This feels like a big "crossroads" game for Minnesota

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Stan

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This game really feels like a crossroads game for us this season. A win over Nebraska puts us at 2-1 heading into the bye and keeps us in BT West contention, with two weeks of hype and build up for a massive Halloween game against Michigan. A loss and the upcoming schedule feels much more daunting and a potential to spiral back a bit and struggle to become bowl eligible. Obviously football is a week by week sport, but the feeling of 2-1 vs 1-2 will be dramatically different come Saturday night depending on how the game goes Saturday.
 


With as wobbly as this team has been game to game every game has been a crossroads.
 

Win tommorow and an eight win season looks possible, nine wins would not be out of the realm of possibility, lose and it's a steep path to bowl eligibility..
 



Agree with most posts. We need to get the W tomorrow. I think we will, albeit, in a close game with the Huskers. Something like 27-24 or 24-20 us.
 

Huge crossroads game. This not only helps us at the top but would also bury Nebraska 6 feet under.
 

There are no crossroads games this season.

Our schedule is too hard. It's just not going to be our year.

Let's play hard and try to get a couple more conference wins.
 

Studwell55 said:
There are no crossroads games this season.

Our schedule is too hard. It's just not going to be our year.

Let's play hard and try to get a couple more conference wins.
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I agree with your sentiments about our schedule and that difficulty is compounded by our injuries. That doesn't mean that this game isn't a crossroads game. It could be the crossroad between a "good" season and a very disappointing one. Under the circumstances I would call a 7-5 regular season "good" but that result is pretty unlikely without a win here.
 



Studwell55 said:
There are no crossroads games this season.

Our schedule is too hard. It's just not going to be our year.

Let's play hard and try to get a couple more conference wins.
Click to expand...

Ok Debbie Downer. We haven't even had a home conference game yet. What happens if the Gophers blow out Nebraska tomorrow? Will you be back on the train of a hopeful 6-2 B1G finish?
 


The schedule is tough but it doesn't mean the players will not be up for the challenge. Sometimes the worst of times, and some down times brings out the best in people and adversity will work for you because it brings people together.
Nobody can accuse the Gophers football program of being soft or not having mud slung at them. I'm ready for the Gophers to smack somebody all over the football field for all of the crap they have been having heaped at them lately. Were 4-2 and the media acts like this is a bad or really poor football team and it is not. If the Vikes were 4-2 they would be trumpeting how great they are without even a mention of the schedule.
Guys like Jon Christenson don't get enough credit for rallying the guys but I hope he can do that tomorrow and Leidner can put the hate behind him and be the Good Mitch we like.

This article from the Star Tribune plastered all over the front page really without a lot of facts other than most of this stuff was investigated and already dealt with is annoying. This article paints them all as a bunch of things they are not, even the head Coach and now they have had all of these things scrolling on ESPN and FSN1 with most of it based on a lot of innuendo and some just allegations that didn't amount to much. That reporter ambushing coach Kill at Sensors yesterday better have all her credentials voided by the U of M for all sporting events.

I used to get annoyed by Reusse hate for Gopher football but realize some of that is Shtick and a bit and that Reusse is a Gopher football fan. Then we had the whole epilepsy thing a couple years ago with Souhan to the continued Leidner hate and controversy, about our QB that Scorggins has been trying to drum up. Like coach Claeys said last year before the Michigan game you have to have thick skin to play for the Gophers and be a tough SOB because the media in this town sure likes to try and burry them as a program. The Strib better have some facts or something here, beyond this clickbait article, or there going to owe the entire team an apology.
 

If we had better cross-over games, I think we should play for a big season.

4 conference wins would be pretty great this year. I'd be pretty happy if got there.

I think the coaching staff appreciates this too.

I don't think we're a bad football team. I think we're a fairly competitive football team.

The schedule is just too brutal.
 





There is a lot to be decided in the West tomorrow, can Iowa sustain their momentum in the face of mounting injuries?, can we continue gaining momentum against a desperate Nebraska? a lot will be determined in those two games. Should we win and Iowa lose the division is back to being dog fight. If MSU can bring UM back to earth, get inside their psyche a bit, then beating Michigan is possible. I'm not saying it'll be easy but it's doable. I say we play them one at a time and see where we end up.
 

I really think our season lies on the shoulders of the OL. Hard to say if the Purdue game is a true indicator of their revival, but I think it may. Moore's enthusiasm and Christenson's leadership may be the lynchpin to their success. Got to move the ball on the ground. Got to even when the box is stacked. We were able to rotate guards without missing a beat. Lauer needs to make good use of his club. :)

Man I wish we were throwing the ball to JJ in space. The game is a cross roads game and I believe we win it going away.
 

I was really surprised by our rushing success against Purdue. I'm eager to see if that was for real or a fluke. If it's for real and we can get another 200 yards or so then I'd say we are back in business.
 

Huge game for both teams. I'd much rather we be playing them when they weren't in full-on desperation mode, but that's what we've got. The bye week is pretty great when you head into it with a victory, as then you get to sit back and savor that win for two weeks while having the added bonus of knowing that your team is getting some well-deserved rest and players are being nursed back to health. Heading into the bye off a loss though, that just about the worst. We need to win this one.
 

One thing that gives me some confidence is that Coach Kill gets up for this game in particular, seemingly more than any other. Nebraska is the one program on the slate each year for which he seems to take a personal satisfaction, having won it the last two years. Partly because he respects them so much and sees that program as the model for the type of success we can have at Minnesota. Also he is from that part of the world and has said multiple times that consistently getting pounded by Nebraska got old at some point.

He will be on his game - hopefully that spreads to everyone else.
 

diehard said:
I really think our season lies on the shoulders of the OL. Hard to say if the Purdue game is a true indicator of their revival, but I think it may. Moore's enthusiasm and Christenson's leadership may be the lynchpin to their success. Got to move the ball on the ground. Got to even when the box is stacked. We were able to rotate guards without missing a beat. Lauer needs to make good use of his club. :)

Man I wish we were throwing the ball to JJ in space. The game is a cross roads game and I believe we win it going away.
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+1000
 

Agree with many posters here - massive game tomorrow. Two key aspects of the game I'll be watching closely:

1) Will our special teams play improve?? In the past it's been a strength of the team and arguable the best special teams unit in the Big Ten, but they have struggled mightily this year.

2) How will the Gophers attack this Nebraska defense? They struggle to defend the pass and have a very solid Run D. I think we will try to establish a ground game early and hopefully have some success. If we do the 'Huskers will bring 8 into the box almost every play and we will have to beat them through the air eventually. If we struggle to run early and have to pass from the outset we could be in trouble, or Leidner could go 17/22 with 3 TDs. Their Pass D is atrocious...
 

Stan said:
This game really feels like a crossroads game for us this season. A win over Nebraska puts us at 2-1 heading into the bye and keeps us in BT West contention, with two weeks of hype and build up for a massive Halloween game against Michigan. A loss and the upcoming schedule feels much more daunting and a potential to spiral back a bit and struggle to become bowl eligible. Obviously football is a week by week sport, but the feeling of 2-1 vs 1-2 will be dramatically different come Saturday night depending on how the game goes Saturday.
Click to expand...
Big game for both teams but probably bigger for Nebraska, as 2-5 would be a catastrophe for them. Don't be surprised if they play their best game of the year so far. If we lose, we still have a shot at 6 wins and a bowl, but they don't.
 

Gopherocious said:
Ok Debbie Downer. We haven't even had a home conference game yet. What happens if the Gophers blow out Nebraska tomorrow? Will you be back on the train of a hopeful 6-2 B1G finish?
Click to expand...

Nope, that won't get me on that train. That would require us to beat three of Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Can't see that happening.
 

gopherdudepart2 said:
The schedule is tough but it doesn't mean the players will not be up for the challenge. Sometimes the worst of times, and some down times brings out the best in people and adversity will work for you because it brings people together.
Nobody can accuse the Gophers football program of being soft or not having mud slung at them. I'm ready for the Gophers to smack somebody all over the football field for all of the crap they have been having heaped at them lately. Were 4-2 and the media acts like this is a bad or really poor football team and it is not. If the Vikes were 4-2 they would be trumpeting how great they are without even a mention of the schedule.
Guys like Jon Christenson don't get enough credit for rallying the guys but I hope he can do that tomorrow and Leidner can put the hate behind him and be the Good Mitch we like.

This article from the Star Tribune plastered all over the front page really without a lot of facts other than most of this stuff was investigated and already dealt with is annoying. This article paints them all as a bunch of things they are not, even the head Coach and now they have had all of these things scrolling on ESPN and FSN1 with most of it based on a lot of innuendo and some just allegations that didn't amount to much. That reporter ambushing coach Kill at Sensors yesterday better have all her credentials voided by the U of M for all sporting events.

I used to get annoyed by Reusse hate for Gopher football but realize some of that is Shtick and a bit and that Reusse is a Gopher football fan. Then we had the whole epilepsy thing a couple years ago with Souhan to the continued Leidner hate and controversy, about our QB that Scorggins has been trying to drum up. Like coach Claeys said last year before the Michigan game you have to have thick skin to play for the Gophers and be a tough SOB because the media in this town sure likes to try and burry them as a program. The Strib better have some facts or something here, beyond this clickbait article, or there going to owe the entire team an apology.
Click to expand...
I agree 'Duder'. I remember listening to AM1500 after the bad loss vs TCU last year and Souhan and the other Sunday host predicted the Gophers would go winless in the Big Ten.
 

everyone stop making excuses about the tough schedule and injuries. Today is a must if we want to win the west 7-1 or 6-2. We have a veteran team and coach and anything less than going into the final 2 home games vs Ill and WI with a shot at the title will be a huge disappointment.
 

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