How do you feel about the NC game?

How do you feel about this game?

  • A must win for Gophers

    Votes: 55 64.0%

  • I’m good if Gophers lose

    Votes: 26 30.2%

  • I don’t care about this game

    Votes: 5 5.8%
  • Total voters
    86
Donate To GopherHole
hello-world said:
Didn’t Fleck bench Tyler last week? Seems unlikely that he would consider featuring him after he put the ball on the ground multiple times.
Click to expand...
If you are talking to me, I think you mean Sean Tyler. And, yes, he appeared to bench him for having fumbled.

(1) I don't know if Taylor can pass block. Tyler is probably ahead on that front for now (although he had some errors in blocking assignment against Nebraska). You can't be an every-down back if you can't pass block. ...Not saying Taylor can't, I'm saying I haven't affirmatively noticed that he can.

(2) Looking at last week, Tyler's rushes were as follows:
(a) 1/3 of his carries went for 2 yards or less (with his mode being 2 yards);
(b) 1/3 of his carries went for 2-6 yards (with his median being 3 yards);
(c) 1/3 of his carries went for 7.5 yards or more; and
(d) he rushed for negative yards twice.

The main difference between the two in terms of carrying the ball -- so far -- is that Tyler fumbled, lost yards a couple of times, and has a lower median carry. But we don't know if Taylor can pass block, and, based on last year, Tyler can also hit home runs receiving out of the backfield.

The data set is small, but I think Taylor is better suited to be the engine. But who knows? Maybe PJ wants something different this year.
 


We are going to win the coin toss then pound on North Carolina and make Maye sit on the sideline. I'm going for a Gopher win. We will not see the Gophers sit back, we will dominate time of possession and win 24- 22
 

Let's see the Gophers use Tyler as a catcher as one of the wrinkles.
 

Every game is a must win, anything less is mediocrity...
 


Ask Mack Brown;

Mack Brown Press Conference Notes.

Watched Mack Brown's Weekly Press Conference ahead of the Minnesota game. Here are some notes from the 44 minute press conference. Apologies for any grammar mistakes. Wrote this up quickly. Here are my notes from it below... Offers his thoughts and prayers on 9/11. Shares a story about his...
gopherhole.com gopherhole.com
 

Playing a ranked team before the conference games start, with a head coach in his seventh year, a new QB, and OL will tell a lot about how far this program has come.
Obviously, conference games mean more because the West is there for the picking but to get ranked and to help recruiting, beating NC would be a bonus win.
Losing is never a good thing.
 


hello-world said:
UNC’s coach seems concerned about Fleck’s Tressel-ball approach which is interesting. If Fleck can impose his style of play then it should be a good game. If we try to run the Nebraska game plan against this team then I’ll be pretty bummed.
Click to expand...
It is not either or. You beat good teams by going balanced on offense, stretching and stressing the defense.

Every guy who has ever coached football would love to run the ball six yards every play. Fleck is no different; he loves a dominating run game.

But most successful coaches understand the best approach is to keep the defense guessing on run or pass and being forced to defend the whole field.

What we saw with EMU is simply that Fleck does what is easiest to win. He doesn't practice the passing game when he can run and win. He practices the passing game in practice and uses it when needed. It will be needed Saturday and most if not all Saturdays the rest of the season.
 



touchdownvikings said:
I think we're still figuring out what kind of machine can be built out of the pieces.

Last week the goals were: (1) figure out if you have a rushing attack that can function as the engine of the offense; (2) put nothing that you wouldn't already know about the Gophers on tape; and (3) win.

When looking at Darius Taylor's carries in the first two games, here is what comes out:
(1) 1/3 of his carries go for 2 yards or less (with the mode being 2 yards);
(2) 1/3 of his carries go for 3-5 yards (with the median being 4 yards);
(3) 1/3 of his carries go for 6+ yards; and
(4) he has had no carries for negative yards.

So, if in any succession of 3 straight carries, you expect one carry in each of the above-mentioned categories, you get something like an expectation of 2 yards + 4 yards + 6 yards. Which is a first down with some room for error. That is an early indication that you can use the rushing attack (with Taylor) as an engine for the offense.

Is that what PJ wants to do? Or does he want to install Tyler for his home run capability, and use short passes as the engine? I suspect he'll choose Taylor, but we'll see.

There's been hair-pulling about: (1) the lack of downfield passes; and (2) the red zone offensive play calling. Keep in mind, our initial goal early on is to figure out the engine. What moves the sticks? That'll be either rushing or short passes. (In reality, it's not 100% one or the other, but it'll be 70% one or the other.) So downfield passing has really been extraneous at this point. We don't know what our engine will be. That comes first. Moreover, last week, we were never going to do anything halfway revealing in the passing game, because we wanted to put nothing on tape. So hold your horses.

I think based on what we've seen, we really don't know enough to form a reasonable expectation.
Click to expand...
Any iteration of one dimensional loses the game. Balanced offense wins.
 

PhillyGopher said:
I even expect us to win games we aren't playing in. Anything less is abject failure.
Click to expand...
Fans need to wrap their heads around Fleck's North Carolina Championship Week. He tells the players there is no Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin etc. There is only NC.

If we are able to understand this, we can give no answer to poll question other than: MUST WIN
 

My choice isn't there. This would be a big signature win. North Carolina deserves respect, so you beat that and you enter the top 25. The path forward looks nice.

UNC not in the Big Ten is expected to win so it's not "must win" but a signature win.
 

The national championship game is a must win I think
 





Our offense is so far behind where it should be that I have little hope until Fleck finds a legit OC/play caller. Shocking to me that he hasn’t been able to do it in 2 tries. Just a matter of time until he makes Simon the QB coach and OC.
 

Not a must win at all.

It would be a very good win, probably a top 5 win in the PJ era.
 

We need this to be a win for bigger season aspirations beyond just winning The West.

Assuming the best a W gives us a boost in the bowl pecking order and knocking off a ranked team on the road is a great get for a team like our Gophers, especially early in the season.

For the B1G that is a different story and a longer haul. But demonstrating we can play well under adversity on the road may give this year's edition some boost against Big Blue and Hawk Yellow when they come around. Lower chance of success against either but certainly not zero.

Looking at the NC boards they too aren't placing huge weight one way or the other. Probably right for both programs although by all rights their QB is legit. Big test.
 

Great goals of winning the west and maybe even sneaking out an upset in the CCG would remain on the table even in the case of an L… Although it would all but kill any chance of the playoffs (though beating OSU, MI, plus the west and the CCG would hypothetically put us back in)…
 

How do I Feel?

North Carolina is a 7.5 point favorite. ergo the Gophers are an underdog.

so I see it like this:

the Gophers are "expected" to lose. If the Gophers win, it's a big plus. If it's a close loss, that really doesn't hurt the perception of the Gophers - and if it's a close, well-played game that ends in a loss, it could even gain the Gophers some respect.

it's a non-conference game, so a loss does not hurt the Gophers odds of winning the West.

bottom line - I would love to see the Gophers win, but I could live with a loss if it happens in a well-played game. the only outcome that really hurts is if the Gophers lose by a wide margin.
 

Didn't vote since I don't like how the options are phrased.
Would be a big win, but not the end of the world if we lose. I don't think that means I don't care though (or that "I'm good if the Gophers lose").
How about... Thrilled if we win and bummed (not devastated) if we lose.
 

To me feels like Gophers have a better chance on Saturday than the Vikings do tonight.
 

I always want to get a W and hate it when we lose. Maye has received a ton of juice and likely deserving so it would be a big deal if the Gopher D and the team gets the W.
 

Bayfieldgopher said:
I always want to get a W and hate it when we lose. Maye has received a ton of juice and likely deserving so it would be a big deal if the Gopher D and the team gets the W.
Click to expand...
My main worry is broken plays where Maye scrambles for a bit and then launches it down field, I feel like in recent memory we usually end up on the wrong side of those plays with either a PI call or the receiver being open and catching the ball. If our DL can get the pressure and a sack before their WR can get separation, that would be great.
 

As others have said, big opportunity game. Teams with different styles of play and it will be interesting to see how the styles collide. Curious to see how the offensive minds for the Gophers approach the game. A win is obviously preferred to a loss, but I think the "how" whether a win or loss is almost as important. Defense will be tested, but I want to see more from the offense unless it's shown that we can effectively grind North Carolina down.
 

swelna said:
My main worry is broken plays where Maye scrambles for a bit and then launches it down field, I feel like in recent memory we usually end up on the wrong side of those plays with either a PI call or the receiver being open and catching the ball. If our DL can get the pressure and a sack before their WR can get separation, that would be great.
Click to expand...
He’s hard to sack but if we get him running backwards to escape pressure i like our chances for some picks.
 

I’d feel better if I didn’t think that 6 had a significant issue happen to his neck in garbage time last week. I know 45 is expected back but 33 isn’t very good and we need both 6 and 45 ready to go. I expect that when the two hour before game time injury report is released — 6 will be out and he can really run and make plays which we will need.
 

Gopherchase said:
I’d feel better if I didn’t think that 6 had a significant issue happen to his neck in garbage time last week. I know 45 is expected back but 33 isn’t very good and we need both 6 and 45 ready to go. I expect that when the two hour before game time injury report is released — 6 will be out and he can really run and make plays which we will need.
Click to expand...
Can you please edit and replace numbers with names?
 

6 is Baranowski, 45 is Lindenberg and 33 is Selig the Western Michigan transfer.
 

REMEMBER THAT THE TV PROGNOSTERS ARE AVERAGE AT BEST!
ALSO, REMEMBER THAT I'M TALON AND THE ABOVE ARE NOT.:cool:
I, TALON, say that the GOPHERS will go for NCs jugular in the 2nd half and sadly there will have to be bloodshed. What does this mean? The Gophers
will WIN in the end and you'll be 3-0!!!:drink::drink:

Oh, and GSU will beat the Badgers.:)
.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom