BleedGopher
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per Chip:
They didn’t want to leave the field. Not after a win that felt defining in nature and a season best described as special. So they lingered long after the game had ended to celebrate and enjoy one final moment together.
Especially the seniors. They probably would have camped out all night at Raymond James Stadium if allowed. They have experienced so much turmoil and personal challenges the past five years that their elation was something to savor. As one of them noted afterward, “Mission accomplished.” Indeed.
The perception of Gophers football changed in 2019. The first day of a new year validated the program’s rise to relevancy.
A commanding 31-24 win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl served as an exclamation point on an 11-win season and sent notice that P.J. Fleck’s program can compete with college football’s big boys.
“If you want to be a blue blood,” Fleck said, “you’ve got to beat blue bloods.”
The Gophers didn’t just beat Auburn, they throttled them statistically and in coaching acumen, leaving no doubt about which team was superior. The manner in which the Gophers took the fight to their opponent will reverberate nationally because Auburn’s resume included a win over Alabama and a three-point loss at LSU, along with one of the stingiest defenses nationally.
This win will get people’s attention. Eleven wins with a dominating performance against a highly regarded SEC team should remove any remaining skepticism about the Gophers’ soft schedule. They are legit, plain and simple. And they will begin next season as a Top 15 team.
“We’re doing everything we possibly can to make this a championship program,” Fleck said. “We want to change people’s thoughts, ideas and mindset. This is one game, one win. [But] it shows where we can go. It shows what we’re capable of doing, but it doesn’t guarantee anything. You have to go earn it every single day.”
Go Gophers!!
They didn’t want to leave the field. Not after a win that felt defining in nature and a season best described as special. So they lingered long after the game had ended to celebrate and enjoy one final moment together.
Especially the seniors. They probably would have camped out all night at Raymond James Stadium if allowed. They have experienced so much turmoil and personal challenges the past five years that their elation was something to savor. As one of them noted afterward, “Mission accomplished.” Indeed.
The perception of Gophers football changed in 2019. The first day of a new year validated the program’s rise to relevancy.
A commanding 31-24 win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl served as an exclamation point on an 11-win season and sent notice that P.J. Fleck’s program can compete with college football’s big boys.
“If you want to be a blue blood,” Fleck said, “you’ve got to beat blue bloods.”
The Gophers didn’t just beat Auburn, they throttled them statistically and in coaching acumen, leaving no doubt about which team was superior. The manner in which the Gophers took the fight to their opponent will reverberate nationally because Auburn’s resume included a win over Alabama and a three-point loss at LSU, along with one of the stingiest defenses nationally.
This win will get people’s attention. Eleven wins with a dominating performance against a highly regarded SEC team should remove any remaining skepticism about the Gophers’ soft schedule. They are legit, plain and simple. And they will begin next season as a Top 15 team.
“We’re doing everything we possibly can to make this a championship program,” Fleck said. “We want to change people’s thoughts, ideas and mindset. This is one game, one win. [But] it shows where we can go. It shows what we’re capable of doing, but it doesn’t guarantee anything. You have to go earn it every single day.”
Go Gophers!!
