How well did the Golden Gophers do while you were in college?

IceBoxGopher

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So whether you attended the U or not, I figure most here were fans of the Maroon and Gold while they were in school. For me, I was in college from fall 2007-spring 2012. During that period, the Gophers went 20-42.
  • 2007, 1-11
  • 2008, 7-6, Lost Insight Bowl
  • 2009, 6-7, Lost Insight Bowl
  • 2010, 3-9
  • 2011, 3-9
Over that period, the Gophers had two bowl-berths and no bowl wins. Against rivals Wisconsin and Iowa, Minnesota went a combined 2-8. Thank goodness for those two Iowa wins in the last couple of years.

I was just a Gophers fan, though, since I attended Minnesota State University Moorhead, which also had a rough time those years. They went 12-43. Against rivals UMary and Bemidji State, they went a combined 1-9.
  • 2007, 4-7
  • 2008, 2-9
  • 2009, 2-9
  • 2010, 2-9
  • 2011, 2-9
In total, both teams went a combined 32-85.

Had to deal with NDSU fans talking about 2007 when I told them I'm also a Gophers fan. Then I took a trip to the Twin Cities for the 2011 game and had to hear all about that game for the rest of my final year. It was tiring to say the least.
 

I'll stick to my UofM grad school years 1998-2000 (was not a Goph undergrad):

1998, 5-6, not a great year, but the Gophs ended strong and destroyed Iowa at home.

1999, 8-4, Mason's break out year. A terrible OT loss vs. Wiscy at home away from being co-Big Ten champs. Lot's of fun attending the Y2K game in the El Paso Sun Bowl.

2000, 6-6. Meh season. The only thing I remember is sitting half-drunk in the dome watching Northwestern win on a hail mary pass on the final play. I think it was the first of Mason's many late spectacular losses.
 

1996 - 4-7 - Wacker's last year
1997 - 3-9 - Enter Mason
1998 - 5-6 - signs of progress
1999 - 8-4 - awesome year, was in Happy Valley for the upset.

So I was a student during the time when the program went from a laughing stock to respectable and also get to witness the end of the long bowl drought.
 

So whether you attended the U or not, I figure most here were fans of the Maroon and Gold while they were in school. For me, I was in college from fall 2007-spring 2012. During that period, the Gophers went 20-42.
  • 2007, 1-11
  • 2008, 7-6, Lost Insight Bowl
  • 2009, 6-7, Lost Insight Bowl
  • 2010, 3-9
  • 2011, 3-9
Over that period, the Gophers had two bowl-berths and no bowl wins. Against rivals Wisconsin and Iowa, Minnesota went a combined 2-8. Thank goodness for those two Iowa wins in the last couple of years.

I was just a Gophers fan, though, since I attended Minnesota State University Moorhead, which also had a rough time those years. They went 12-43. Against rivals UMary and Bemidji State, they went a combined 1-9.
  • 2007, 4-7
  • 2008, 2-9
  • 2009, 2-9
  • 2010, 2-9
  • 2011, 2-9
In total, both teams went a combined 32-85.

Had to deal with NDSU fans talking about 2007 when I told them I'm also a Gophers fan. Then I took a trip to the Twin Cities for the 2011 game and had to hear all about that game for the rest of my final year. It was tiring to say the least.

Side note: you were too young to see good Dragon football. The Ross Fortier years were very good for that program. Their downfall seemed to correspond with his retiring and the move away from NAIA (into D2).
 

Lot's of fun attending the Y2K game in the El Paso Sun Bowl.
I was there too! Drove down with some guys from the fraternity. We "rented" a TV/DVD player combo (by "rented" I mean someone bought it and we watched movies on it then the plan was to return it when we got back). Even went over the border into Juarez as well.
 



1996 - 4-7 - Wacker's last year
1997 - 3-9 - Enter Mason
1998 - 5-6 - signs of progress
1999 - 8-4 - awesome year, was in Happy Valley for the upset.

So I was a student during the time when the program went from a laughing stock to respectable and also get to witness the end of the long bowl drought.
Those were my years as well! Although I'd have to include 2000 since I graduated in Dec 2000, not May 2000. Side note: I grew up like 3 miles from the stadium and knew practically nothing about the team. Knew a ton about the Vikings though and watched every Vikes game. But the only name I knew was Tyrone Carter because you'd hear that name a lot. But I never really paid any attention whatsoever about Gopher football until going on that '99 road trip for the Sun Bowl on New Years Eve 1999. Then I started watching regularly in 2000 and have been watching/following since.
 


  • 2019, 11-2, Won Outback Bowl
  • 2020, 3-4
  • 2021, 9-4, Won Guaranteed Rate Bowl
  • 2022?
In total, they have gone 23-10. There have been some lowlights (2019 Wisconsin, 2021 Bowling Green, and Illinois) but most games I've attended as an undergrad have been great. I have been lucky enough to go to 3 road games and the Outback Bowl (2019 @Northwestern, 2021 @Colorado, and @Indiana). But the best game by far was finally beating Wisconsin and winning the Axe at home and storming the field. That was an amazing game and I still watch those highlights about once a week.

I'm super excited for this season. I'll be at all the home games and I am hoping to go to road games @Nebraska and @Wisconsin. What I really want the most though, is to beat Iowa and win back Floyd at home!!
 




Too drunk to remember.

Our coach quit and won a natty elsewhere.
 

2001 - 2006, saw the rise and fall of the Mason era.
I fell in love with Gopher Football during those years, but also learned that being a Gopher fan is not for the faint of heart.
 




1992-1997 (bachelor's and masters) for me. Ranged 2 to 5 wins. Tough years for Gopher football!
 

2015: 6-7, Quick Lane Bowl 🏆
2016: 9-4, Holiday Bowl 🏆
2017: 5-7, year 0
2018: 7-6, Quick Lane Bowl 🏆, 🪓

27-24, 4 trophies.
 

I did not go to college...one year of vo-tech. But if I did, It would have been the Darryl Thompson years...

’86: 6–6 (5–3 Big Ten) 🪓
’87: 6–5 (3–5 Big Ten) 🪓
’88: 2–7–2 (0–6–2 Big Ten)
’89: 6–5 (4–4 Big Ten) 🪓🐖

20-23-2 (12-18-2 Big Ten)
 

Compared to most who still have to take their shoes off in TSA, I had it pretty good. I'll count the 2003 fall after I graduated but still had student season tickets and lived by the Dome.

1999: 8-4 (#18), Sun Bowl, upset Penn State. Best Gopher team in my life to that point.
2000: 6-6 Meh. At least there was a bowl, a win at #5 OSU, and Floyd
2001: 4-7 Meh.
2002: 8-5 Went bowling again and won.
2003: 10-3 New best Gopher team of my life. 2003 Michigan still my saddest sports moment.

Good results by Gopher standards during my time. I still envy those from the TCF era.
 

'74 4-7
'75 6-5
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'84 4-7
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'89 6-5

Four victories over Iowa, 3 over Wisconsin
 


1977 - Beat #1 Michigan
1978 - Beat Iowa
1979 - Beat Iowa
1980- Beat Iowa
 

I went to Augsburg College in the Cities. During my time in school, the Gophers under Cal Stoll went 30-26. Best season was 7-4 in the fall of 1973.
 





Joe Salem......need I say more?
 

Ricky Foggies four years were the four years I was in college. Obviously, two under Holtz and two under Gutey — more good than bad bounced back from 84-13 to be competitive and go to some bowl games.
 

Ricky Foggies four years were the four years I was in college. Obviously, two under Holtz and two under Gutey — more good than bad bounced back from 84-13 to be competitive and go to some bowl games.
DT39 run against Mich is a forever highlight from those years.
 

1983 1-10, 0-9
84-13, probably the worst team in what is now P5.

1984 4-7, 3-6
First year of Holtz. Ricky Foggie. Amazing how quickly we became competitive.

1985 7-5, 4-4
We were now officially excited. Lost to #2 Oklahoma 13-7. Suddenly ranked #20 and lost by four to #9 Ohio State in a nationally televised game. Metrodome was sold out and we weren't playing Wisconsin or Iowa.

1986 6-6, 5-3
Better record, but in the end we couldn't keep the momentum going with Holtz gone.
 

Gophers we’re ATROCIOUS when I was there with Wacker!


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