BleedGopher
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per Chip:
P.J. Fleck shouldn’t blame youth for the debacle that transpired Saturday afternoon. Oh, he tried to play that card, of course, but let’s save that discussion for another day.
The manner in which one of the lowest-scoring offenses in major college football shredded Fleck’s defense with breathtakingly ease wasn’t merely a product of age. The Gophers started nine upperclassmen on defense, only one freshman.
One week after displaying plenty of grit and competitive fight at Ohio State, the defense offered no resistance whatsoever against winless Nebraska at Memorial Stadium.
The result was a humbling 53-28 loss that kept the Gophers winless in the Big Ten and further exposed major issues with their defense.
“We didn’t come close to stopping them,” Fleck said.
It’s become too convenient to pin everything on youth. Yes, the Gophers are young in spots (which is Fleck’s desired plan, mind you) and losing their best defensive player, Antoine Winfield Jr., to a season-ending injury was a significant blow.
But excuses ring hollow after a performance so feeble. If their effort against Ohio State represented a step forward, this felt like 10 steps backward.
Sorry, no moral victories this week.
http://www.startribune.com/youth-ca...ers-defensive-meltdown-at-nebraska/498128271/
Go Gophers!!
P.J. Fleck shouldn’t blame youth for the debacle that transpired Saturday afternoon. Oh, he tried to play that card, of course, but let’s save that discussion for another day.
The manner in which one of the lowest-scoring offenses in major college football shredded Fleck’s defense with breathtakingly ease wasn’t merely a product of age. The Gophers started nine upperclassmen on defense, only one freshman.
One week after displaying plenty of grit and competitive fight at Ohio State, the defense offered no resistance whatsoever against winless Nebraska at Memorial Stadium.
The result was a humbling 53-28 loss that kept the Gophers winless in the Big Ten and further exposed major issues with their defense.
“We didn’t come close to stopping them,” Fleck said.
It’s become too convenient to pin everything on youth. Yes, the Gophers are young in spots (which is Fleck’s desired plan, mind you) and losing their best defensive player, Antoine Winfield Jr., to a season-ending injury was a significant blow.
But excuses ring hollow after a performance so feeble. If their effort against Ohio State represented a step forward, this felt like 10 steps backward.
Sorry, no moral victories this week.
http://www.startribune.com/youth-ca...ers-defensive-meltdown-at-nebraska/498128271/
Go Gophers!!