ESPN Mailbag: MN at NW All Injury Game

[Iceland12]

Brian Bennett: Yep, both teams are M*A*S*H units right about now, and each team had multiple starters leave last week's games. Minnesota was already banged up before last week, and Jerry Kill used the word "decimated" to describe his team's health situation. The Golden Gophers are piecing it together on the offensive line and won't have star cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun, though fortunately he will not need surgery on his knee.

Northwestern ran into all kinds of injury problems last week against Ball State, with key players like safety Godwin Igwebuike and left tackle Geoff Mogus sidelined. Pat Fitzgerald said Tuesday that the health of his team was "getting better" but he didn't offer many specifics. Both the Gophers and the Wildcats are among the few Big Ten teams who issue injury reports on Thursday night, so those will be eagerly anticipated (assuming neither coach tries to gain an advantage by keeping some information close to the vest).

With all those injuries and two great defenses going at it, I wonder if these teams could stage a new version of last year's M00N game in Evanston. This is still the week of the blood moon, after all.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post...ag-iowa-wisconsin-to-decide-the-west-favorite

 

[SelectionSunday]

Injuries are part of the game, unfortunately. The Gophers and Northwestern don't corner the market on the B1G injury front. Michigan State already has lost 2 defensive starters for the season (their best LB & probably their best CB), and currently they're short both starting offensive tackles, RT Kodi Kieler and pre-season All-American LT Jack Conklin. I'm sure there are other B1G squads getting hit with the injury bug, as well. Next man up is cliche, but it applies to all teams.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Sounds like we're getting Johnson and Hardin back, so our secondary should only be missing Travis and Calhoun.

I don't think we are as beat up as people think. Offensive line need Christensen back and secondary needs Calhoun & Travis back. Get those three healthy and we're pretty much full strength.

Jerry likes to use big words like "decimated" but we could be much worse off. We've been fortunate that a lot of these injuries have not been season ending. The only area where we've been truly unfortunate is at TE. The rest is just part of the game.

 

[golden]

Sounds like we're getting Johnson and Hardin back, so our secondary should only be missing Travis and Calhoun.

I don't think we are as beat up as people think. Offensive line need Christensen back and secondary needs Calhoun & Travis back. Get those three healthy and we're pretty much full strength.

Jerry likes to use big words like "decimated" but we could be much worse off. We've been fortunate that a lot of these injuries have not been season ending. The only area where we've been truly unfortunate is at TE. The rest is just part of the game.

nice to get Johnson & Hardin back.

True, that only Calhoun, Travis & Christensen are out.

Decimated may be because of this:
Duke- Still hasn't played
Plsek- still hasn't played
Lingen- Had a concussion
Wolitarski- Concussion
Lauer- Knee, then hand,
Pirsig- can't recall
Maye- Rib
Poock- forgot
Ayinde- Can't recall
Jones- Ankle
Campion- concussion
Bjorkland- can't recall
Gentry- don't recall


So while only 3 from earlier this year, and 5 total are missing NW, we've had plenty of guys that still may be playing banged up.

 

[dpodoll68]

Sounds like we're getting Johnson and Hardin back, so our secondary should only be missing Travis and Calhoun.

I don't think we are as beat up as people think. Offensive line need Christensen back and secondary needs Calhoun & Travis back. Get those three healthy and we're pretty much full strength.

Jerry likes to use big words like "decimated" but we could be much worse off. We've been fortunate that a lot of these injuries have not been season ending. The only area where we've been truly unfortunate is at TE. The rest is just part of the game.

As you've already said yourself, we are missing our top two TEs. This is an entirely different offense with Plsek in there.