Gopher historians ? What is OUR largest comeback victory ?

[denguegopher]

Comebacks aren't really our thing.

Years ago South Carolina recruited QB Todd Ellis who was supposed to lead them to many great victories. He said that when he was being recruited by DL coach Jim Washburn he was told that he would never be considered a great QB until he led the team to a great comeback win. IMHO there is a lot of truth in that comment. BTW, to my memory Ellis never met that criteria. What I would't give to see a Gopher QB lead us to victory after being down by 17 at the start of the 4th quarter. (Being down by 14 early in the second quarter and winning the game is surely a comeback. What I want to see is a dramatic 4th quarter come from behind victory. I've been a fan since 1972, am 65 years old, and for some reason still have hope).

 

[denguegopher]

Comebacks aren't really our thing.

Neither is holding a big (early) lead.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

Worse, it just makes shit up.

The Purdue comeback in 1981 was total BS. I went and asked ChatGPT a few more times and learned about the 35 point Gopher comeback in 1973 against Michigan. According to ChatGPT, that game is called "The Greatest College Football Comeback of All Time" in CFB lore.

I also learned of a couple of 28 point comeback wins in the 70s and 80s against Ohio State.

Normally this would just be a lark, but real people and businesses are banking real money (hundreds of billion$) and service models on ChatGPT. I'm working on a project with it for a very big, well known, and heavily scrutinized company. It's worrisome that AI is flagrantly making junk up, at the same time people are starting to take it seriously.

I can't ethically put this stuff out there to the public any time soon.

Yeah, it’s a bad joke for certain applications. As a search engine, for example. It seems to have some limited uses in certain industries, chopping and collating other work. Caveat emptor.

 

[Ski U Master]

I took a look at the data going back to 2003 (That's as far back as I could find good drive level detail). Here's what I found for comeback wins:

Northwestern 2003 down by 14 (ESPN Box Score)
Nebraska 2014 down by 14 (ESPN Box Score)
Iowa 2011 down by 11 (ESPN Box Score)
Purdue 2014 down by 11 (ESPN Box Score)

Games won when losing by...
14 points: 2
11 points : 2
10 points: 5
9 points: 1
8 points: 1
7 points: 19
6 points: 6
5 points: 1
4 points: 3
3 points: 14
1 point: 4

As a comparison, here's the same time period for Wisconsin:

Illinois 2006 down by 18
Marshall 2008 down by 14
Minnesota 2008 down by 14
Fresno State 2009 down by 14
Minnesota 2014 down by 14
Nebraska 2014 down by 14
Purdue 2018 down by 14

Games won when losing by...
18 points: 1
14 points: 6
13 points: 2
11 points : 2
10 points: 10
8 points: 1
7 points: 23
6 points: 2
4 points: 4
3 points: 20
1 point: 2

 

[cemba99]

In 1978 I believe we had a large comeback win vs Indiana at home, but the details elude me

Great call/memory! I think we have a winner! On November 4, 1978 Indiana was up 24-0 in the second quarter at Memorial Stadium - Rogind kicked a game-winning 31-yd field goal with :02 remaining to beat the Hoosiers 32-31. Was Cal Stoll's final year as a head coach.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

In the history of the gophers you think their largest comeback is 10?

… I think he was referring to 10 points down as the biggest comeback (once, Nebraska, 2022) in PJ’s 6-1/2 season tenure as Gopher coach.

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

Great call/memory! I think we have a winner! On November 4, 1978 Indiana was up 24-0 in the second quarter at Memorial Stadium - Rogind kicked a game-winning 31-yd field goal with :02 remaining to beat the Hoosiers 32-31. Was Cal Stoll's final year as a head coach.

Do comeback wins over Indiana really count? jk

 

[Replacement Gopher]

Absolutely amazing and one of the better threads ive seen in this board.

Consider the absolutely massive leads we have blown and it’s just incredible.

I wonder how many times Iowa had come back.

 

[Dano564]

… I think he was referring to 10 points down as the biggest comeback (once, Nebraska, 2022) in PJ’s 6-1/2 season tenure as Gopher coach.

How many games have we trailed by 10 or more?

 

[fmlizard]

This is one of those stats we all feel but don’t have numbers for. It adds to the constant feelings of indifference and malaise around this program. Once a team is up 10, it feels absolutely insurmountable, and if these posts are accurate, then yeah that has been insurmountable.

It also shows how insanely non-explosive the gophers have been, in all facets of the game.

Reciprocally, no lead feels safe. And it hasn’t been. Time after time we have examples of that. So many examples.

Truly wild the inability of this team to make a small comeback, while massive leads are blown with semi-regularity.

There just haven't been very many big moments for Gopher fans over the years. Minnesota and Indiana have been the only traditional Big Ten schools not to win the conference or make the Rose Bowl in the past 50 years, and Indiana at least has basketball titles along the way.

We've got 2019. Fun wins, a big home upset, GameDay, serious football people saying we shoud be ranked over Alabama, the whole bit. That was fun. And the since-erased '97 basketball season. But that's pretty much it.

All of Minnesota sports are in the same malaise, except for the Lynx. Only the Vikings and the Lions haven't been to the Super Bowl from the NFC in my 42 years on Earth, in spite of the Vikings being one of the NFL's most consistent winning franchises. The Twins finally broke a historic postseason losing streak. The T-Wolves have been the NBA's worst franchise since their inception. The Wild have been in the same forgettable mediocrity for 20 years.

Last year's Vikings team was one of the first sources of fun I can remember in Minnesota sports in a long time, and we all knew that was doomed in the end.

 

[Dano564]

Since PJ has been here, games where we were down for comeback opportunities:

2017 Maryland - Twice down by 7. Lost by 7.
2017 Purdue - Was leading 17-16, gave up two TD's in final few minutes to lose 31-17
2017 MSU - Down 30-13 with 10 minutes left in the 4th. Scored last two TD's. Lost 30-27.
2017 Iowa - Down 14-0 at half. Lost 17-10
2017 Michigan - Lost. Kept losing by more until a 33-10 final
2017 NW and WI - Both games we weren't in. Not sure if we tried to even score at times.

2018 - we had a lot of losses with Robb Smith at D-coordinator, so we kept falling behind by more. A notable game was against Nebraska however where we fell down 28-0 and cut it to 22-28, but then we gave up 25 of the next 41 points.

2019 - Iowa we "almost came back" from being 21 down. Tyler Johnson drop game.

2020 - MD - We were down 14 and then led by 17, but then lost.

2021 - OSU (was leading at half), Bowling Green, Illinois (fell down 14-0, lost 14-6), Iowa (was leading at half, then lost)
2022 - Purdue, Illinois (both low scoring games) Penn State - Iowa

 

[Gophergrandpa]

In the non-Gopher comeback category, we have last night's Colorado vs. Stanford game. Colorado was dominant in the first half, and led 29-0 at half-time. Did Stanford play the second half to minimize the scope of the inevitable beat-down?Stanford stormed back in the second half, and the game ended in regulation tied at 36-36; Stanford won in the second overtime. Stanford's second half comeback included explosive passing TDs of 97 and 60 yards.

 

[SamSquatch]

It really is a great thread because it is indicative of the consistency of the absolute clown show state of the program, and that performance has compounded over decades to create an apathy within the market/fanbase that is completely understandable.

I mean we’re talking about comeback wins over Indiana 50 years ago as our best example.

I wasn’t ready for these numbers but they make complete sense given everything I’ve seen out of this program.

 

[Cayman]

Not big comebacks, but I feel like I remember Mitch Leidner leading a few game winning drives when there's maybe 3 minutes left in the game and we're down by more than a field goal. But those were probably mostly against middling conference opponents like Purdue or Illinois or maybe some MAC teams that we played closer than we should have. I think I would remember them more clearly if they happened against a ranked team or Iowa or something.

Looking it up, it looks like 2015 Ohio and 2016 Rutgers had game winning scores with 30 seconds or less, so definitely not memorable games. 2016 Oregon State, we had a 24-23 lead and scored another touchdown in the final minute. I do actually remember 2016 Rutgers because we were in danger of an ugly loss to a team that we were definitely better than, after missing a 34 yard field goal, muffing a punt inside our own 25 yard line, and throwing a pick six. Drove 60 yards in 4 minutes to hit a 27 yard game winning field goal.

 

[MaxyJR1]

On the other side Iowa is 68-2 since 2015 when leading by 8+ points. Crazy run on defense.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

In other comebacks need: Rutgers was down 18 to Michigan State to open the 4Q of their game today. Rutgers scored three unanswered TDs in the 4th Q to win in regulation. One of the Rutgers 4Q TDs was by the defense, on a fumble scoop and scored. Pretty bad, but not quite as bad as allowing three long, unanswered offensive drives for TDs in the 4th Q.

 

[Some guy]

It really is a great thread because it is indicative of the consistency of the absolute clown show state of the program, and that performance has compounded over decades to create an apathy within the market/fanbase that is completely understandable.

I mean we’re talking about comeback wins over Indiana 50 years ago as our best example.

I wasn’t ready for these numbers but they make complete sense given everything I’ve seen out of this program.

You think it shows how bad the program is that we are never down by a lot to teams so much worse than us we can come back?

 

[Gophergrandpa]

On the other side Iowa is 68-2 since 2015 when leading by 8+ points. Crazy run on defense.

Its the Ferentz formula. Get up by 10 points, then strangle the other team. Recently, he's often up by 8+ on the Gophs by the end of the 1stQ, using a scripted opening drive that has some stuff we "didn't expect." His strategy requires support from an incredibly focused and athletic D (which itself sometimes produces scores), and great special teams play, especially punting (to maintain a spirit-breaking field position advantage). Basically, the Gophers need to score first and ideally second as well (at least one a TD) to shift the strategic advantage to themselves. Or they need to hold Iowa's anemic offense to a FG or two (as Iowa did to Wisconsin) ... and not give Iowa's defense any pick six or scoop and score freebie points. Tall order, actually. Iowa is playing to its identity; we appear to be still searching for our post-Mo, post-Tanner identity.

 

[DanvilleGopher]

The gophers don’t have many huge comebacks. They also haven’t faced a lot of huge deficits when they were good. A 2-10 team isn’t likely to come back down 35-3. But an 8-4 fleck team hasn’t seen many 30 point deficits.

How about a crappy team with an interim coach with the hope to win a couple games coming back from 21 down in the 4th quarter without the benefit of turnovers or return TD's?

Comebacks happen; just not for the Gophers! Plenty against, not many for... pretty sad list and pretty crazy I would say that they haven't 'lucked' into some big comebacks in the 50 years I've been a fan!

 

[UpAndUnder43]

How about a crappy team with an interim coach with the hope to win a couple games coming back from 21 down in the 4th quarter without the benefit of turnovers or return TD's?

Comebacks happen; just not for the Gophers! Plenty against, not many for... pretty sad list and pretty crazy I would say that they haven't 'lucked' into some big comebacks in the 50 years I've been a fan!

Hopefully your next 50 years of fandom go better?

 

[DanvilleGopher]

Hopefully your next 50 years of fandom go better?

Why the question mark?

 

[UpAndUnder43]

Why the question mark?

I hate to break it to you my man—you likely won’t see another 50 years. Question mark the least of your worries.

 

[DanvilleGopher]

I hate to break it to you my man—you likely won’t see another 50 years. Question mark the least of your worries.

I'd have to agree I won't see another 50 years (though you never know ).

They also might put me in the ground way before then with their play.

 

[UpAndUnder43]

I'd have to agree I won't see another 50 years (though you never know ).

They also might put me in the ground way before then with their play.

If I can stomach another 50 years of gopher sports I belong in the good book

 

[Gophergrandpa]

Somehow got a feed from an OSU site today. Article was about great Buckeye games in the past on October 28th. One was the comeback over Minnesota in 1989. Articles the Gophers opened up a lead of 31-0 in the 2nd Q, and led at halftime by 31-8. OSU came back to win! OSU coach was John Cooper.

 

[walrus]

Somehow got a feed from an OSU site today. Article was about great Buckeye games in the past on October 28th. One was the comeback over Minnesota in 1989. Articles the Gophers opened up a lead of 31-0 in the 2nd Q, and led at halftime by 31-8. OSU came back to win! OSU coach was John Cooper.

I was at that game. Gopher scored early, often. Both on offense…and defense. starting in the 3rd quarter, D. Thompson got hurt. He tried going again a couple times, but couldn’t go. A lot of 3 & outs for the Gopher team in the second half.

The maroon & gold had a defensive back who had an incredible first half. At this senior moment, I don’t recall his name. Can anyone help me here?

 

[highwayman]

Somehow got a feed from an OSU site today. Article was about great Buckeye games in the past on October 28th. One was the comeback over Minnesota in 1989. Articles the Gophers opened up a lead of 31-0 in the 2nd Q, and led at halftime by 31-8. OSU came back to win! OSU coach was John Cooper.

Wrong thread.

 

[gopher7]

Somehow got a feed from an OSU site today. Article was about great Buckeye games in the past on October 28th. One was the comeback over Minnesota in 1989. Articles the Gophers opened up a lead of 31-0 in the 2nd Q, and led at halftime by 31-8. OSU came back to win! OSU coach was John Cooper.

We were up 31-0 with about 3 minutes left in the first half. OSU was 4th & 10 from their own 20. They punted, but we had too many men on the field; automatic first down. They went on to get a TD right before half and the rest is history.

 

[xyz1]

I was at that game. Gopher scored early, often. Both on offense…and defense. starting in the 3rd quarter, D. Thompson got hurt. He tried going again a couple times, but couldn’t go. A lot of 3 & outs for the Gopher team in the second half.

The maroon & gold had a defensive back who had an incredible first half. At this senior moment, I don’t recall his name. Can anyone help me here?

Probably Sean Lumpkin.

I have been in few, if any, stadiums with a more depressing atmosphere than the Metrodome after that game.

 

[highwayman]

We were up 31-0 with about 3 minutes left in the first half. OSU was 4th & 10 from their own 20. They punted, but we had too many men on the field; automatic first down. They went on to get a TD right before half and the rest is history.

Wrong thread.