Gopher Football
The season began with the highest expectations in a decade. Some were even saying a bowl game was a sure thing. The first four games would go along way in determining that. They had three home games against some weak non-conference opponents and then faced Northwestern which didn’t win a single Big Ten game the previous season. The Gophers easily dispensed with the non-conference opponents out scoring them 123-14. The Northwestern game was close until the third quarter. The Gophers then did something they hadn’t done in a long time in a conference road game: they put the game away in the final quarter winning 33-14. In fact, this was the first Big Ten road win since their 1994 win over Wisconsin. Who would have believed that they would go on to win four straight road games?
The next game was against Wisconsin which had suddenly found themselves struggling with two straight losses. The Gophers held a slim lead throughout the game only to have the Badgers tie it late and win in overtime. The Gopher defense did what almost no other team could do against the Badgers. They held Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne to just 80 yards rushing. Unfortunately, Wisconsin found a quarterback who added another dimension to their offense. It was a couple of big pass plays that did in the Gophers.
The Gophers bounced back strong against Illinois. This win prevented that mid-season slump that has doomed the team in the past. The 30-point margin was indicative of how the Gophers dominated this one. Considering Illinois finished with an 8-4 record, this win looks much more impressive than it appeared at the time.
The Gophers then lost two straight home games to Ohio State and Purdue ending any thought of contending for the Rose Bowl. The Ohio State loss was really a shame. The Gophers thoroughly dominated the first half but could only manage a 10-7 lead thanks to untimely turnovers. That caught up with them in the second half when they appeared tight and unable to counter OSU’s adjustments.
There is no doubt the Penn State game was the highlight of the season, maybe the decade. Having lost three of their last four and facing the #2 team on the road seemed like an impossible task. The way the game started you would have figured the Gophers would be blown out for the first time this season. However, they kept fighting back with solid defense and an opportunistic offense. Everyone played their “A” game to pull off this upset. Of course the defining moment was when Billy Cockerham completed a game saving pass that was tipped to Arland Bruce on 4th down and 16. I remember being fairly calm throughout the game figuring the Lions would pull it out like they had all season. After that pass I was as excited and nervous as I had ever been watching a game. Freshman Dan Nystrom had the composure of a veteran kicker and booted a 32-yard kick to win the game by one. This game will go down as one of the greatest upsets ever for Gopher football.
Either of the final two games against Indiana and Iowa could have been letdowns for the Gophers. Indiana gave the Gophers all they could handle for three quarters. The Gophers showed more poise and put the game away down the stretch, as they had done against Northwestern. The Iowa contest turned into a typical rivalry game where you throw out the records and expect a tight battle. The game went down to the final seconds with Sean Hoffman tipping a pass away from an open receiver in the end zone to save the win. That victory was a very significant milestone for the Gophers. It gave them 8 wins for the first time since 1967.
The Gophers’ appearance in the Sun Bowl marked the first bowl game for the team since 1986. Their opponent, Oregon, was not as highly regarded but turned out to be an evenly matched foe. The game was a seesaw battle that went down to the final minutes. It took a fake punt and a forth and 11 pass play for Oregon to pull off a mild upset over the Gophers. To be honest, as I watched the game it was simply a joy to see the Gophers actually play in a decent bowl game. It was also great to see the strong fan support at the game. The Gophers may have also had the attitude that they had already surpassed their goals for the season, while Oregon, a bowl regular, may have wanted nothing less than a win. I think we can expect the Gophers to set higher expectations for next season.
Gopher Hole Final Report Card:
Quarterbacks: (B) Billy Cockerham (276-147-10-2091) was hot and cold passing. He did do a superb job running piling up 997 yards. He was actually the second leading rusher on the team. He also stayed healthy and played all or most every game.
Running backs: (A) Like Cockerham, Thomas Hamner saved his best season for last. He ran for 1,494 yards averaging 4.6 yards a carry. He also had 305 yards receiving with 21 catches. His 1,494 yards was an all-time season record. Cris Darkins held the old record with 1,443 yards in 1994. His 3,878 career yards is second only to Darrell Thompson who had 4,654 yards. With Hamner setting a record for rushing attempts (308), Byron Evans was used sparingly getting only 221 but averaging 7.4 a carry.
Wide receivers: (A) Ron Johnson and Luke Leverson both had over 40 receptions and over 500 yards. Arland Bruce was also effective and will always be remembered for the tipped catch against Penn State. Bruce also had 106 yards rushing, mostly on lateral screens. Johnson lead the receivers with seven TDs.
Offensive line: (A-) This group made a vast improvement over last season. The run blocking was excellent in most games. Center Ben Hamilton anchored this group and was named an All-American. My only criticism was their tendency to have some untimely penalties but this was reduced as the season progressed.
Defensive line: (A) Karon Riley was a tremendous addition. He led the team in sacks (16) and tackles for a loss (22). Like the previous season, they were extremely effective against the run.
Defensive backs: (B+) Tyrone Carter had another All-American season getting 145 tackles which led the team and was the most for any defensive back in the nation. Carter was also the Jim Thorpe Award winner which is given to the best DB in the country. He broke the Division I-A all-time tackle record for a defensive back with 511 tackles in his career and is second in the nation all-time with 397 solo tackles. Willie Miidlebrooks was the most effective pass defender. He only had one interception but lead the team with 18 defensive break-ups. Pass interference penalties were a little too frequent and no one had more than two INTs.
Linebackers: (A) This group contributed 23 sacks lead by Ben Mezera with 12. John Schlecht had 20 tackles for a loss. Sean Hoffman had 58 unassisted tackles. This starting group of LBs was the best the Gophers have had in many years.
Special teams: (B+) The kicking game was a question mark at the beginning of the season with a freshman taking over. Dan Nystrom played more like a senior making 81% of his field goals (17-21). Nystrom was the iceman when he made the field goal in the closing seconds to beat Penn State. Preston Gruening was also effective kicking off. Ryan Rindels improved his punting averaging to 41 yards.
Coaches: (A-) Glen Mason’s staff took a group of players that ranked near the bottom of the conference when they were recruited and got them to a first division finish. Defensive coordinator David Gibbs continued the transformation of a defense that was one of the worst in the country when he took over three years ago to one of the best. Offensive coordinator Steve Loney was sometimes criticized for his play calling, but people failed to realize that this team produced more points than any of the high scoring, pass-oriented Wacker years. In fact, the team’s 368 total points were the most scored since 1904 when they scored an incredible 725 in 13 games.
Overall grade: (A-) This season went better than I expected. My prediction in August was for a 7-4 season and was still hoping that Thomas Tapeh would be eligible to play. The team’s 4-1 record away from the Metrodome stands out the most. The fact that they were able to pull off a win against Penn State will give them the attitude that no game is unwinnable for them. All their losses were close with the Purdue game being the biggest margin (five points). Of course every loss was a disappointment. I thought the Ohio State and Oregon games were a couple that got away but weren’t huge letdowns. There were many wins that were pleasant surprises as well as a huge one. This season’s accomplishments will go along way in helping build a solid talent base and in instilling the attitude that they can and will win on a consistent basis.
Talk about Minnesota Gopher football topics on the Brew’s Crew message board.