ESPN: Gophers slow-playing their way to success

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Rittenberg:

"To Minnesota's credit," Fitzgerald said, "[Jerry Kill's] offense takes half the game away by standing in the huddle and talking about what they're ordering for dinner."

Matt Limegrover loved that line. Minnesota's offensive coordinator also liked hearing Fitzgerald say his team pressed a bit too much against a team trying to shorten the game.

"I don't think it'll ever be sexy," Limegrover said of Minnesota's approach, "but at least somebody's saying they're a little affected by it. I got a kick out of that."

In an age when more teams are ramping up tempo and possessions, Minnesota is going the other direction. The Gophers are slow-playing their opponents, averaging just 62.7 plays per game, the third lowest rate in the FBS. The only teams logging fewer snaps than Minnesota -- Florida Atlantic and South Florida -- are both 2-4.

Minnesota is 5-1 and in tied for first place in the Big Ten West Division. Maybe Limegrover is wrong -- slow is sexy.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/109292/gophers-slow-playing-their-way-to-success

Go Gophers!!
 

I wonder if Limey has this tune on repeat...

Perhaps this song needs to be played everytime the offense takes the field... :p

 

I love our identity. No huddle offenses be damned.
 


Article states that we are 19-0 when leading at half, but 0-22 when losing. By process of elimination, that means we win every time we are tied (3) at half. I hadn't realized we had never come back from a half time deficit under kill, but apparently that is the case. For you statistics buffs, is this a trend (not winning after being down at half) that is possible to turn around?
 


It's hard to make up a deficit with our style. The plus side: it's difficult for other teams to make up deficits against us.
 

bamor5229 said:
I love our identity. No huddle offenses be damned.
Click to expand...

Since last year, our "Identity" has scored the following amount of points against top 50 defenses... 7, 13, 34, 7, 3, 7...Thats a cool 12 pts. a game

We are winning in spite of Limey, not because of him. Thank god for Tracy Claeys & Jay Sawvel
 

Thunderlips said:
Since last year, our "Identity" has scored the following amount of points against top 50 defenses... 7, 13, 34, 7, 3, 7...Thats a cool 12 pts. a game

We are winning in spite of Limey, not because of him. Thank god for Tracy Claeys & Jay Sawvel
Click to expand...

Agreed. Not saying I love the offensive output. Just the way we attempt to shorten the game.
 

Thunderlips said:
Since last year, our "Identity" has scored the following amount of points against top 50 defenses... 7, 13, 34, 7, 3, 7...Thats a cool 12 pts. a game

We are winning in spite of Limey, not because of him. Thank god for Tracy Claeys & Jay Sawvel
Click to expand...
Get a clue.
 



bamor5229 said:
Article states that we are 19-0 when leading at half, but 0-22 when losing. By process of elimination, that means we win every time we are tied (3) at half. I hadn't realized we had never come back from a half time deficit under kill, but apparently that is the case. For you statistics buffs, is this a trend (not winning after being down at half) that is possible to turn around?
Click to expand...

To be fair, I'm sure in most of those losses we have been getting our nuts kicked in by halftime. We had our fair share of ugly games in year 1 and 2.
 

Loved this line from Rittenberg:

"Minnesota's philosophy seems simple but is exceedingly rare: Play great defense and special teams, limit turnovers, score a few touchdowns to gain a lead, bleed the clock, sing the fight song."
 

FireDaveLee said:
Loved this line from Rittenberg:

"Minnesota's philosophy seems simple but is exceedingly rare: Play great defense and special teams, limit turnovers, score a few touchdowns to gain a lead, bleed the clock, sing the fight song."
Click to expand...

Yes! This is what I love about Kill's approach.
 

FireDaveLee said:
Loved this line from Rittenberg:

"Minnesota's philosophy seems simple but is exceedingly rare: Play great defense and special teams, limit turnovers, score a few touchdowns to gain a lead, bleed the clock, sing the fight song."
Click to expand...

Love it.
 



beatles said:
Get a clue.
Click to expand...

I realize that defending Limey is difficult, but feel free to enlighten those of us that are without a “clue “instead of giving a 3 word retort.

Also, do you really believe someone like Mitch Browning had more talent to work with then Limey does?
 

Myself and others have been saying this for decades.

You have to play to the strengths that your school has, and this style of play is the one that can generate the
best chance of success at a school like MINNESOTA.

Would this work at Florida State or Clemson? No. Look at the two FLA schools attempting to do the same thing. This style
works against those teams for the same reasons it works for us.

Would a pass-happy system work at Minnesota? Ummm.... Salem, Wacker, Brewster....no.

Whenever Minny focuses on the running game as its primary weapon, the school has typically been respectable or above.

Its the exact right system for this school.
 

Thunderlips said:
I realize that defending Limey is difficult, but feel free to enlighten those of us that are without a “clue “instead of giving a 3 word retort.

Also, do you really believe someone like Mitch Browning had more talent to work with then Limey does?
Click to expand...
Limegrover's game plan was a huge reason why we won at Michigan. It was also a huge reason as to why we beat Nebraska last year. Therefore your comment that we win in spite of him is laughable.
 

BJN said:
It's hard to make up a deficit with our style. The plus side: it's difficult for other teams to make up deficits against us.
Click to expand...

Almost every game we throw deep a few times on first or second down. Even with open receivers, most of them have been incomplete. If they can start completing those passes, it will change the stats that imply we are a slow plodding team. Limey is doing just fine and when the team better executes longer passes, the offense will seem more exciting for fans and dangerous for opponents.
 

Thunderlips said:
I realize that defending Limey is difficult, but feel free to enlighten those of us that are without a “clue “instead of giving a 3 word retort.

Also, do you really believe someone like Mitch Browning had more talent to work with then Limey does?
Click to expand...

Actually, it's not that hard unless you're too arrogant or too obtuse to realize there is more than one way to approach a football game. If the Gophers are ahead, tied or even a little behind, they are going to minimize the chance a play will result in a big loss or a turnover.
 

BleedGopher said:
per Rittenberg:

"To Minnesota's credit," Fitzgerald said, "[Jerry Kill's] offense takes half the game away by standing in the huddle and talking about what they're ordering for dinner."
Click to expand...

Funny, we do the same thing while we're watching the game.
 

Thunderlips said:
Since last year, our "Identity" has scored the following amount of points against top 50 defenses... 7, 13, 34, 7, 3, 7...Thats a cool 12 pts. a game

We are winning in spite of Limey, not because of him. Thank god for Tracy Claeys & Jay Sawvel
Click to expand...

You'd better hurry and let Kill know he's limping along with a flawed OC. Make sure you show him your stats if you want to really impress him.
 

maxwellsmart said:
You'd better hurry and let Kill know he's limping along with a flawed OC. Make sure you show him your stats if you want to really impress him.
Click to expand...

Never, never, never tell a GH'er that he doesn't know more than the current staff.
 


Here's the deal. Teams that run a lot of plays have more chance for error, but also more chance for big plays. The Gopher's style limits both. It's easy to nit pic the OC at 35 PLAYS. Being a running team magnifies the importance of when we do pass. With 4 true freshmen playing on the DL, this also lends to the importance of our slow play.

This was not their style at Northen Illinois.
 

beatles said:
Limegrover's game plan was a huge reason why we won at Michigan. It was also a huge reason as to why we beat Nebraska last year. Therefore your comment that we win in spite of him is laughable.
Click to expand...

a 112th ranked offense, sandwiched in nicely between south alabama and fl. International is laughable.....keep telling yourself that limey is anywhere near the most out of the talent on that team....pray we dont fall behind tomorrow
 

Thunderlips said:
a 112th ranked offense, sandwiched in nicely between south alabama and fl. International is laughable.....keep telling yourself that limey is anywhere near the most out of the talent on that team....pray we dont fall behind tomorrow
Click to expand...

Are we not 5-1 doing it the boss's way?
 


Dr.Don said:
Are we not 5-1 doing it the boss's way?
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So youre assuming that having a 112th ranked offense, which did next to nothing against the only two defenses with a pulse, and completed 1 pass against SJSU, is "the bosses way"?...kill cannot be pleased with his O.....again, thank the good lord for Tracy C and our punter
 

Thunderlips said:
So youre assuming that having a 112th ranked offense, which did next to nothing against the only two defenses with a pulse, and completed 1 pass against SJSU, is "the bosses way"?...kill cannot be pleased with his O.....again, thank the good lord for Tracy C and our punter
Click to expand...

Thunderthud, I repeat...Are we not 5-1?
 

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