A quick football-related analysis....

[metrolax]

....I know our thoughts are with Coach Kill, but just some quick observations from watching the first two games.

First, whenever I see someone making a play, or being involved in a play, in more instances than not it involves a
freshman, or a redshirt freshman, or somebody new to their position, or maybe a sophomore. This is a very young
team that Kill is putting on the field this season. Just watch on any given play and note this and it becomes very
obvious.

Bo Schembechlar at Michigan used to say that your football team is only as good as its seniors. In college football that is so true. This Gopher team has so little in the way of seniors, it seems. Its not the type of senior class that makes a run at something.

One thing that having a senior-laden squad will do is they will tend to avoid the emotional ups and downs and keep everyone well-grounded from week to week. They won't let the younger guys get either too high or too low. After the 2nd half last week at USC, the team I'm sure thought they were gonna roll over NMSU. They seemed a little flat, while the Aggies came to play. In football today, with everyone having a schollie limit of 85, that will get you beat regardless of who you are or who you play.

I had thought the Gophers could surprise some people this season, but after the first two games the reality of just how young and inexperienced this squad is is hitting home. When you make three trips to the Red Zone and score no points like we did today, that often is the result of inexperience at qb. That was the ballgame, right there.

The systems they are playing will take some time to really sink in. Maybe they need to dumb things down and just let these guys play more. I've been watching many of these younger players and I think that some of them
are gonna be very good before they're done. The young receivers have been laying out and catching some throws, for example. There just seems to be a lot of freshmen and RS freshmen who are getting significant PT.

I still think this team will surprise somebody this season, but they will have letdowns as well. I do think that after
watching these first two games, that this team can really be something in a couple of years. I know that's not
what a lot of people like to hear, because we're kinda sick of waiting until a couple of years from now, but that's
the reality.

Chin up, everyone......better days lay ahead. I'm confident that Coach Kill will be back up and at em before
we know it, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if this team beat Miami and NDSU and went into Big 10 play at 2-2.
After that, its just a matter of who they're gonna catch on the right day.

 

[Arbogast]

....I know our thoughts are with Coach Kill, but just some quick observations from watching the first two games.

First, whenever I see someone making a play, or being involved in a play, in more instances than not it involves a
freshman, or a redshirt freshman, or somebody new to their position, or maybe a sophomore. This is a very young
team that Kill is putting on the field this season. Just watch on any given play and note this and it becomes very
obvious.

Bo Schembechlar at Michigan used to say that your football team is only as good as its seniors. In college football that is so true. This Gopher team has so little in the way of seniors, it seems. Its not the type of senior class that makes a run at something.

One thing that having a senior-laden squad will do is they will tend to avoid the emotional ups and downs and keep everyone well-grounded from week to week. They won't let the younger guys get either too high or too low. After the 2nd half last week at USC, the team I'm sure thought they were gonna roll over NMSU. They seemed a little flat, while the Aggies came to play. In football today, with everyone having a schollie limit of 85, that will get you beat regardless of who you are or who you play.

I had thought the Gophers could surprise some people this season, but after the first two games the reality of just how young and inexperienced this squad is is hitting home. When you make three trips to the Red Zone and score no points like we did today, that often is the result of inexperience at qb. That was the ballgame, right there.

The systems they are playing will take some time to really sink in. Maybe they need to dumb things down and just let these guys play more. I've been watching many of these younger players and I think that some of them
are gonna be very good before they're done. The young receivers have been laying out and catching some throws, for example. There just seems to be a lot of freshmen and RS freshmen who are getting significant PT.

I still think this team will surprise somebody this season, but they will have letdowns as well. I do think that after
watching these first two games, that this team can really be something in a couple of years. I know that's not
what a lot of people like to hear, because we're kinda sick of waiting until a couple of years from now, but that's
the reality.

Chin up, everyone......better days lay ahead. I'm confident that Coach Kill will be back up and at em before
we know it, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if this team beat Miami and NDSU and went into Big 10 play at 2-2.
After that, its just a matter of who they're gonna catch on the right day.

+1 As much as it pains me to say it, this team is a year or 2 away from being consistent. Kill said this team was lacking and that they weren't going to be very good I just don't think anyone wanted to fully believe him, myself included. However, I will stick with this team through thick and thin much as I have since I was a kid. That's what true fans do and I sincerely hope that's how most people on this board feel.

 

[popeyoung5]

Thanks for sanity.

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

To me one of the biggest disappointments in the inability to gain 1 yard when necessary. A Big Ten OLine should have enough beef to push back a team like NMSU.

 

[GopherInPittsburgh]

Still upset about the Royston interception. Jumped the route perfectly and made a good football play, only to have it stolen.

But what irks me more is the no-call later on. If ticky-tack one way, be ticky-tack both ways.

 

[Arbogast]

To me one of the biggest disappointments in the inability to gain 1 yard when necessary. A Big Ten OLine should have enough beef to push back a team like NMSU.

I agree on the bolded. At the same time they used a shotgun formation on that goal line 4th down which was baffling to me considering now Edwards has to run an extra 4 or 5 yards to get 1 yard. Even the announcers mentioned something about it. On a side note I thought the line did get well past the goal line but by the time Edwards got there it was clogged.

 

[gopherdudepart2]

A lot of mental errors today, and lack of physical play by the lines D and O

We have no speed or wiggle and elusiveness in the D-line. Zero pressure by the front four in two years. The D-backs take bad drops and have poor footwork and the linebackers took some poor tackling angles today. No offensive identity, and a really weak not very physically strong O-line.
Bad zone drops by the safety's, bad use of the hands by the WR's, poor positioning of throws and to much guiding of the ball and locking on to a receiver by Gray.
Overall flat attitude and sometimes just a real lack of effort and focus today lead to a lot of bad plays and poor execution.
Team played poorly and whether they were not prepared or are just not that talented as a group is up for grabs.
This team has a higher opinion of themselves then is warranted at this time. Gophers are not talented enough to overlook, or not out hustle there opponents.
Other team wanted it more and showed up, Gophers did not today. Change can happen, it is not the end of the world but checking your
we are "better" then them by showing up at the door card needs to go away. Defense gives up a touchdown on every opening drive it seems like, this is a trend
that has to stop. At some point I would hope the Gophers could turn the corner but it is going to be a lot longer then most of us can stomach.
Why Joel Maturi still has a job is beyond me? Every loss to a South Dakota or New Mexico State proves just how infective he has become as AD.
He should no longer be the AD of the Gopher program it is time for him to step aside and net new leadership have a try at change.