FireDaveLee
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Sorry about this being long, winded, & most likely random & all over the place.
Got back Saturday from Phoenix, but have been rather busy trying to catch up on anything & everything….figured everyone was really desperate to get my take on the Gophers & the Insight Bowl.
-Got to play the ASU Karsten Course the day before the game. The bag drop guys & outside workers all wear black knickers with maroon & black checkered socks, so that was kind of fun. Liked the course. A Pete Dye course with lots of big deep bunkers, some replaced with grass which I thought were more difficult. Lots of rolling hills & in pretty good shape. Only a par-34 on the front side, but at least two 450 par-4’s. Kind of fun playing the course thinking about how so many greats have played this course & trying to think how many times Mickelson has played the course. Overall good times.
-Before the game on Mill Ave. & around the area, I think there must have been about 60-70 Iowa State fans for every Gopher fan that I saw. After the game, that ratio had to be closer to 125-150 to 1. It wasn’t that big at the game (tons more ISU fans, but nothing like that ratio), but pregame & postgame, it was pretty ridiculous. I saw a lot more Boise State fans postgame at the Block Party than I did Minnesota.
-Enjoyed the Doobie Brothers a lot.
-Weather was nice, but it wasn't exactly tropical. I know people think I'm complaining & whining considering the weather that we've had the past few weeks, but it was mostly mid to low-60s at the very most. Nice for golfing as I'd go shorts with a long sleeve & polo. But it was too cold for any outdoor pool activity. I did get quite a few "Are you from Canada?" questions when I was seen wearing shorts & a polo at night from the locals.
-Stadium: Due to other circumstances (work related in 2006 & wife pregnant in 2008), this was the first time I was attending the Insight Bowl. I liked the stadium, but you can see it’s kind of starting to show some age & wear. A friend of mine told me that there’s talk about ASU building a new stadium, potentially on the same site, and would play in Glendale for a few years until it was built, but that there really is a struggle for support since so many people in Phoenix don’t attach themselves to a team due to it being quite transient, almost like L.A. The Suns have a pretty loyal following and the Cardinals draw well because the stadium and they’re currently good, but it’s not hardcore.
-Band: From section 8, I could hear the ISU band very easily….I barely could hear the Minnesota band. Seemed like the Minnesota band was barely playing while ISU was making noise whenever they could.
-Coaching: I saw things I liked & things I didn’t like. No matter your stance on Brewster, you have to be impressed by only 1 penalty (I think it was 1 penalty). In the 2nd half regarding the timeouts. The first time out was after the fake punt. Brewster clearly wanted the play clock reset and you could see him screaming for it with about 12 seconds left on it. The same thing happened to Ohio State after a long pass play in the 1st quarter and they ended up burning a time out, so before anyone barks at Brewster, it’s something I saw a few other times as well not including the Rose Bowl. The 2nd time out was a matter of the defensive linemen not being ready to substitute in. This falls on both the players & the coaches. The players subbing in weren’t standing right next to the defensive coaches. The players need to have the awareness to be ready to be in the game when called upon, especially with the way the Gophers rotate defensive players. However, that awareness should also be something instilled by the coaches. Players need common sense; but it’s something the coaches should have covered by now.
-I didn’t have a huge issue with any playcalling. Even the 4th down & 2 in the 2nd quarter, you could see what they were trying to do, but the receiver didn’t get off the line the best and Weber I think threw it just a tad too early. He may have been under pressure, I don’t remember. As for Gray in the game during the time of the fumble, I don’t think it was that outrageous. For the most part, a read option or called give/keep is a pretty safe call. It was more unfortunate results than playcalling to me.
-I echo the sentiments about the OL….I thought they played decently. The run blocking is still not where it needs to be, but the pass protection was ok. I actually thought the pass protection has been OK ever since the Penn State game. Needs to get better for next year & keep improving, but Weber wasn’t running for his life like he was earlier in the season against Cal & Wisconsin.
-Weber: I am officially in the camp that wants Gray to see more time & plays. People can talk all they want about Gray not knowing the offense or able to make the reads, but the bottom line is that minus the aberration that was Michigan State & the 2nd half of the Illinois game, Weber & the offense has been VERY subpar ever since the Purdue game. Gray may not know the offense, but it seems quite clear to me that neither does Weber. And after watching Ohio State, I am even more convinced that Gray needs more time in games. Ohio State seemed to have a similar situation a year ago with Boeckman & Pryor. Tressel made the move to Pryor as a freshman, and I’m guessing that he didn’t know the offense as well as Boeckman or make the correct reads either. What Tressel was doing, however, was putting the better player in the game and who gave them a better chance to win. And it’s taken time with Pryor. It also took time with Vince Young, who didn’t really seem to get it until his junior year. I bring up their names as comparisons because I think Gray can be that type of player. Studwell55 said it best: Gray has a glide. His run in the 4th quarter was explosive. I am still mesmerized by his one run in the Michigan State game that was called back because of a holding penalty. The one thing I’m most certain about the Insight Bowl is this: Gray was the most talented football player on that field.
-I do think one thing will take care of the other in terms of the QB’s and the coaching situation: Either Weber is going to improve dramatically during the offseason and become a good QB (I don’t see it as being likely), Gray is going to be the starting QB (or Alipate, who is enormous….seemed almost like a Phil Rivers/Big Ben cross with his imposing size) or Brewster will stick with Weber and they’ll likely go down together next year.
-Rest of the offense: We are lacking a RB right now. I thought Eskridge ran the best that game. I think Whaley may have potential and think a year in the strength program may make him a good Big Ten back. I’m not high on Bennett. Hopefully a recruit like Wright or Edwards (if he stays on offense) is the answer. I liked seeing Eric Lair get involved and have high hopes for him. I think his athletic ability may able to offset the quality football player we’re losing in Tow-Arnett. I think McKnight will be a difference maker.
-Defense: I hate to say this, but I’m not sorry to see a few guys go. We have good defensive tackles and think we’ll be fine, but our DE’s were non-existant in pass rushing and only seemed to be noticed when ISU started running at the back side for success. The pass rushing I blame on talent of the player. The ability to stay disciplined I blame on coaching. The only thing I’ll counter with the coaching on that is perhaps that was part of the scheme trying to cover up for some other weakness. However, I’m not exactly sad to see Moen (who is what he is) & McKinley (who seems to be sometimes off on his own) go. I like Simoni Lawrence, but he didn’t go out with his best game. I think we’re definitely upgrading in terms of athletic ability at LB next year. Hopefully they’ll be able to keep the downs to a minimum.
-It was good to see Ryan Collado battle back. He was nothing but fresh meat in 2007, was everybody’s whipping boy in 2008, especially after the NIU game, but keeps doing things on special teams and just keeps battling on defense. I think he’s actually very good in terms of run support at CB. If we do battle next year with Carter & Collado, we could do a lot worse. They’ll both get beat a few times, but we could do a lot worse. One thing I didn’t like was Kyle Theret screaming at defensive players. It wasn’t the first time this year either. Nobody’s screaming at him when he falls and the ISU receiver gets behind him.
-Overall: The only thing I’ll say about turnout is that no matter how many times Iowa or Wisconsin would have gone to the same bowl game whatever seasons in a row, they would NEVER have as low a turnout as the Gophers had. We (myself included, along with the KFAN potsies & others) all say “I don’t expect to be Ohio State or Penn State, but what’s wrong with expecting us to be at Wisconsin or Iowa’s level.” This university does not support, nor does it get the support that these two give & receive. It’s a fair question to raise in terms of does the chicken or egg come first in terms of winning will make that support come. But we haven’t been piss poor…we’ve been low level bowl team. This is a problem that faced Mason, it’s a problem that’s facing Brewster, and it’s most likely going to be a problem that faces our next coach. Unfortunately, I don’t see our inability to support a program changing unless Minnesota goes to the Rose Bowl and absolutely nothing less.
Got back Saturday from Phoenix, but have been rather busy trying to catch up on anything & everything….figured everyone was really desperate to get my take on the Gophers & the Insight Bowl.
-Got to play the ASU Karsten Course the day before the game. The bag drop guys & outside workers all wear black knickers with maroon & black checkered socks, so that was kind of fun. Liked the course. A Pete Dye course with lots of big deep bunkers, some replaced with grass which I thought were more difficult. Lots of rolling hills & in pretty good shape. Only a par-34 on the front side, but at least two 450 par-4’s. Kind of fun playing the course thinking about how so many greats have played this course & trying to think how many times Mickelson has played the course. Overall good times.
-Before the game on Mill Ave. & around the area, I think there must have been about 60-70 Iowa State fans for every Gopher fan that I saw. After the game, that ratio had to be closer to 125-150 to 1. It wasn’t that big at the game (tons more ISU fans, but nothing like that ratio), but pregame & postgame, it was pretty ridiculous. I saw a lot more Boise State fans postgame at the Block Party than I did Minnesota.
-Enjoyed the Doobie Brothers a lot.
-Weather was nice, but it wasn't exactly tropical. I know people think I'm complaining & whining considering the weather that we've had the past few weeks, but it was mostly mid to low-60s at the very most. Nice for golfing as I'd go shorts with a long sleeve & polo. But it was too cold for any outdoor pool activity. I did get quite a few "Are you from Canada?" questions when I was seen wearing shorts & a polo at night from the locals.
-Stadium: Due to other circumstances (work related in 2006 & wife pregnant in 2008), this was the first time I was attending the Insight Bowl. I liked the stadium, but you can see it’s kind of starting to show some age & wear. A friend of mine told me that there’s talk about ASU building a new stadium, potentially on the same site, and would play in Glendale for a few years until it was built, but that there really is a struggle for support since so many people in Phoenix don’t attach themselves to a team due to it being quite transient, almost like L.A. The Suns have a pretty loyal following and the Cardinals draw well because the stadium and they’re currently good, but it’s not hardcore.
-Band: From section 8, I could hear the ISU band very easily….I barely could hear the Minnesota band. Seemed like the Minnesota band was barely playing while ISU was making noise whenever they could.
-Coaching: I saw things I liked & things I didn’t like. No matter your stance on Brewster, you have to be impressed by only 1 penalty (I think it was 1 penalty). In the 2nd half regarding the timeouts. The first time out was after the fake punt. Brewster clearly wanted the play clock reset and you could see him screaming for it with about 12 seconds left on it. The same thing happened to Ohio State after a long pass play in the 1st quarter and they ended up burning a time out, so before anyone barks at Brewster, it’s something I saw a few other times as well not including the Rose Bowl. The 2nd time out was a matter of the defensive linemen not being ready to substitute in. This falls on both the players & the coaches. The players subbing in weren’t standing right next to the defensive coaches. The players need to have the awareness to be ready to be in the game when called upon, especially with the way the Gophers rotate defensive players. However, that awareness should also be something instilled by the coaches. Players need common sense; but it’s something the coaches should have covered by now.
-I didn’t have a huge issue with any playcalling. Even the 4th down & 2 in the 2nd quarter, you could see what they were trying to do, but the receiver didn’t get off the line the best and Weber I think threw it just a tad too early. He may have been under pressure, I don’t remember. As for Gray in the game during the time of the fumble, I don’t think it was that outrageous. For the most part, a read option or called give/keep is a pretty safe call. It was more unfortunate results than playcalling to me.
-I echo the sentiments about the OL….I thought they played decently. The run blocking is still not where it needs to be, but the pass protection was ok. I actually thought the pass protection has been OK ever since the Penn State game. Needs to get better for next year & keep improving, but Weber wasn’t running for his life like he was earlier in the season against Cal & Wisconsin.
-Weber: I am officially in the camp that wants Gray to see more time & plays. People can talk all they want about Gray not knowing the offense or able to make the reads, but the bottom line is that minus the aberration that was Michigan State & the 2nd half of the Illinois game, Weber & the offense has been VERY subpar ever since the Purdue game. Gray may not know the offense, but it seems quite clear to me that neither does Weber. And after watching Ohio State, I am even more convinced that Gray needs more time in games. Ohio State seemed to have a similar situation a year ago with Boeckman & Pryor. Tressel made the move to Pryor as a freshman, and I’m guessing that he didn’t know the offense as well as Boeckman or make the correct reads either. What Tressel was doing, however, was putting the better player in the game and who gave them a better chance to win. And it’s taken time with Pryor. It also took time with Vince Young, who didn’t really seem to get it until his junior year. I bring up their names as comparisons because I think Gray can be that type of player. Studwell55 said it best: Gray has a glide. His run in the 4th quarter was explosive. I am still mesmerized by his one run in the Michigan State game that was called back because of a holding penalty. The one thing I’m most certain about the Insight Bowl is this: Gray was the most talented football player on that field.
-I do think one thing will take care of the other in terms of the QB’s and the coaching situation: Either Weber is going to improve dramatically during the offseason and become a good QB (I don’t see it as being likely), Gray is going to be the starting QB (or Alipate, who is enormous….seemed almost like a Phil Rivers/Big Ben cross with his imposing size) or Brewster will stick with Weber and they’ll likely go down together next year.
-Rest of the offense: We are lacking a RB right now. I thought Eskridge ran the best that game. I think Whaley may have potential and think a year in the strength program may make him a good Big Ten back. I’m not high on Bennett. Hopefully a recruit like Wright or Edwards (if he stays on offense) is the answer. I liked seeing Eric Lair get involved and have high hopes for him. I think his athletic ability may able to offset the quality football player we’re losing in Tow-Arnett. I think McKnight will be a difference maker.
-Defense: I hate to say this, but I’m not sorry to see a few guys go. We have good defensive tackles and think we’ll be fine, but our DE’s were non-existant in pass rushing and only seemed to be noticed when ISU started running at the back side for success. The pass rushing I blame on talent of the player. The ability to stay disciplined I blame on coaching. The only thing I’ll counter with the coaching on that is perhaps that was part of the scheme trying to cover up for some other weakness. However, I’m not exactly sad to see Moen (who is what he is) & McKinley (who seems to be sometimes off on his own) go. I like Simoni Lawrence, but he didn’t go out with his best game. I think we’re definitely upgrading in terms of athletic ability at LB next year. Hopefully they’ll be able to keep the downs to a minimum.
-It was good to see Ryan Collado battle back. He was nothing but fresh meat in 2007, was everybody’s whipping boy in 2008, especially after the NIU game, but keeps doing things on special teams and just keeps battling on defense. I think he’s actually very good in terms of run support at CB. If we do battle next year with Carter & Collado, we could do a lot worse. They’ll both get beat a few times, but we could do a lot worse. One thing I didn’t like was Kyle Theret screaming at defensive players. It wasn’t the first time this year either. Nobody’s screaming at him when he falls and the ISU receiver gets behind him.
-Overall: The only thing I’ll say about turnout is that no matter how many times Iowa or Wisconsin would have gone to the same bowl game whatever seasons in a row, they would NEVER have as low a turnout as the Gophers had. We (myself included, along with the KFAN potsies & others) all say “I don’t expect to be Ohio State or Penn State, but what’s wrong with expecting us to be at Wisconsin or Iowa’s level.” This university does not support, nor does it get the support that these two give & receive. It’s a fair question to raise in terms of does the chicken or egg come first in terms of winning will make that support come. But we haven’t been piss poor…we’ve been low level bowl team. This is a problem that faced Mason, it’s a problem that’s facing Brewster, and it’s most likely going to be a problem that faces our next coach. Unfortunately, I don’t see our inability to support a program changing unless Minnesota goes to the Rose Bowl and absolutely nothing less.
