Favorite Defenses as a fan

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STPGopher

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In no order and without any statistical data, I am listing some of my favorite defenses as a fan.

1977

1986

1999

2003

2008

2016

2019
 






STPGopher said:
In no order and without any statistical data, I am listing some of my favorite defenses as a fan.

1977

1986

1999

2003

2008

2016

2019
Click to expand...
There were some fun players on the 2003 defense although I don't recall them being great. I looked up the stats and that 2003 defense was the 6th worst D1 team at generating turnovers. Good run defense and decent at points per game.
 

GopherGuy82 said:
There were some fun players on the 2003 defense although I don't recall them being great. I looked up the stats and that 2003 defense was the 6th worst D1 team at generating turnovers. Good run defense and decent at points per game.
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They did "enough" mostly propped up by the run game. If they could have made a couple more stops in the fourth quarter of a particular game...
 


STPGopher said:
In no order and without any statistical data, I am listing some of my favorite defenses as a fan.

1977

1986

1999

2003

2008

2016

2019
Click to expand...
I saw the beatdown of Michigan in 1977. Believe it was 16 to 0, Keith Simon, Steve Stewart, Mark Merrill and another LB, Hoffman, not sure. Beat UCLA and Washington as well that year. Beat Whisky that year as well.
 



DRJ said:
I saw the beatdown of Michigan in 1977. Believe it was 16 to 0, Keith Simon, Steve Stewart, Mark Merrill and another LB, Hoffman, not sure. Beat UCLA and Washington as well that year. Beat Whisky that year as well.
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Add Midboe, Ken Foxworth. and Bobby Weber. Stan Sytsma, Michael Hunt amongst others.
 

GopherGuy82 said:
There were some fun players on the 2003 defense although I don't recall them being great. I looked up the stats and that 2003 defense was the 6th worst D1 team at generating turnovers. Good run defense and decent at points per game.
Click to expand...
I’d be curious to look at yards per play that year

I’m not sure how the defense from the game that shouldn’t be mentioned can be anyone’s favorite
 


2019, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2008, 1999, 2003. 2018 post Smith and pre Winfield injury, but 2019 probably doesn't happen without that injury. Winfield was balling out that year and probably would have gone pro, Smith probably doesn't get fired because he would have had Winfield to mask a lot of the issues the whole year. 2000 had its moments but also too epic collapses and a loss to Ohio. 2006 had some interesting moments too, couple shutouts, and the Iowa game that year
 




I would register a vote for the 61 and 62 Gopher defense. Bobby Bell at
one tackle and Carl Eller at the other. They were awesome.
 


The 1904 Gopher Defense had 12 shutouts in 13 games, allowed 0.92 points per game, and the Gophers won the National Championship.

Gonna be hard to top that one
 

1999 for me. The Karon Riley, John Schlecht combo was a thing of beauty. And the secondary was a lot of fun as well.
 




Ah yes. Washburn McKrevy funeral home ads during Gopher games in the early 90's while it looked like literally hundreds of fans watched the game in the morgue known as the Metrodome. Memories.
 


The Deliberate Stranger said:
Screen!
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Navarre to Perry, Navarre to Perry...
giphy.gif


He has broken the rule!

images
 
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The Deliberate Stranger said:
2019, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2008, 1999, 2003. 2018 post Smith and pre Winfield injury, but 2019 probably doesn't happen without that injury. Winfield was balling out that year and probably would have gone pro, Smith probably doesn't get fired because he would have had Winfield to mask a lot of the issues the whole year. 2000 had its moments but also too epic collapses and a loss to Ohio. 2006 had some interesting moments too, couple shutouts, and the Iowa game that year
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2000 That dang Indiana game. Willie Middlebrooks got hurt and the D kind of fell apart after that.
 

STPGopher said:
2000 That dang Indiana game. Willie Middlebrooks got hurt and the D kind of fell apart after that.
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Yeah with TC, Gibbs and the dline from 99. Middlebrooks was the last anchor. We never really saw a good defense again consistently until Roofs one year as DC in 08 but even that group fell apart as well
 

Statistically speaking here are the best Gopher defenses of the last 30 years. 2021, 2022, and 2024 should have been much better seasons.

1999
15.6 pts (8th)
166.2 pass yds (9th)
129.8 rush yds (44th)
296.0 total yds (15th)

2003
21.9 pts (35th)
217.7 pass yds (55th)
122.7 rush yds (26th)
340.4 total yds (34th)

2012
24.7 pts (45th)
186.6 pass yds (12th)
172 rush yds (74th)
358.6 total yds (33rd)

2013
22.2 pts (25th)
215.1 pass yds (36th)
158.2 rush yds (55th)
373.2 total yds (43rd)

2014
24.2 pts (35th)
193.5 pass yds (18th)
174.7 rush yds (76th)
368.2 total yds (40th)

2015
25.2 pts (45th)
179.5 pass yds (11th)
166.4 rush yds (62nd)
345.9 total yds (24th)

2016
22.1 pts (21st)
230.9 pass yds (73rd)
117.8 rush yds (14th)
348.8 total yds (21st)

2017
22.8 pts (37th)
174.5 pass yds (11th)
172.2 rush yds (73rd)
346.7 total yds (30th)

2019
22.5 pts (37th)
184.2 pass yds (9th)
122.4 rush yds (22nd)
306.6 total yds (9th)

2021
17.3 pts (6th)
181.2 pass yds (8th)
97.8 rush yds (8th)
279.0 total yds (3rd)

2022
13.8 pts (4th)
185.7 pass yds (15th)
109.0 rush yds (16th)
294.7 total yds (9th)

2024
16.9 pts (9th)
176.1 pass yds (10th)
109.6 rush yds (12th)
285.7 total yds (5th)
 

Looking at the defensive stats I also noticed that 2011 Alabama had the best defense of the last 30 years and it's not even close. That team actually lost a game but won the title.

8.2 pts (1st)
111.5 pass yds (1st)
72.2 rush yds (1st)
183.6 total yds (1st)
 

GopherGuy82 said:
Statistically speaking here are the best Gopher defenses of the last 30 years. 2021, 2022, and 2024 should have been much better seasons.

1999
15.6 pts (8th)
166.2 pass yds (9th)
129.8 rush yds (44th)
296.0 total yds (15th)

2003
21.9 pts (35th)
217.7 pass yds (55th)
122.7 rush yds (26th)
340.4 total yds (34th)

2012
24.7 pts (45th)
186.6 pass yds (12th)
172 rush yds (74th)
358.6 total yds (33rd)

2013
22.2 pts (25th)
215.1 pass yds (36th)
158.2 rush yds (55th)
373.2 total yds (43rd)

2014
24.2 pts (35th)
193.5 pass yds (18th)
174.7 rush yds (76th)
368.2 total yds (40th)

2015
25.2 pts (45th)
179.5 pass yds (11th)
166.4 rush yds (62nd)
345.9 total yds (24th)

2016
22.1 pts (21st)
230.9 pass yds (73rd)
117.8 rush yds (14th)
348.8 total yds (21st)

2017
22.8 pts (37th)
174.5 pass yds (11th)
172.2 rush yds (73rd)
346.7 total yds (30th)

2019
22.5 pts (37th)
184.2 pass yds (9th)
122.4 rush yds (22nd)
306.6 total yds (9th)

2021
17.3 pts (6th)
181.2 pass yds (8th)
97.8 rush yds (8th)
279.0 total yds (3rd)

2022
13.8 pts (4th)
185.7 pass yds (15th)
109.0 rush yds (16th)
294.7 total yds (9th)

2024
16.9 pts (9th)
176.1 pass yds (10th)
109.6 rush yds (12th)
285.7 total yds (5th)
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I disagree this means 21, 22, and 24 should’ve been better seasons

A game takes offense and defense.
21, 22, and 24 the defense was the strength of the team.
21 the best offensive player tore his Achilles week 1.
22 the QB was banged up. And the best player missed one of the key losses (Mo-Purdue)
24 the team flat out couldn’t run the ball.



The biggest underachieving team was no doubt 2003.
They are a top 35 defense that was much worse than the offense with a good kicker. They had a soft schedule…..They didn’t beat a team in the top half of the conference.
I didn’t really think that going into this discussion but if 2003 is a top 35 defense in the country and top 20 of the last 30 years of gopher football. Embarrassing to go 5-3 in the conference while missing two of the top 3.

I’ll come off this position if everyone admits 2003 defense was below average and was propped up by 4 non conference games, one of the easiest conference schedules in the history of the program and an offense that was always on the field.
 
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