of the players we have recruited last year and thus far this year.
Tex … What concers me is that Weber has started and played almost the entirety of 24 football games and still does not survey the field well nor does he throw well on the move.
If these are, as you say, learned traits when should he learn them? There are guys who have won the Heisman and did not get 24 college starts.
grunk: The Current dunbar schemes MAY say that they do zone blocking, BUT on the field and on the scoreboard, this dunbar is in essence doing “Z”-blocking schemes. That would mean ZERO-Blocking. What were the rushing totals against iowa grunk??????? In 2007 the leading rusher was the qb. This dunbar’s z-blocking schemes, that were highly endorsed by this brewster character until he now has gotten religion and says he is a real “power” guy really makes me want to “lolromysmtihtp”…(to use a d_a_c-off reference.) My goodness grunk: how can you say that ANYTHING but a “z”-blocking (zero-blocking) scheme has been what we fans have been forced to see by this dunbar and teses same “zero-blocking” schemes have been openly endorsed by this brewster character ever since he raved about the offense this dunbar would give the Gophers?
A coach who was an unimportant little position coach in the stinking pros? Well, excuse me grunk if I don’t get too impressed or too excited about that. And it doesn’t appear that this brewster character’s players were too excited about that in 2007 OR in the 2nd half( the more difficult half schedule wise) of the 2008 Big Ten schedule where this brewster character’s team went 0-4. You are telling me what the players want…well, why the heck aren’t they playing that way then????????? 3-13 in Big Ten play during a period where the Big Ten is and was REALLY down compared to some other conferences. It doesn’t look as though the players are leaving it all out there on the playing fields for this brewster character…and this dunbar’s offense certainly hasn’t helped anything.
This brewster character MAY have been some piddly little position coach in the stinking nfl…but it sure isn’t translating into anything too positive in the TOTAL Big Ten win/loss picture since he has been in charge of the U of M football program. He WANTED this stinking dunbar to put together HIS offense at Minnesota? How pathetic. They can’t run the ball. They can’t score enough points and they are starting to be totally shut down by pathetic teams like Michigan and middle of the road teams like iowa?
How can you do ANYTHING but look at the Big Ten standings?????????? That is the ONLY report card that counts. 3-13. THAT is a failing grade. The players obviously don’t fit the stinking system and even in the case where this brewster character attempts to recruit players to fit his system, these players aren’t doing much to WIN Big Ten Football Games. They aren’t getting it done or their record would be better than 3-13. What kind of excuses do you have for that? I am outraged about the way this 2008 season ended. I am outraged about the way the 2007 season was played from start to finish. The schedule in 2009 will be MUCH more difficult. Other than going into the new stadium, I don’t see much to look forward to in 2009.
Wren-It should have been obvious that I was talking about recruiting when I said that Brewster’s pitch to recruits had a component that no other Big Ten coach could use. Your 3 paragraph rant was not a response to what I said. You said we can never recruit with Penn State and I told you the pitch that Brewster could use that allowed him to bring in a better ‘08 recruiting class than Penn State according to 3 major recruiting services.
The spread offense and zone blocking are pretty much intertwined. One play that is a staple of every spread team is the option read play in which the QB puts the ball in the RB’s gut and reads the DE to see if he crashes to the RB or holds his spot. If he crashes the QB pulls the ball and runs through the hole vacated by the end. If he stays put the QB lets go of the ball and it is a normal outside zone run for the RB. For blocking the tackle and guard double the DE and read the LB before one of them releases to block the LB based upon how the LB reacts to the play. This differs from a man blocking scheme because there wouldn’t be a double at the point of attack; the Tackle would take the DE and the G would take the LB.
As far as your 3 paragraph rant, you have to let the coach get his players in to the program before you fire him–look at Alvarez, Barnett, Ferentz, and Zook. I’m not saying 2007 and 2008 are irrelevant for the program but 2009-2011 (particularly ‘10-’11) are much better indicators for judging Brewster’s ability to run a program than what he did with players recruited to run a different system. Coming in to the season I wanted to see the program progress and give me hope that we could be much better in 2009. I saw enough to believe that will be the case. The o-line is my biggest area of concern because I didn’t see them progress like the rest of the team.
DAC asks “If these are, as you say, learned traits when should he learn them?” Soon, because we really don’t have a choice. Even next year, it would be hard to imagine a freshmen walking in and taking over. Brewster has shown that he has a quick trigger finger, and bc Weber has played nonstop, that leads me to believe that we really don’t have a choice. That said, I believe Weber can become an effective, consistent, winning QB.
Wren: “The players obviously don’t fit the stinking system and even in the case where this brewster character attempts to recruit players to fit his system, these players aren’t doing much to WIN Big Ten Football Games.”
Are you really judging Brewster by his inability to get freshman to win Big Ten Football games? Even if Brewster is recruiting better athletes it takes time for them to get on to the field and make an impact. It takes strength and good technique as well as athleticism to compete on the field and it takes time to build strength and teach technique. You don’t just go from HS making an impact in the NCAA. In any given year there are a handful of true freshman that make an impact and they are usually at WR or DB occassionally at RB or QB and very rarely at OL, DL, or LB. WR/DB require the least amount of strength, a fast RB with a good line can cover up for strength, QB & LB requires a lot of reads and coaching, and OL, DL, and LB require a lot of strength to block or get off blocks. A mediocre senior is generally better than an excellent freshman because of the strength and technique they have been taught.
If players didn’t improve from year to year there would be more freshman starting all over the country. I expect guys like Eskridge and Salamon that played a lot to come back much stronger next year. Green showed flashes of being really good and at times he struggled to get separation from DB’s. He should come back stronger to help him get off bump coverage and will benefit from a year of coaching which will help him run better routes and to learn to sit down against a zone. Broderick Smith could be a force inside the Red Zone when he gets stronger. Weber should make progress with another year of coaching and all the practice he will get this offseason. And with the improvement of the defense this past year I’m really looking forward to seeing what they can do next year with another year of working with Roof, weight training, and hopefully getting an impact from some of the guys from the ‘08 class that were not strong enough to see the field as freshman–like I said, freshman make very little impact on defense unless it is at DB.
I can tell DAC is unhappy with Weber but the coaches did choose him as second team All Big Ten. He made a lot of progress from ‘07 to ‘08 and I expect the jump to be just as big to ‘09. He looked really good when the line gave him time (2nd Qtr when Wisconsin wasn’t smart enough to blitz the line). He won’t have Decker in spring practice which should help him work on timing and gaining confidence with Green, Smith, and Carpenter. It is not unusual for guys to start seeing the field much better in year 3 of an offense than either of the previous two years and I’m blindly hopeful Weber will experience the same thing.
grunk … I am hopeful you are justified in being hopeful that Weber will make a big improvement. Or I’m hopeful that Gray will prove to be something on the order of Pryor. Either way, the team will be improved and that is the objective.
Weber was named 2nd Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and Honorable Mention by the media primarily because there were very few QBs in the Big Ten who actually played a full season.
Ohio State, Iowa, Purdue, Northwestern, Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin all changed quarterbacks once or more during the season because of injuries or just poor play.
You can’t really win all-conference recognition if you didn’t even play the full year. So Weber was one of very few to choose from.
grunk: Two years of this brewster’s contract are HISTORY. He’ll get his third year. And, no matter HOW badly he gets his brains beaten in in 2009, he will get a 4 year. He is 3-13 after two years. Looking at the 2009 schedule, I’d say that he will be doing the best he can do to get 2 or 3 Big Ten wins. Of course, they will play the games, but the schedule is flat-out tougher in 2009. IF he gets the 2 or 4 Big Ten wins I think he will be hard-pressed to get, he would have a 5-19 Big Ten record or 6-18. That would give him a “Hail Mary” season in 2010 to either produce big time or not get a new contract. If he goes into that 4th season at 6-18 in Big Ten play, I don’t think he has a prayer of surviving. This prexy b and this maturi will be in the “home” by then and any new administration will certainly want to upgrade the football program by bringing in a competent football coach…and a competent ad.
grunk: it is all about getting lots of Big Ten wins, graduating an ever increasing number of student athlete football players and running a completely clean and honest program.
You mention your hero, the old zookster. Heck, he took his team into the crapper. He didn’t even make a bowl game this year. That dude just can NOT coach for the life of him. He will be under pressure at Illinois pretty soon…if they aren’t mumbling down there already.
Those “athletic” qb’s don’t always throw the ball so well and don’t always take care of the ball so well. They can be rather up and down in their play from game to game. The Juice fumbled twice on his own two yard line against the Gophers, didn’t he?
I don’t know about this Gray? I wish him well, but, he sure is going to have to show me before I think he belongs out on the field ahead of Weber. He is one dude who needs to show up for EVERYTHING if and when he shows up at the U. Bring in this Lee kid and maybe even the kid who plays qb for Blane. QB’s get hurt. QB’s can break your heart when you expect too much from them and they haven’t even played a single down.
I think that the fan base at Minnesota had best be VERY thankful that Mr. Weber is back for two more seasons! I think that some of our so-called fans owe him an apology and had best start appreciating his toughness and the way he has played all beaten up for the Gophers.
Without him, they’d be running this brewster out of town on a rail already after only two seasons.
That is fair. The other legitimate options was Juice Williams.
Pryor could played enough to win but the guy barely pass for more than 1000 yards. Stanzi came on but wasn’t good enough at the beginning of the season. Even if Bacher played the entire year Weber was better. Hoyer completed about 50% of his passes, Sherrer was at best erratic, before Painter got hurt he had already been benched
I’m just as hopeful and optimistic with Gray as you are but I am less negative on Weber. The guy is a tough and he is a competitor that will find a way to win. I think if we give him time he will look a lot better than what we are seeing now. Although I’m not impressed with his ability to throw an accurate ball on the run. Sometimes he does it but other times it just looks bad.
Wren–In now way is Zook my hero. I would agree with the general thought process on him that he is a good recruiter and bad game day coach. That eventually got him fired from Florida.
Juice only fumbled once against us and it came on a great hit from Van De Steeg. I don’t care if you have an athletic QB or a pocket passer, they are all vulnerable to fumbling when they are hit in the pocket. He also got hit by VDS while making a pass which caused an interception. Not a pocket passer/dual threat issue either. The other fumble you are alluding to was the RB Dufrene.
And I don’t know think there is some magic record they have to hit to keep Brewster’s job but 2007 is irrelevant to the formula. The question is going to be whether Brewster has taken us to at minimum the Alamo Bowl or a New Year’s Day Bowl by year 4 or year 5. You don’t get there without winning Big Ten games. But it really is that simple, we were plateaud at the #5 or 6 bowl position with Mason (he took us to 7 bowls, all #5 or #6) and the only way to judge whether the firing of Mason and hiring of Brewster was a success is to determine whether Brewster can do better.
I think you underestimate how much the U of M has riding on the new stadium that this brewster had NO part of building. IF the Gophers go 4-8 or 5-7 in 2009 the way the schedule sets up, that would probably mean only 1 or 2 Big Ten wins. Why do I speculate on the 2009 season? Because I think it has become totally key to the strategy these supporters of this brewster will attempt to spin the losses as bing the fault of anyone else other than this brewster. We now see that the former offensive line coach has become the scapegoat. The fact of life is that the last two home games this brewster was in charge of he was humiliated by a combined game score of 84 to 6. Doesn’t that bother you grunk? How could this brewster have allowed that to happen? 84 to 6. THAT was something I can NOT easily forget. That was incredibly sad. There was NO excuse for that to have happened. 84 to 6 grunk…84 to six.
Of course it bothers me but I came in to this season saying that I didn’t expect miracles. I was hoping for at minimum 5 wins and I thought they could get as many as 8. But most importantly I wanted to see how the fixed the problems of one year ago–the defense and the turnovers. Big strides were made in both departments. Now I expect the strides to come on the o-line in 2009.
I don’t understand how you are now complaining that the o-line coach is the scapegoat. He was the number one point of criticism during the season. I know you hate Dunbar but I don’t care who the coordinator is, if you can’t block you can’t execute on offense.
The teams may have scored 55 and 29 points on us but it wasn’t the defenses fault. Iowa scored 6 points on its first two trips in to the red zone and Michigan scored 3. That is what you want from your defense. A decent offense would have gotten more than 3 first downs (combined) in the first halves of those to games and kept the defense off the field. When a defense wears down you are in trouble.
Granted, the defense isn’t completely immune from criticism from the blowouts but with first downs, time of possession, and points from the offense the defense doesn’t give up 29 against Michigan or 48 (offense gave up 7) against Iowa.
Where was this brewster when all this was happening? Offense? Defense? 84 to 6 is 84 to 6. These were this brewster’s two signature games as far as the end of his two years here goes. Next year will be at the new stadium. We are stuck with those final two Big Ten games at the dome. This brewster was the coach. He needs to dump this dunbar and bring in an offensive scheme tht will help out his defense.
grunk: this brewster is SUPPOSED to be in charge. EVERYTHING that happens on his watch is ALL on his head. EVERYTHING…
grunk … I am not negative on Weber. He is a good kid, and very tough, as you say.
What I am saying is that he has not yet played consistently at the level needed to take this offense to the top tier of the Big Ten. He has had the benefit of 24 full games now and he still does not survey the field well, does not look off the defensive backs well, and does not throw accurately on the move.
If we are going to have an offense that is effective against good competition we need a true dual threat quarterback who performs consistently on a high level. Perhaps that will be Weber next year and perhaps that will involve Gray getting some playing time too. It goes without saying required improvement in offensive line play is the foundation for improvement at quarterback too.
It is a certainty that a Big Ten team needs a minimum of two quarterbacks who can actually be trusted to play. We have gotten by with only one for two years now and that has not served us terribly well.
wren … It is truly tragic the events so far away on that November day 20 years ago still affect you so deeply. It can’t be easy being one of a handful of survivors and remembering the role you played in the deed. You have my deepest sympathy.
What’s really tragic is the way this brewster had his coaching brains bashed in by a terrible Michigan team and an average iowa team by a combined score of 84 to 6. d_a_c-off, you have GOT to start facing reality about what this brewster has done in his two seasons here. 84-6 should convince this brewster to step down on the spot and to apologize to everyone for pretending to be a coach. He brought this dunbar here and now unless he ditches this dunbar, he is going to have to pay the consequences of having an offense that is failing. 84 to 6 d_a_c-off…That is the crux of the problem. That is NOT acceptable.
Anyone not afflicted by post-massacre syndrome and survivor guilt understands that Brewster inherited a terrible football team with the weakest defense in the country and scant talent ready to play.
In his second year he has made good strides in upgrading the talent and going from 1-11 to 7-5 and getting to a bowl. That is a big turnaround precipitated by an infusion of new talent and good coaching of the existing kids.
We are happy with this trend and if it continues the Gophers will gradually move up to the upper echelons of the Big Ten and Brewster will coach here a long time.
How inexcusable was it for Mason to leave a team with no experienced linemen and so little talent across the board? That was pathetic.
DAC—agree with your 9:10 post. I am not exaggerating when I say the team and the time of the year Brewster inherited the Gophers was very similar to when a team is coming off an NCAA death penalty. I will never forgive Mason for holding the program hostage and then not giving his job anywhere close to 100%. I will be shocked if he ever gets another D1 head coaching job.
It is SO good that Mason collected those millions and millions of dollars of borrowed buy out money that the incredibly irresponsible prexy b and maturi FORCED him to walk away with! Those two incompetent administrators tried to be SUCH bad actors and thought they had the upper hand. But they got their collective dentures kicked down their throats in the end when they caved in like the wimps and fools that they are and signed Mason to a FIVE year extension so that he could bring home the stadium for them.
I’ve just got to laugh out loud EVERY time one of this brewster’s kool-aid chuggers such as you, tex make statements the way you make statements about Mason. Mason walked away with millions and millions of dollars JUST because this prexy b and this maturi were so totally incompetent.
And now you try to make this brewster look like he still has a chance to survive the mess he has made of the first two years he has supposedly been in charge. 3-13. 84 to 6. Those will be key numbers that you and your types will become very familiar with and things keep slip sliding away for this brewster. I figure two more wasted seasons and we won’t have this brewster to kick around any longer. It’s just part of that old rule of 84 to 6 thing. It’s not looking good at all at the end of the 2008 season… :0)
A mind, even one still suffering the afteraffects of a poisoning, is a terrible thing to let atrophy.
Hey there tex,
This brewster character was the one who just HAD to go with this dunbar’s offense even though he knew they didn’t have players who were suited for that stinking dunbar washed-up-spread. This brewster character didnt even seem to have a clue about the running game problems until the 84 to 6 disaster happened.
Nobody twisted this brewster’s arm to go the way he went. That was all his own doing. He thought throw away seasons would work really well with the foolish boosters and fans in Minnesota. After all, he told them how he and Mac had TWO throw away seasons at North Carolina. Some of them bought it hook, line and sinker. There are some REAL suckers born every minute.
Ths brewster character did things exactly the way he wanted and he has a failing record to prove it. 8-16 over all and 3-13 in Big Ten play. 84 to 6 the last two Big Ten games played in the dome. It just doesn’t get much worse than that. I didn’t enjoy the second half of the Big Ten schedule at all.
When are you guys going to accept the fact that Mason is gone and Brewster is here and who gives a shit what happened in the past, we are here now and will go with Brewster for now. He has made some mistakes, as a 2nd yr. head coach, but is learning and will do a good job. If he goes 4 yrs and is still not producing, then we should go after him, but give the guy a chance, he is doing it right, Roof now Davis, good recruiting classes that will take a few yrs. to develope and we should start seeing results. So Birdy you can write your half page comments, but you’re so full of s–t it doesn’t matter. Give the guy another 2 yrs. then the report card means something.
we still have these apologists like DAC for Brewster. Brewster and Cheap Carl Pohlad have ruined sports in this state. Brewster is also the cause of the demise of the Vikings. He knows Childress well, and childress has tried to emulate Brewster.
“Brewster … have ruined sports in this state. Brewster is also the cause of the demise of the Vikings.”
________
Right you are wren jr. And don’t forget Brewster caused the subprime mortgage crisis, planned 9/11, carried out the Mumbai attacks, and gave the Indians blankets infested with small pox in the 1860s. All Mase ever did was cause global warming.
Rather than worrying about academics involving our players, I wonder if we should not be more concerned with “ever increasing graduation rates” for posters?
How about ever increasing literacy rates?
Even though he wasn’t alive yet I heard Brewster caused the holocaust, developed the Blitzkrieg as an offense that was translated to war and shot at a kitten that was stuck up in a tree.
grunk: this brewster has coached 24 games. He has won 8 and lost 16. His record in Big Ten play is 3 wins and 13 losses. I give him credit for every Big Ten win and I also give him credit for every Big Ten loss. Just as was the case with Mason, no Gopher coach can EVER achieve any credit for an ooc win, but will be lambasted for EVERY ooc loss. EVERY bowl game that is played before New Years Day will only be a reason to criticize the coach and the bowl will automatically achieve the status of a worthless, meaningless bowl game.
You people are going to have to learn that just as you have come down hard on former Gopher Coaches, at all times…this brewster will also be given much grief for any losses and also for even receiving an invitation for one of the pre-New Years Day bowl games.
Fantasy recruiting rankings of classes count for nothing. ONLY actual WINS in Big Ten play can be counted as anything worthwhile. That is the way you people have played the game and that is the way the game will continue to be played. What goes around…comes around.
So face up to the facts. Wins help as long as it is Big Ten play. Losses just crucify a coach. And prexys and athletic directors are fair game and will be criticized for EVERYTHING that is not a positive for the football program.
Have your fun. I’ll just make sure that the standards that you kool-aid drinkers set back when you were mobbers and bashers is maintained in the here and the now. This brewster needs to make sure he ALWAYS does the right thing and he needs to win a LOT of Big Ten Football Games. He needs to ONLY get invitations to New Years Day bowl games, he needs to win them and he should be just fine. Anything that he does that is less than the expectations placed on other coaches will most certainly be noted.
Oh yes, this brewster character needs to ditch this dunbar now! That would be the right thing for him to do to try to save this program from further deterioration. 84 to 6 in the last two home Big Ten games is a cause for GREAT concern about the direction of this program under the direction of this dunbar’s offense and this brewster’s coaching abilities.
Question: Why do the loons, wrens, ruesse’s and from what I can gather, half the state of Mn. ridicule, mock, defend mason, and make these snide, negative comments towards Brewster???
Answer: Because he makes them realize what a slacker, lazy, apathetic, sorry sack that they are.
I have never seen a coach work harder, want to win more, absolutely bust his butt more than Brewster. This guy deserves 2 more years of support. Then we can do an honest, objective evaluation of the program. If it did not work, at least it will not be for lack of effort.
Why do the texas/grunk/d_a_c/kellyleeks/mcstaggers and a few more kool aid drinkers of this brewster insist on trying to make excuses for this brewster and try to blame former coaches for this brewster’s problem 2 years AFTER Mason was fired/bought out of a newly signed contract at GREAT expense to the General Fund of the University of Minnesota? Why should critics of this brewster be attacked so viciously by these brewster kool-aid drinkers for stating their concerns and observations about this brewster, his systems, his short-comings and the hypocracy of this brewstr?
IF this brewster kool aid drinking bunch would not tory to blame former coaches for this brewste’s short comings and losses and thrown away seasons, perhaps there would not be so much need to remind thes brewster cheerleaders that it has been this brewster who has made his own choices about what kind of offense to run and try to force players into systems that they had to learn, were not suited for, etc.
It is essential that this brewster must be examined for who he is, how he is, what HIS record is and why should i be expected that he should be automatically universally liked in spite of messing a bunch of things up?
This brewster hides behind peons and stooges and doesn’t like it when people say: “…the emperor wears no clothes…” when his systems prove to be ineffective and he continues to lose games that he should have won.
Why should people be lambasted because they are skeptical of and crittical of this hype that is made of this fantasy recruting ranking of high school aged recruits? Why do thses brewster apologista feel they have to control points of view that do not coincide with their own by calling others names and going to extreme lengths with incredibly crass and sociopathic actions attacking those who differ in point of view from their own “company” line of propaganda?
tex, it is obvious that you people need to be contrasted. You should be thankful that others still care about the Gophers and the coaching situation at the U. Instead, you try your dirty tricks, name-calling and even stoop so far as to personally attack family members of individuals.
Every time you people try to silence another person’s concerns, point of view and every time you people stoop to such low tactics, you can be assured that you will NEVER silence the voices that have something different to add to the conversation…to contrast your attempts to control all discussion.
In other words, you can’t stop discussion. You can’t control others. And your personal attacks against others will only bring out MORE of the responses you are attempting to silence.
Let the contrasts continue. The voices of the people will be heard…will be stated and discussions will continue.
This brewster will live and die by his own body of work…his own Big Ten wins…hi own Big Ten losses. He SHOULD ditch this dunbar NOW!
Report from Jonestown noted.
Some of you guys have been in Jonestown too long to understand that the Gopher head football coaching job breaks down like this:
50% recruiting
30% player development
20% game prep and game day
When a coach takes over the worst defense in America and a very slim talent pool, nothing can be done to improve the team without aggressive and successful recruiting. That is the only place to start.
Development of the existing players and continued development of the new players is the second line of improvement. That is where the depth is developed to win in the Big Ten.
What Brewster has been able to show so far is that he understands the importance of recruiting and knows how to do it. He also understands the need for strong assistant coaches and has assembled a good staff and continues to improve the staff.
Brewster’s attitude, enthusiasm, and work ethic are a breath of fresh air at Minnesota.
“I have never seen a coach work harder, want to win more, absolutely bust his butt more than Brewster. This guy deserves 2 more years of support. Then we can do an honest, objective evaluation of the program. If it did not work, at least it will not be for lack of effort.”
Great point Tex!!
The sad truth is that these other “so-called” Gophers fans are so wrapped up in there own pathetic wasted lives that they can’t appreciate what a person with the positive qualities, like Coach Brewster, brings to the program. Just ignore them and their meaningless diatribes. The “true” Gopher fans will continue to enjoy and support the resurgence that Brewster and his team continue to strive for, Go Gophs!!
d_a_c,
Very well stated. It’s refreshing to see a coach identify his team’s weaknesses and actually do something to correct them.
He did this with the defense from last year, i.e. recruited strong on defense and hired Ted Roof (great move).
Now he will do the same with the offense/running game, i.e. by bringing in Davis.
He has also recruited strongly on offense this year along with the players who we be eligible in addition to the new recruiting class (Grey, Carufel, Bennet from a medical redshirt). Look for this team to be way more balanced next year. Yes, they will have a tougher schedule but they will have a much stronger team on both sides of the ball.
Good luck to the Gophers on their upcoming bowl game and keep reaching for the Roses!!
Oh yes bisker: a “true” fan? You mean a dude or dudette with blinders on who tries to make an alarming situation into a real positive. Why does this brewster need to try to finally start establishing a running game after two seasons that have produced a 3-13 Big Ten record and resulted in the final two Big Ten home games in 2008 having the team outscored by the shocking/staggering/totally disheartening total of 84 to 6 in losses to the worst Michigan team in the modern era an iowa team that struggled like all get out for most of the season.
Why would it take this brewster two full seasons to FINALLY realize that his team needs to be able to run the ball in Big Ten play or he will consistantly be DESTROYED by every catagory of Big Ten opponent? Has he been just plain brain dead? Has he been watching the films for the past two seasons? Does he completely ignore what his coaches are coaching and just kind of show up on Game Day Satuday? The running problem with THIS offense has been evident from day one. And finally two years later this brewster gets some religion????? Who’s in charge over there at the Bierman Complex any way? Talk about being “out to lunch” for a couple of years…
d_a_c-off: 84 to 6 combined score losses to Michigan and iowa and you say 20% of this brewster joker’s job is stinking game day prep??????? 30% is player development?????? He’d better get to work where it matters…on the playing field on Game Day Saturdays.
The more I hear you try to make excuses for this brewster clown, the more I can understand how the heck 84 to 6 happpened at the end of his second season.
Wow, he doesn’t even show up does he?
wren … You need a break from Jonestown. You are just so obsessed with Kool Aid that you can’t think clearly. Did you help pass it out?
You solve a running game by recruiting and developing offensive linemen and running backs. You do not do it over night with a group left behind by Mason with no experience and limited ability.
There is nothing magic about developing a running game, wrenbawl. You are too accustomed to magic solutions just by handing out Kool Aid. Get back to reality and leave that camp. Come home, wrendawl. Twenty years is enough.
So where would we be right now if Masonball was still intact for the last two years? Without talented guys like Theret, Lawrence, Simmons, Brock, etc. around we would continue to see a whimpy D and hard pressed to be better than 8-16. And Mason would likely still have Sherels on offense as that’s where he put his best players.
Whine and complain all you want Wren but no matter the coach, Minnesota would be far from a top three BT team.
Brewster is committed, relentless and knows what he want. A successful program. Mason was content and admitted that even in year 10 he was still in a building phase. Now that is pretty pathetic.
Anyone who doesn’t respect how Brewster is going about his business is blind and biased. Brewster:Mason. Its a no-brainer who I want to see in charge.
What a lot of cult camp refugees and illegal border jumpers fail to understand is that when you take over a sliding program where the coach refused to recruit or work the last three years, you have only one immediate objective — find new talent.
When you take over a team with the worst defense in Division I, no experience at quarterback, and a very young offensive line with little experience, you don’t doodle on paper with Xs and Os dreaming that if you have him do this or that a weak linemen could somehow magically dominate an experienced 23-year-old across from him.
No, what you do is eat, drink, sleep, and think recruiting and player development. That is what counts.
Right on Bayfield!
Oh yes, Bayfied. That 55-0 thrashing at the hands of a middle of the road iowa team that had struggled mighitly to beat Purdue and that 29-6 pounding at the hands of a pathetic and hapless Michigan team for a combined humiliation of 84-6 was a prime example of a truely committed, relentless and all knowing, verging on omnipotent and omniscient brewster character. That 84-6 deficit in that pair of games displayed eactly what this brewster always has been all about.
Yes, he certainly made a believer of you Bayfield. This brewster was most certainly “in charge when he was brutalized by that richrod of Michigan. It was one of richrod’s three wins all year…and it was not only a humiliating defeat for this brewster, it was merely a glimpse of what this brewster would do to have his team ready to play iowa.
The 55-0 abandonment of this brewster by his players that last night in the damn dome was a culmination of the first two years under this brewster. 1-11 in 2007…0-8 in Big Ten Ball (That is the conference that the Gophers are “competing” in…right Bayfield? The probem is that I seriously have my doubts IF this brewster is a Big Ten coach. 84 to 6? Talk about being totally dominated and totally humiliated.
Oh, I won’t whine aout this brewster. I will sit back and take it all in. There is nothing I can do about it except to continue to tell it the way I see it. If I see this brewster subjecting the kids who play for him to any more 55-0 humiliations at the hands of a Big Ten border battle foe, I guess it really wouldn’t surprise me too much. And I would know that fans such as yourself would be getting EXACTLY what you have called for, supported and demanded. In other words, Bayfield, that Michigan debacle and the iowa were the gift of your boy…this brewster to you and for you. It mut have made you proud. It must have made you feel as though it was all worth while. Yes, that brutal, yet not really all so bad loss to iowa was exactly what the crew of this brewster really deseved! ;0)
As for me, I’ll bide my time until this brewster has had what I believe will be his last two years…2009 and 2010. Of course, I might be wrong and this prexy b andthis maturi might decide toextend this brewster at any time now! However,He had best not throw away 1 and 1/2 seasons the way he has in the past. He had better learn how to run the ball and stop the run…at least if he still feels strongly about the running game next week. He had better start winnning Big Ten games….well, any way if he feels like it… This brewster has the new stadium that the failed and fired Mason was retained by this prexy b and maturi at the cost of millions and millions of dollars to secure for the pair of pathetic administrators.
If this brewster can’t win 5 big Ten games in 2009, there is NO doubt that his 4th season will be his final season, unless winning only a couple of Big Ten games might be enough to get his extension. Even the name-calling brewster apologists will be running out of positive spins to put on the losses…the endless “Big Ten losses that I fear are coming down the road, especially if this brewster is foolish enough or stubborn enough to keep this dunbar..this pathetic dunbar in charge of the demise of this brewster’s litte experiment. The final phase of this experiment will now move to the new stadium. I don’t care what the administration does really. I would challenge them to go ahead and add about four or five years of extension to this brewster’ contract right now. Yes, by all mean, Big Ten wins no longer matter to this funny little band of brewster die-hards. In fact, I think an extension that would give him a total of ten years would be good. Since he is averaging 1.5 Big Ten wins a season that would treat the brew-crewers to twelve…an even dozen more Big Ten wins over the next 8 seasons. That should really keep those cowboys happy! An early buy out would probably give this prexy b and maturi a chance to borrow almost a cool ten million from the General Fund. That would certainly make this brewster too big to let fail!..much like General Motors, Ford, Chrysler and numerous banks… ;0)
Eventually, they might not even need to bother to play any games. They could just have mid-winter “scials” at mid-field level in the TCF BANK STADIUM towards the end of February every year. Sure, this brewster can still take part down in Chicago at the Big Ten Media Day. Remember, this brewster character is ALL about recruiting. I suppose that they could go along with spring ball, but, this brewster will need to stay on the recruiting trail. Then, this brewster can check out on a nice extended vacation from the end of August until the third or fourth week of November. Then, it’s back, hard at it on the recruiting trail. Top 20 fantasy recruiting rankings…that’s what it is all about anyway…right?
Or, this brewster will try to play it straight and will close out the 2009 season with a 5-7 regular season record or if they have a little bum-luck, maybe a 4-8 regular season record. 1 or 2 Big Ten wins just might be about it in 2009. Then, look for a break out year again in 2010 with this brewster winning about 6 or 7 games total and another return to greatness with the potential for a 3 Big Ten win season.
At the end of the 2009 season, the ad will be in a real bind, wondering whether to extend this brewster or not. I’ve got to admit, I am currently leaning towards this maturi will extend this brewster at the end of the 2009 season even if this brewster wins only 4 or 5 games total. After all, the brew-crew doesn’t care if the team wins or loses and they certainly don’t care what the score will be. They pretty much do deserve what ever this brewster decides to give them. And besides that, they can blame it all on Mason any way! ;0)
Oh yes, the brew crew is pretty well disgusted with Mr. Weber and they are all hoping this new recruit…who used to be a former recuit will be the new qb and then just watch what happens! I don’t know if it will be good…or bad…or if it will ever happen. But, we all know that you have to give a coach at least 10 seasons before anything matters. And it all goes on Mason’s head anyway.
So, I was really proud of the way this brewster led his lads into that final slaughter game at the dome…or should I say that final 55-0 heart-breaking loss to iowa that his team quit on him in. It was all brewster and to the brew-crew-bruisers…it is all good…55-0…29-6…84-6 for the combo…right Bayfield?
My word birdy, you are just a total jerk, and a long winded or fingered one at that. Sorry Kent, but I’m trying to be nice to this birdman!
littlebig: Do you debate the refernces to the scores of the iowa and Michigan games? The recrods in the 2007 or the throw away last 1/2 of the Big Ten schedule? This brewster lost the last 4 games of the Big Ten schedule. That much we know.
Can you debate that anything that goes wrong for this brewster is blamed on Mason by the brewer-crewer-stick-it-to-Mason game plan?
I don’t know littlebig…it seems to me as though I just included many things that have happened under this brewster. Seems pretty fair and balanced to me. At LEAST as balanced as you brew-crew-apologists ever make things.
Good talking to you littlebig!
Wren-You are such a stubborn fool that won’t actually engage in a legitimate discussion or use logic that I don’t know how long it will be until people ignore you completely. If StarTribune had the function I would use it.
Recruiting is not a fantasy. Those are players that will be coming in to the program and will be making an impact in the future. If you think the ratings are completely wrong let’s review this past recruiting class. Rivals predicted that the top freshman receivers in the country would be Julio Jones @ Alabama, AJ Green @ Georgia, DeVier Posey @ Ohio State, DeAndre Brown @ Southern Miss, Jonathan Baldwin @ Pitt and Michael Floyd @ Notre Dame.
Stat lines on those players:
Jones - ALA 43 rec. 687 yds 4 TD leads team
Green - GEO 51 rec. 887 yds 7 TD leads team
Posey - OSU 9 rec. 104 yds 1 TD
Brown - SM 63 rec. 1057 yds 12 TD leads team
Baldwin - Pitt 17 rec. 386 yds 3 TD lead team
Floyd - ND 46 rec. 702 yds 7 TD 2nd on team
So of the top 6 receivers by recruiting ranking 4 of them lead their team in receiving, 1 is second on his team in receiving, and the other has made no impact at Ohio State which would have been considered to have the most depth at his position. The recruiting rankings are not going to be right about every player but it is a reasonably accurate representation of athletic skills and potential. Teams still have to get guys in to the weight room, teach technique, and develop talent but recruiting is not fantasy.
From the Gophers ‘08 recruiting class we saw an impact from Eskridge, Salamon, Green, Stoudemire, Lawrence, Brock, Simmons and there were smaller contributions from Smith, McKinley, Edwards, and Johnson on special teams. I can’t remember a recruting class ever making such an immediate impact at Minnesota.
You can keep ranting and raving about this Brewster’s record in Big Ten games all you want but he wasn’t hired to win in 2007. He was hired because the Gophers had plateaud at about 6-7 in the Big Ten and we were tired of going to Nashville or El Paso for bowl games. If Maturi thought it was just a minor fix he would have brought in an establsihed coach that could improve on the x’s and o’s to win more games in 2007. Instead he hired a recruiter to build a program realizing that it was an overhaul of the system. You can’t judge a building when all that you see is the foundation and just like you can’t judge the building of a program by the record in year 1.
Maybe the reason I’m more patient than you is because I’m in my late 20’s and you’re stubborn enough to make me believe you are in your 70’s. We still have a lot of work to do before the team is good enough to be an upper echelon team in the Big Ten consistently but I feel like we made a lot of progress this year.
And non-conference games against good teams do count. I’m fine with discounting a game against a bottom half of the MAC team but when you’re playing Cal or Air Force which are legitimate teams the wins do count as more than beating a patsy.
So, you say that it was written in this brewster’s contract that he was NOT supposed to win in 2007? Were this prexy b and maturi really that emphatic about this brewster not winning in 2007? That is some pretty kinky leadership we have at the University of Minnesota. Did his contract also say that he didn’t need to win any Big Ten games in the 2nd half of the Big Ten season.
And darn it, I would have loved to have had those players that you mentioned for Notre Dame, Pitt, OSU, et al at Minnesota for the 2008 season! Man, they would have caught over 200 passes for the Gophers in 2008! Throw thme in with Decker and that woul hve been QUITE a receiving corps. Why didn’t this brewster go after them? Why didn’t he recruit them to Minnesota? This brewster is a better recruiter than anyone who has ever walked the face of the earth. Isn’t that what you were saying grunk?
Now, about Air Force and Cal next year. That will be a really good thing won’t it? It will really get us ready for that much tougher Big Ten schedule. And, those games ONLY count if we win them, right? If we lose them they won’t hurt a bowl bid for the Gophers at all…isn’t that right grunk? Someone was trying to tell me that wins are good and losses are bad. But, you are now telling me that it will really help the Gophers IF they lose to Air Force (what is their record in 2008?) and Cal. This brewste won’t lose to Cal will he?
Oh jeeze how I wish that this maturi would have hired an established coach! I still can’t forgive him for NOT hiring an established coach…you know…you would think if you do it for the hoops program the LEAST you could do would have been to do it for the Football Program that is just moving into a big buck…financial risk stadium that represents a 300 million dollar investment for the University of Minnesota. Of course, for an ad like this maturi who doesn’t quite “get” the football story I am not surprised at all that he went with a totally inexperienced coach, a BIG $$$$$ coordinator (the even bigger $$$$ defensive coordinater withered away at the end of the 2007 season and bagged tail on the Gophers for North Carolina) budget scheme for football…because his coach didn’t have a clue and wanted this dunbar to be in charge of his offense…passing game AND power rushing game that just picked up 10 yards agaist iowa at the end of the 2008 regular season. Yeah, I can see why this brewster didn’t make a move on that offense and establishing some line play and a running game until the end of the regular season. What a proactive, agressive, take-charge guy this brewster might be…sort of could be…if ONLY shows some stones and dumps/ditches and discards this dunbar.
But one thing that my ancient age allows me to KNOW: in the end it s ALL about Big Ten wins vs. Big Ten losses. This brewster needs a LOT more Big Ten wins than he has. I predict that eventually he will be fired or forced out like every other coach I know of who coached the Gophers from Bierman to Mason. The ONLY one to escape was that crook lou hoax who dumped the Gophers before they could dump him. The odds are overwhelming that this brewster will either be fired and bought out or will not have his contract renewed. That is just the way it ALWAYS happens around here.
grunk … Whyne Wrenbawls was reported to be in his late 50s when he absconded with the money and joined the People’s Temple in the mid-1970s to assist Jim Jones.
After serving as chief cheerleader on that November day in 1978 his whereabouts has been largely unknown. But I think you have his age pegged about right.
While he knows nothing about football it is presumed he is quite expert by now in growing yams in Guyana.
Grunk—you know how to hurt a guy. Looking at Floyd’s numbers really was painful. It’s just too bad he did not stay home. Any word on McNeal?? Anyone seen both the guys play and can make a first hand comparison??
McNeal was supposed to take an offical visit to Penn State for the game against MSU. Due to a death in the family he could not make it. That is his fifth and final official if he makes the trip (Minnesota, Oregon, Colorado, Oklahoma). He is down to two schools that he is seriously considering but he will not divulge them. He will be announcing his decision at the Army All America game on Jan. 3.
The biggest positive that I can see is that we wanted to add one more receiver for this class and we did not have a WR in for the only game after McNeal’s official visit. I could be reading too much in to that.
As far as Floyd vs. McNeal, I didn’t see McNeal play this year but I have seen his junior highlight film and he is a dynamic playmaker that makes CB’s miss. There were a number of bubble screens in which he made the first guy miss and he was gone. I think the Army All America game will tell us a lot more about where he is at. I’d love to see him add some muscle to get off the line against bump and run but it is rare for receivers to have that at age 18.
Oh yeah, and Floyd’s numbers are through 10 games because he missed the game vs. Syracuse last week and they play game #12 tonight.
Avg. per game: 4.6 receptions, 70 yards, 0.7 TD
For you gopher bashers, please move out here to Washington and root, root for the Huskies and Cougars. Two wins and 21 losses between them. Now if you want to bash a coach, go for it. I say give Brewster another 2-3 years. He may have the program turned around by then, and going to the Rose Bowl. At that time he can break his contrat and leave the program for greener pastures. Then you Brewster bashers can complain what a bad person he is for not fullfilling his duties as the Gopher coach. Either get behind the program or stay of the blog with negative crap.
“Wren-You are such a stubborn fool that won’t actually engage in a legitimate discussion or use logic that I don’t know how long it will be until people ignore you completely.”
Grunk, it’s already happened. I don’t even bother reading any part of that drivel. When I see who’s posting I just skip the mindless rantings. There are so many positive aspects occurring with this program, why waste time with ignorant naysayers?
Thanks for the insight you have on incoming recruits. Have you checked out Victor Kreise’s highlights? Seems like a kid with great hands.
all of these comments mean nothing-I went to a Gopher-Ohio state game when I was 12. Tony Dungy was the gophs starting qb-OSU was ranked #1 and the gophers got pounded. Fast forward 33 years and with the exception of the buzz generated by Lou Holtz when he was here the gophers have never been close to a rose bowl or any kind of bcs game and guess what -they never will!!!!! lets just accept the factthat once in a while they might upset some body and play in a sun bowl like mason’s teams did, finish 9-3, but remember that is once in a while ,like every 10 years, no big time recruits will come here ,ever, what do you think oklahoma would do tothe gophers, 112-0 would be the score-we will never be a big time program, lets just stop pretending-okay-sorry, but the 55-0 game did me in for good.
THE ONLY THING TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF!
Too many people are being too scared about next year. People are being too afraid to place expectations on wins for Brewster in 09. Here are some reasons why this team should win at least 8 games next year.
1. Webber - All quarterbacks seem to struggle a little bit more in their Sophmore year. Weber did in yards but brought down his interceptions. Next year he’ll blow MN QB stats out of the water.
2. Recievers - Decker, Hayo, Green, Smith, Mcneal, Ben, Mcknight, and Spry. We have posseesion recievers and deep threats. Best group of recievers we have had here period.
RB’s - (SO) Eskridge, Bennet, Shady (FR) Whaley, Limpscomb, and another 4 star. This group is young but talented. We have guys who are good at pass catching and guys who can take it to the house.
Coaches - When has a MN team had coaches as experienced in college ranks as well as the pro level. You have guys like Brewster, Davis, Roof and yes even Dunbar. Dunbar’s NW team averaged 501 yards a game. Yes I would rather have Norm Chow but I think Dunbar might actually suprise us all next year.
Defense - Should be even better next year with Roof. This defense will take a huge step forward.
O-line - Will be much improved with expereince and Davis at the helm.
The team next year will be experienced, talented and deep for a MN team. Why not keep raising our expectations? If anyone has been realist about expectations it’s me.
2007 - Predicted 4,5, win at least 0.
2008 - Predicted 8, win at least 6.
2009 - Predict 10, win at least 8.
We should not be afraid in year 3 to raise the bar again. I have been fair and realistic in my expectations. Not like Wren who thought we shoud be undefeated in 2007 and 2008. I really feel the Gophers should win at least 8 games next year. I don’t see anything wrong with having increased expectations for a coach. If Brewster is the real deal which I think he can be, then he’ll meet those expectations.
Don’t go telling lies goldohfour. For 2008 I predicted 7-5 from the start. And, when they got to 7-1, I increased it to 8-4. You are such a little long-nosed truth distorting little wooden puppet goldohfour…
It isn’t nice to make things up the way you do…
The 2008 season set up for SO many wins! I just don’t see the same thing happening in 2009. 2009 is going to be a year in which wins do NOT come as easily. Purdue will be tougher. iowa will be away and ic is a tough place to play. Cal????? MSU could be very tough. PSU will be very tough…especially at Happy Valley…these kids for the most part have never played out there before. OSU at the Horseshoe is OSU at the Horseshoe. wisky here? This brewster hasn’t been able to get it done riding this dunbar’s offense agaisnt wisky. NU down in Evanston. Close, but will there be a cigar this time? This brewster/dunbar double headed give away machinehasn’t been able to figure out how to play poker against Fitsgerald. toss up? Gone will be Indiana and Michigan and FAU and Montana State and NIU and BG. Darn!
If I were making predictions it would depend upon IF this brewster has finally dumped this weight around his neck…this dunbar…OR IF this dunbar will still be there to bring this brewster down further. of course, maturi would have a Big $$$$$ buy out to do if they dump this dunbar. Maybe prexy b will dip into the General Fund at the U of M again to come up with the money for that buy out…What the heck the University of Minnesota has a LOT of money in that General Fund! ;0)
Ditch this dunbar NOW!
How can any sane person argue with the cult camp survivor wrenbawl when he says, quite logically:
“If This Brewster keeps This Dunbar in 2009 the Gophers can expect no better than 0-12. If This Brewster gets a new offensive coordinator the Gophers are a cinch to go 13-0. It’s that simple, so why can’t this Brewster catch on?”
Sincerely,
This Wrenbawl
Jonestown, Guyana
This/that/those/them wren needs to go NOW!!!! He needs to have at least 5 coherent and meaningful posts per day on Gridiron Gold in order for him to be a success!!! If not, he must go!!!!! I think I speak for everyone here. Get a hobby and find something else to do besides writing 5 chapters a day on this blog.
This wrenbawl has plenty of time on his hands to keep his hands on his time growing yams. He is clueless on Gopher football. Has never seen a game.
Bisker–I have seen Kiese and I think he is going to be an outstanding big guy in the red zone. I think Kiese and Broderick Smith are going to fill a similar need for the Gophers and will be competing for playing time. That is usually a position that you’ll need to add some muscle for too so the biggest impact may be felt in 2010 when Decker & Kuznia are no longer there.
Jsmith-”Fast forward 33 years and with the exception of the buzz generated by Lou Holtz when he was here the gophers have never been close to a rose bowl or any kind of bcs game and guess what -they never will!!!!!”
Had we not collapsed against Michigan in ‘03 we would have tied them for the conference champion at 6-2 with the tie breaker. We have in fact been one game (or one quarter) away from the Rose Bowl.
JSmith-”no big time recruits will come here, ever”
I’m not sure how you define “big time” but getting guys like Hageman that have offers from Wisconsn, OSU, and has Florida recruiting him is a big start. Gray was wanted by Oregon & MSU; Cooper turned down Texas Tech; Lipscomb was being recruited by LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St. but committed here last May as soon as we offered him; Brandon Green had offers from Illinois, Iowa, MSU, Northwestern, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. All of those are 4 star recruits except Hageman that is a 3 star.
Are we going to outrecruit Ohio State, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, or USC? No. But neither are the other 114 programs in DI. Last year we had a #17 ranked class according to the recruiting services and we have another good class currently being recruited. We have less scholarships available this year so it probably won’t be as highly ranked. However, if we can get a few of the 4 star guys like McNeal (finalists: Minn, PSU, OU, Oreg, Colo), Lewan (Minn, Miami, Mich, AZ, ASU, a lot more) Gainer (Ind, Minn, PSU) that we have a really good chance for then this recruiting class could end up in the top 25.
Recruiting is so very exciting. Beats the hell out of college football for some. Reminds me a lot of beauty pageants.
Gold—I like your enthusiasm, but for your prediction of 10 wins next year, it would take divine intervention. Before you put your hard earned money down on a 10 win year next season, you better make sure you can answer the following questions:
1) will Weber stay healthy all year??
2) do we have a dependable, ready, backup QB??
3) do we have a field goal kicker with ice in his veins from 44 yards out??
4) who is going to punt the coffin corners when we need them??
5) will Bennett be back 100%??
6) will the offensive line improved significantly??
7) who is taking WVDS place?
9) is Decker going to play MLB??
10) will we cut down on momentum killing personal fouls??
I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. There are so many variables, we still lack depth (we will never have that luxary), vulnerable to injuries and just bad luck. What we really need right now is a big win in a bowl game.
You gotta like the sounds of this:
Posted Nov 30, 2008
Minnesota commit Hayo Carpenter, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound wide receiver from College of the Canyons (CA) CC, had ten catches for 236 yards and two touchdowns, breaking his own school record for receiving yards in a 36-27 win over El Camino College in the Southern California Playoff Semifinals. The Cougars (12-0) will face #3 seed Mt. San Antonio College (11-1) Saturday in the championship game.
Clean up your language, Loon. This blog doesn’t need your pollution.
Teas Gopher,
I think Hayo will play a big roll in improving our offense. I know Loon compared him to the four star Paris Hamilton who turned out to be a bust. Paris had 800 yards recieving in JC, but Hayo is well over 2000 yards. Paris was a four star based on potential while Hayo is a four star based on production. I think Hayo will be the real deal.
“RB’s - (SO) Eskridge, Bennet, Shady (FR) Whaley, Limpscomb, and another 4 star.”
_____________
Gold … You mention another 4-star running back coming in addition to Lipscomb. Are you predicting just because of need we will try to get another one or have you heard something specific?
Also, a question on Whaley. Obviously, with him not being 100% at the beginning of the season it made sense to redshirt him. But do you know how he was practicing later in the year? Is he now 100% and how has he looked in practice?
I have never been a big Brewster backer but I think he has shown enough to deserve another year. Heck we gave Mase 10 years and one more year with Brewster is not going to kill anyone. I really do believe we should win at least 8 games next year.
I see Brewsterites having the same tendency in expections as the Masonites had with Mason. When their coach is on the sidelines, they’re too afraid to predict wins. Looking at why we can’t rather then why we can.
This team should be very good next year. Brewster has a Cattillac, it’s up to him how he drives it. I hope he drives it well.
I agree that the Gophers should have a 5-3 B10 record in 2009. Now we will see if it happens. You never know.
Tex … All your questions are good ones and pertinent but I think the first four are key.
To think that Weber can go through three full seasons without missing a play because of injury is really pressing our luck. Even this year he had arthroscopic knee surgery without missing a game. That is too much to expect again.
So the key is your second question … will we have a dependable second QB ready to play? I think that really depends on the coaches and by “ready to play” in a tough situation that means to me already having played. The coaches need to give Gray (or someone) playing time early in the year so he has real game experience if pressed into action during tough Big Ten games.
Your questions on kickers to replace the two seniors is really key. While Kucek did not punt as well this year as last and while Monroe was spotty, at least they had both been through the wars. Next year we will have two green rookies handling those duties. We can only hope for the best.
Brewster said on the radio, we have a couple of big time running backs committed on the radio. I’m just taking him at his word.
Concerning Whaley, Dunbar has even mentioned this guy could be something special when he is healthy.
“This team should be very good next year. Brewster has a Cattillac, it’s up to him how he drives it. I hope he drives it well.”
____________________
A Cadillac? What was the worst defense in football in 2007 and limited talent on offense? A bike with a flat tire? And now with one recruiting class having actually played and a second to come next fall, it’s a Cadillac?
Either you don’t know cars or you don’t know football. One or the other.
It is certainly reasonable to expect this team to be much improved, just like from year one to year two, but to look at a schedule and say you can mark down eight wins is silly. What are the other teams on our schedule doing between now and next fall? Nothing? Standing still? Telling their guys to drink beer and eat pizza? Not recruiting like Mason?
You and wren simply need to understand that the schedule is made so the games can actually be played. That’s how we find out who wins each week.
“Brewster said on the radio, we have a couple of big time running backs committed on the radio.”
____________
Depends when he said that. Earlier we did have two 4-star Texas backs committed but one has since switched to Texas Tech.
So who get to spread your cheeks in the bowl game?
DAC-He did say it after Stephens decommitted for TT.
Everyone on GH was speculating whether that meant Wingo or if it meant someone else.
55 doughnut, you obviously are from Iowa given your communication skills. Please speak in coherent complete sentences.
His comment on the radio was definetly after Stephens decommitted.
Loon, nobody is ignoring games but this program is in a state of building a foundation for the future. The wins in recruiting are very important to getting better. If someone starts penciling in 1000 yards and 10 TD’s from Carpenter they’re delusional but looking at the added depth makes sense. I’ve watched film so I’ve seen what he can do and it is more exciting than some of our current WR’s. Like all teams recruiting and spring practice are the only things going on in the offseason. For the NFL the discussion is free agents and the draft. When we know the bowl game/opponent (my money is on Champ’s Sports vs. Georgia Tech) we can talk about that.
If you don’t care about recruiting then you don’t care about depth and talent and I don’t want to hear you complain about either of those things next year.
I’ll be interested in seeing how our o-line performs in the Bowl game under Davis’s guidance.
What I care VERY deeply about is the fact that this brewster ran the team for two years and NEVER figured out a way to improve the running game. Of course, this d_a_c-off character says that this brewster only spends about a quarter of his time even worrying about game day stuff. Based upon the 84 to 6 humiliation that he readily accepted from a horrible Michigan team and a middle of the road iowa team, I would have to say that this brewster has totally checked out. Recruiting is something that even you kool-aid drinkers and brewster apologists admit might help two…three…four years down the road. But if the stinking coach can’coach them up, they aren’t going to do anything the whole time they are around…and…without one heck of a lot more Big Ten wins than he is getting, this brewster is going to be just some tiny little footnote and just another failure of a football coach in the long line of football coaching failures who have been disposed of by the administrations at the University of Minnesota. Believe me, this brewster’s time will be limited without Big Ten wins and LOTS of Big Ten wins. And the people are going to be VERY happy to see this brewster get his butt booted out of here because from what I have seen on Game Day Saturdays so far, he doesn’t have a prayer…
This Jim Jones character wrenbawls needs to keep his dirty Koolaid in Guyana. He’s already done enough harm with it.
gunk, save the salesman pitch for someone who believes in stars, I don’t. You are selling a product to the naive. You don’t know who will be even good players for us, nor do I. When I see them in a Big Ten game, I will let you know what I think.
The rest is a beauty pageant that has very little relevance to what I am interested in other than how it leads to trouble with the NCAA.
Wren–I think you’ll probably be willing to agree that the freshman and Juco’s that played were better than the guys played last year and rode the bench this year (Green vs. Spry, T. Simmons vs. Collado, Stoudemire returning kicks). Others filled gaps from seniors graduating that didn’t have an adequate replacement or enough depth for injuries (Lawrence, Brock, Eskridge, Salamon, Smith). And yes, you get the Juco’s and outliers that fill needs and play right away but the real impact of a recruiting class isn’t felt until they are upper classman because if you’re starting a lot of freshman you’re probably not winning games.
What is good about all of the recruiting is that even if Brewster is fired after the 2010 or 2011 season because he fails to coach the better talent he has recruited the better talent is still here. Gutenkust took the Gophers to two bowl games with Lou Holtz players but failed to keep the momentum because he couldn’t recruit (even if Lou cheated, it doesn’t change my point that the next coach had a lot to work with)–I can give the same example with Tubby at Kentucky. So even if Brewster is fired it will not have to be a complete rebuilding project because the cupboard is full of talent.
Loon, that is like saying I don’t believe statistical analysis can lead to a more accruate or better decision. I’ll be the first to admit that every scout is not right on every prospect. In fact it is more of an art than a science and if recruiting services were always right walk ons would never get to play. But when you take it in to the context of a whole team of players they do a pretty accurate job of seeing talent. A coach does the same thing by watching their players to determine who is better and they put that guy on the field.
All I hope is that we can get as many good players as possible so that when some of them don’t work out or get injured we have other guys that can make up for them.
And it is not uncommon for a 3 star RB to win a job over a 4 star. For instance, Kory Sheets (3 stars) won the RB job at Purdue and caused Anthony Heygood (4 stars) to convert to LB–although the 4 stars indicated Heygood had good measurables and could find his way on to the field. But like I said, it is more of an art than a science and that is true in anything that you are forecasting be it the economy, stocks or football players and star ratings just try to improve the accuracy.
Sorry gunk: we are still hearing from you “brew-crew-kool-aid-drinkers-and-spreaders-of the-folly-of-fantasy-recruiting-rankings…” how this brewster can never be held accountable for anything because he decided to change the system, so how could he be expected to play with the old coache’s players who will NOT fit the dunbar spread that this brewster has been recruiting for. In other words, you fire a coache’s butt and it will be “waste-land-city” for who knows how many years? That’s what all of you people have been telling us about how it has been for this poor brewster character that we are headed into a third year with. All I know is that the last two home games in the dome this brewster was destroyed by a combined score of 84 to 6 by Michigan and iowa. That’s right iowa and Michigan…not a top 20 team in that little grouping. This maturi messed this whole deal up BIG TIME…Ditch this dunbar NOW!
This wrenbawls character is definitely a refugee from Jonestown. He refers to Koolaid in every post even though it is now more than 20 years since the day he passed it out.
If he were lucid and still not feeling the effects, one might ask him to list all of the players left by Mason who could have performed in Mason’s system.
LOLOL. Talent is talent. Lack of talent is lack of talent.
grunkiejr says:
November 30th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
55 doughnut, you obviously are from Iowa given your communication skills. Please speak in coherent complete sentences.
===
Save it for Marki Grey!
You tell’em David, you just tell him wait until next year!
gunk, I told you, save that for the children.
If you knew spit about statistics you would know that no number of estimates can be added together to produce any sort of accuracy.
You know that a 3 and a 4 and a 4 and a 3 and a 3 = a 3 on average. Not a 3. anything. Certainly not a 3.4
You can NEVER grow accuracy to the right of the least accurate number you have. NEVER. So as your original numbers are very crude estimates of 3 or 4 or whatever, you never get anything to the right of that decimal.
Sorry, a 3.453 is exactly the same as a 2.873. They are both a 3. Nothing more, nothing less.
Sorry to blow your “scientific” cover, but you have none. In the end, based on estimates you can not rank classes at all. Our so called 17th is pure statistical BS.
d_a_c-off, you are just jacking around again. This brewster lost a lot of games just because he was who he was and he was how he was. Unless he starts winning a LOT of Big Ten games he will simply be referred to as the “losester brewster…” You people will be the “lose-the-brew-crew…” 4 to 6 d_a_c-off. That is NOT cutting it. THAT is this brew blowing the mission all to heck. The losses ALL go on this brew’s record…The record doesn’t look good at all. The record counts for everything. It is all on this brews neck. It will haunt him.
He needs to ditch this dunbar to have any chance for the long-haul. After two years of watching this dunbar’s/brewster’s offense it has already been a really long-haul.
Talk about any nonsenes you want d_a_c-off. You don’t know jack, d_a_c-off. You are merely a slack-off, d_a_c-off
Vikings in FIRST in December!!
Loon-I work in financen and I get paid a few hundred thousand dollars a year for forecasting data based on imperfect data and estimates. Don’t try to tell me what you can and can’t do with statistical data.
I know the data is not stastically significant to differentiate #16 from #17 but it separates #17 from #53 which is Mason’s last class.
Grunkiejr-I love the U and have always been a big fan, but your comment”if we had’nt blown that big lead against Michigan in 2003 or that lead against Wisconsin or that one game where we blew the lead against whoever. Do you see a pattern here???? Thats always the mantra , next year we will be better. When, When , when will that happen??? You see I have just realized after 35 years of this stuff-that it isnt going to happen. OKAY!! I am just realistic. I think Brewster is recruiting well and it seems the athletes are better, but we are not gonna outrecruit Penn st. Ohio St. mich, mich st. etc I hope they are better next year, but I wont hold my breath. Next years schedule is tougher -both non and the big ten slate. Realistically 6-5 again and maybe another Akron Bowl!!!!
It will be very interesting when 2009 rolls around. That year will definetly prove which direction Brewster is taking this program.
2008 was better then what a lot of people expected. I don’t care how easy the schedule was, I know there were people convinced that Brewster couldn’t lead his team to victory over Eden Prairie High School.
For me I’m still not convinced that Brewster is the answer but at the same time I agree with Maturi that Brewster deserves another year.
I still think it was worth the risk to make a coaching change after ten years with Mase. What happened to Mase is what happened to practically all his coaching contempories in the Big Ten. Some coaches were forced out while others realized it was time to move on. I think Jo pa and the greatest coach in the world Frentz are the only ones to survive. Change can be a good thing. Obviously with change comes risk, but in life at times you need to take risks.
I don’t know yet if Brewster will take us to the next level but I hope he does. I think it was still a change we needed to make. Mase did a good job but at times change is needed. 2009 will really go a long way in showing us if Brewster was the right choice.
grunkiejr says:
November 30th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Loon-I work in financen and I get paid a few hundred thousand dollars a year for forecasting data based on imperfect data and estimates.
sure ya do. you don’t “forecast data,” SA posser, you use data to make forecasts. Do you people ever stop being stupid?? Maybe next year?! yaaaahahahahaha.
You see I have just realized after 35 years of this stuff-that it isnt going to happen.
check the “data,” slick…..its more like 50 years, but who is counting!
i see your boy Youngblood is on the Vikings bandwagon now! Can’t blame him…winners need lots and lots of coverage!!
Gold says,
“It will be very interesting when 2009 rolls around. That year will definetly prove which direction Brewster is taking this program.”
_________________________
The team goes from 1-11 to 7-5 with a bowl game yet to play and you are still wondering which direction the program is going? Really?
We go from the worst defense in America to a respectable middle D-I defense and you are uncertain of the direction the program is heading? Really?
We bring in the best class of recruits in the last 40 years with a second good one shaping up but you can’t detect which direction the program is going?
Amazing.
jsmith–The earlier comment was in reference to the comment that we haven’t been close to a Rose Bowl and my reply was that, yes, we have been close. I agree, we haven’t been there. Mason brought the program out of where it was in the late 80’s and 90’s and made us expect to go to at least a second tier bowl and for that I’m thankful. However, as you touched on he had a tendency to blow leads because he got conservative rather than going for the jugular. Now it seems Brewster is taking the opposite approach which cost us a close game against Northwestern. Overall, I’m happier with Brewster’s approach.
People want to put Penn State on a pedestal because of what they did this year but I think we are in a perpetual losing position to them. Since moving to the Big Ten the Gophers are 4-6 against PSU and it would be 5-5 if not for one of the worst pass interference calls I’ve ever seen (on 4th down in OT). That shows we can be competitive with them because that record includes the time under Wacker when we weren’t competitive with anyone. Over the past 10 years PSU consistently ranks in the 15-25 area for recruiting. Despite advantages at PSU (reputation, 100,000 seat stadium), Brewster is more skilled at recruiting and can be competitive with them. I’m not saying we can consistently beat them but can be competitive with them. Then once we have the players it is up to the coaches to develop them and out game plan Penn State which is admittedly a challenge.
In my opinion, Ohio State and Michigan are the only two programs in the Big Ten that separate themselves from the others in their ability to recruit. It will take years of good teams for anyone else in the Big Ten to be competitive with those two schools on the recruiting trail. However, that doesn’t mean Minnesota can’t be like Iowa, Wisconsin, and Penn State which put together a really good team every few years and make a run at them on the field. Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue and even Northwestern have also shown the ability to do it less frequently–although with Dantonio MSU is likely to do it more often.
Oops, this “People want to put Penn State on a pedestal because of what they did this year but I think we are in a perpetual losing position to them” was supposed to say “I don’t think we are in a perpetual losing position to them.”
oh oh, another future brewster thug suspended:
“Hayo Carpenter returned from a 72-hour suspension for what Cougar head coach Garett Tujague characterized as “conduct unbecoming of a Cougar.”
What a joke!
84 to 6 against iowa and Michigan in 2008 would lead one to ask the question: Where the hell is this brewster taking this program? The Big Ten games are an indication…the ULTIMATE and the ONLY indication that has ANY merit, ANY meaning and ANY substance. A 29 to 6 loss at home against the worst Michigan Team since the 1950’s followed up by a 55-0 home loss to an iowa team that struggled the week before to barely get by a TERRIBLE Purdue team. That is called CRASH and BURN d_a_c-off. That is a SERIOUS abandonment of competetivness, d_a_c-off. That is called players QUITTING on the coaching staff, d_a_c-off. THAT is a prime example of a coaching staff and their leader being totally ineffective, totally mismanaged and TOTALLY checked out. Those coaches should return their pay checks for their efforts against Michigan and iowa and they should probably at least offer their resignations for subjecting their players AND the paying fans to their own derelection of duty as the people in charge of this football program. That’s the deal d_a_c-off.
wren … Did you quit on Jim Jones or did you follow his orders?
If the ESPN prediction of a Kansas V. Minnesota Insight Bowl pans out, that is great news for the program. Good exposure, midlevel game, good date, and most important, a good matchup. Kansas is tough but not unbeatable.
tex, brewster does not do well against teams with winning records!
PS:
kansas just beat missouri
O4–I have watched Big 12 football this year and I think they are a good match up for the Gophers. The U will have to play their best complete game of the year to win. It will be a great challenge and a great motivator for game prep. Their QB will be the best we have seen all year. Of course, this is all speculation at this point.
Tex, Champ’s Sports vs. Georgia Tech is more likely. That ESPN analysis is just simply looking at the order of finish and not talking to the AD’s. Wisconsin wants the Insight Bowl rather than the Champ’s because they have been to Florida for their last 4 bowls including Orlando for 05 & 06. The ESPN Big Ten blogger has been saying for weeks that Wisconsin will go to the Insight Bowl regardless of what happens with the BCS.
From what I have seen this year, I think we match up better agst Kansas than Georgia Tech. That triple option offense they have going on down there is impressive. We are better prepared and built to stop the spread as opposed to the triple option. That GT team is dangerous. We better get Campbell and Theret healthy fast bc those guys will be crucial in stopping that running game.
Observer IV, I’m kind of intrigued by you and why you’re here. I’ve seen you post from time to time and it is always in a negative light but they are postings that you have to be watching for news stories to see. For instance, the Hayo Carpenter story. Considering it was a 72 hour suspension it might and didn’t include a game it must have been the weakest offence ever. I’m guessing he made it up to the team with his 200+ yard and 2 TD receiving game.
Are you a Wisconsin or Iowa troll? If so, I’ll take a 72 hour suspension over a trip to jail which is conduct typical of a Hawkeye. If not, are you that much of a loser that the only thing that brings you joy is ripping on 18-23 year old kids? Pray tell.
REFUSE BOWL!
Please! in the name of maintaining some respectability, the Gophers should refuse any Bowl offers they receive. I just re-looked at their non-conference schedule–far weaker than many WAC or Mountain West teams had!. Not a single legitimate non-conference foe. Beating three Big Ten Teams that are having down years does not constitute a great or even good effort. This was a bad football team as usual. Only in Minnesota do fans choose to forget cream puff schedules…once the win is in hand it is a win as big as beating anyone in the country –even if its NDSU. Other schools in the Big 12 and most in the Big 10 would simply not accept it as OK that the non-conference schedule has no legitimate teams. It was a poor season deserving of no bowl. WHY ARE PEOPLE EXCITED ABOUT IT?
Tex, as I see it the biggest benefit of playing GT would be that Air Force runs a similar offense and it would better prepare us for the 2009 home opener. Learning something a second time, and having played against it at game speed, would make it a lot easier than learning it the first time.
I watched the Georgia game and part of the Miami game and GT made top 25 teams look terrible on defense. I think they ran for more than 400 yards against Georgia. Those numbers are right up there with Mason’s best teams.
grunkier–absurd to even mention the Gophers in the same breath as GT or Air Force and your speculation is even more obsurd. They aren’t a team worth speculating about —YET. It’s not interesting in terms of post season berths for the Gophers this year. something like 2/3 of all D1 teams get to a bowl. Sweet!
Ace: “Other schools in the Big 12 and most in the Big 10 would simply not accept it as OK that the non-conference schedule has no legitimate teams.”
How is this schedule?
DI-AA Eastern Washington (6-5)
@ Nevada (7-5)
Southern Methodist (1-11)
DI-AA Massachusetts (7-5)
Do you know who had that non-conference schedule? #8 Texas Tech It looks like one Big 12 team, and a contender for the national title for most of the year would accept an inferior schedule.
Isn’t it great to see PH, um I mean 55doughnut in such a god mood?
Did Kevin just find the board after 55-0, or is this yet another Wayne Wrendahl creation?
Ace, you are an absolute idiot. I’m not even comparing the Gophers to GT or Air Force, I’m talking about their schedule. If you want I can say the Gophers…pause to take 2 breaths, play Air Force for the home opener next year.
grunky–if youwin the big games against the big boys it is not an issue–though it should rank you a little lower in terms of BCS. Its the big games against the big boys pasrt that MN can’t do.
T Tech beat #1 Texas
T Tech beat top 10 Oklahoma State
T teck beat top 15 Kansas state
and countless other schools that wuld crush the Gophers, including Kansas.
ace says:
December 1st, 2008 at 12:30 pm
grunkier–absurd to even mention the Gophers in the same breath as GT or Air Force and your speculation is even more obsurd. They aren’t a team worth speculating about —YET. It’s not interesting in terms of post season berths for the Gophers this year. something like 2/3 of all D1 teams get to a bowl. Sweet!
————–
Okay drama queen. 64-119=53.78%
Your welcome.
ace says:
December 1st, 2008 at 12:24 pm
REFUSE BOWL!
Please! in the name of maintaining some respectability, the Gophers should refuse any Bowl offers they receive. I just re-looked at their non-conference schedule–far weaker than many WAC or Mountain West teams had!. Not a single legitimate non-conference foe. Beating three Big Ten Teams that are having down years does not constitute a great or even good effort. This was a bad football team as usual. Only in Minnesota do fans choose to forget cream puff schedules…once the win is in hand it is a win as big as beating anyone in the country –even if its NDSU. Other schools in the Big 12 and most in the Big 10 would simply not accept it as OK that the non-conference schedule has no legitimate teams. It was a poor season deserving of no bowl. WHY ARE PEOPLE EXCITED ABOUT IT?
—————-
Can we refuse the month’s worth of practice for the youngest offense in the country? SWEET.
thanks for the update Derek. yes this 54% does make me now think that the Hawaii Bowl is very worthwhile.
Ace, you didn’t talk about the conference season. You said, “Other schools in the Big 12 and most in the Big 10 would simply not accept it as OK that the non-conference schedule has no legitimate teams.”
That was a copy/paste.
Minnesota is nowhere near where Texas Tech is and I’m not saying they are. But the non-conference schedule of TT was easier than Minnesota’s extremely weak non-conference schedule. And you sir are wrong about your assertion.
ace says:
December 1st, 2008 at 12:24 pm
REFUSE BOWL!
Please! in the name of maintaining some respectability, the Gophers should refuse any Bowl offers they receive. I just re-looked at their non-conference schedule–far weaker than many WAC or Mountain West teams had!. Not a single legitimate non-conference foe. Beating three Big Ten Teams that are having down years does not constitute a great or even good effort. This was a bad football team as usual. Only in Minnesota do fans choose to forget cream puff schedules…once the win is in hand it is a win as big as beating anyone in the country –even if its NDSU. Other schools in the Big 12 and most in the Big 10 would simply not accept it as OK that the non-conference schedule has no legitimate teams. It was a poor season deserving of no bowl. WHY ARE PEOPLE EXCITED ABOUT IT?
————————–
Can we refuse the $1 million or so that the Gophers will earn by playing in a bowl game? I’m sure the athletic dept. can use the money.
“Can we refuse the month’s worth of practice for the youngest offense in the country? SWEET.”
….are you related to Sid Hartman?
grunky–yes they cuold use the money and that is a great point.
ace says:
December 1st, 2008 at 12:43 pm
thanks for the update Derek. yes this 54% does make me now think that the Hawaii Bowl is very worthwhile.
—————–
I’ll continue to educate you Ace, free of charge.
Oh, and Kansas State was never ranked this season, let alone ranked in the top 15. They did however beat Kansas which was ranked #23 when they beat them even though they are no longer ranked.
ace says:
December 1st, 2008 at 12:45 pm
“Can we refuse the month’s worth of practice for the youngest offense in the country? SWEET.”
….are you related to Sid Hartman?
————–
Nope, just trying to help you to understand college football. I see I have alot of work to do. Don’t worry, we’ll get there someday.
grunky–my mistake on the Kansas statement. And god point on the Texas tech non-conferecne. However, my point is that is not cool when teams get excetied about Bowls when the only reason they are even over .500 is becsue of a soft non-conference schedule. But if that same team beats Iowa, and beats Ohio State, then it proves they are legitimate and worthy, so we can then statet that the non-conference schedule wasn’t as big of a thing.
Ace-I agree with you that the Gophers are not a great team. They are a very average team. They lost to all of the teams that were better than them, beat all but one of the teams that were worse than them and feasted on a lightweight schedule. Given our 1-11 record in 2007 the schedule was probably appropriate to help them ease in to the Big Ten season and get some wins and confidence before playing real competition. I don’t fault them for the schedule as much as I fault someone like Texas Tech that had no reason for that schedule. I’m glad the Gophers play Syracuse, Air Force and Cal next year because they should have a better team (19 starters return) and they’ll get more of out that schedule than they would out of a typical Mason schedule.
Do they deserve to go to a bowl game? Record wise the NCAA says yes, but if you are like most people that think there are too many bowls then the answer would be no. I would tend to say mediocrity (a .500 record) doesn’t deserve to be rewarded.
However, the team would be stupid to pass up the pay check and extra practice time.
grunky–i agree. with the current system they should go for it full tilt. And i have to admit that even some of the lower level bowls end up being sort of fun to watch. Let’s see what happens next year. that non-confeecne next year is about as good as it gets. if they take the Air force and Syracsue games, that would be a very legitimate 2-1 start.
With the Gophers not in a bowl last season I went to San Francisco for the Emerald Bowl to watch Oregon State and Maryland. It was played in a baseball stadium with rain pouring down but everybody still seemed to enjoy the experience. It was a good game and I felt like it was a good opportunity for everyone to enjoy the end of their season.
Grunk–good point on the potential GT game being a great way to prepare for the home opener next year agst. Air Force.
“Did Kevin just find the board after 55-0, or is this yet another Wayne Wrendahl creation?”
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Bingo!! Whyne Mundane has unlimited time down in Guyana to create aliases for bashing Gopher football.
Ace says:
“grunky–i agree. with the current system they should go for it (bowl game) full tilt.”
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Right on, Ace. But you really should have some words with the blithering moron posting under your name earlier who said “REFUSE BOWL”.
That idiot is ruining your name.
gunkjr..any bowl the gophers go to will lose money, not make money. please wise up..
Observer, answer my previous question and I’ll acknowledge you in the future.
Gopher Football-Simply the Best!!!!
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