Jeff Horton & Nevada Football

[noamfromm]

Red Defection: Chris Ault relives the moment the Nevada-UNLV rivalry hit its apex

The apex of the hatred between Nevada and UNLV came in November 1993, a moment dubbed as theRed Defection. After spending nearly two decades building Wolf Pack football, Chris Ault handed over the reins of his program to long-time assistant coach Jeff Horton. After brutal losses ended three...

nevadasportsnet.com

After spending nearly two decades building Wolf Pack football, Chris Ault handed over the reins of his program to long-time assistant coach Jeff Horton. After brutal losses ended three straight seasons from 1990-92, Ault wanted to focus on his athletic director duties, and Horton had learned at Ault's heel for six seasons as a Nevada assistant from 1985-89 and again in 1992.

During the 1993 season, rumors had been swirling for months Ault was going to accept the UNLV head job. And he got close to doing so before ultimately declining the opportunity on a Friday afternoon in late November. Four days later, Horton accepted the UNLV position after just one year as Nevada's head coach, Ault's hand-picked successor seemingly stabbing him in the back.

"He defected," Ault said on Tuesday's NSN Daily, recalling that moment almost three decades ago. "In fact, I tell Jeff that all the time. 'You defected. You were disloyal.'"

 

[Ope3]

Jeff Horton, ended on a 2 game winning streak as the Gophers HC with Floyd in his possession. Hats off to thee.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

Horton, as an interim Gopher HC, beat Iowa. Therefore, I will always like him.

 

[IceBoxGopher]

Full game if you have the time:

 

[BleedGopher]

Jeff Horton 1-0 lifetime vs Ferentz.

Go Jeff Horton!!

 

[MNVCGUY]

One of the biggest mistakes Brewster made during his time here was hiring Jedd Fisch instead of Jeff Horton to run the offense. He interviewed Horton for the position but ultimately decided on Fisch.

Horton would have run an offense much more suited to the personnel at Minnesota instead of the hybrid mess that Fisch tried to create by pulling little pieces of a ton of different offenses and mashing them together.

Probably wouldn't have been enough to save his job but had Brewster handed the reigns to Horton instead of Fisch there might have been a lot more stability on that side of the ball.

 

[highwayman]

Interesting that Ferentz called a unnecessary timeout with the Gophers in victory formation.

Must have wanted to leave the timeouts in Minnesota...along with Floyd.

 

[johnnybb]

Full game if you have the time:

I was there. Probably the best live sporting event I've attended in my adult life. As a kid at least I had the '91 world series.

I've always said that Jeff Horton should get a statue for somehow managing to wrench an amazing moment like that out of a dreadful, dreadful season. Most dreadful season in recent memory -- if you take out the win over Iowa.

Man, we're hard up for good moments!

 

[Minnesota]

Horton brought Floyd to Burrito Loco after the game. Nice dude.

 

[noamfromm]

Interesting that Ferentz called a unnecessary timeout with the Gophers in victory formation.

Must have wanted to leave the timeouts in Minnesota...along with Floyd.

It's be because we were already storming the field. I remember as I was shooed onto the sidelines.

 

[#2Gopher]

Just watched most of the highlights of this game. Good grief, where is the uproar over the trick play where we only gained 2 yards and could have lost 10! Fire the coach!

 

[Ope3]

Full game if you have the time:

First really cold game at the Bank. I was woefully unprepared, stood on an inch of ice all afternoon, but loved it. Pre-coils too.

 

[BTChamp]

Those unis aren't so bad. Better than the white M on the lid...................

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I remember that game.

Cold, but fun.

 

[holereader]

He beat Illinois too

 

[noamfromm]

I was there. Probably the best live sporting event I've attended in my adult life. As a kid at least I had the '91 world series.

I've always said that Jeff Horton should get a statue for somehow managing to wrench an amazing moment like that out of a dreadful, dreadful season. Most dreadful season in recent memory -- if you take out the win over Iowa.

Man, we're hard up for good moments!

'07 worse than '10 (even excluding Iowa)

 

[johnnybb]

'07 worse than '10 (even excluding Iowa)

I considered '07, but I think '07 was mitigated by the fact that we brought in a new coach, and you expect some growing pains. In 2010 we'd been bowl eligible the previous two seasons and folks were hopeful for an upward trajectory and then we got shitcanned by South Dakota -- which some consider the worst loss in school history. I think context matters here more than W/L.

 

[Gold Rush]

'07 worse than '10 (even excluding Iowa)

I was there. Probably the best live sporting event I've attended in my adult life. As a kid at least I had the '91 world series.

I've always said that Jeff Horton should get a statue for somehow managing to wrench an amazing moment like that out of a dreadful, dreadful season. Most dreadful season in recent memory -- if you take out the win over Iowa.

Man, we're hard up for good moments!

If you think that was dreadful, look up 1983 sometime. THAT was by far the worst year I can ever remember. It got so bad they put out an ad in the Minnesota Daily asking students to walk on. Also - they did not even put out a spread for the Gopher-Michigan game as Vegas doubted the Gophers could even put out a competitive team!!! That was also the year of the Nebraska massacre 84-13.

 

[Gold Rush]

One of the biggest mistakes Brewster made during his time here was hiring Jedd Fisch instead of Jeff Horton to run the offense. He interviewed Horton for the position but ultimately decided on Fisch.

Horton would have run an offense much more suited to the personnel at Minnesota instead of the hybrid mess that Fisch tried to create by pulling little pieces of a ton of different offenses and mashing them together.

Probably wouldn't have been enough to save his job but had Brewster handed the reigns to Horton instead of Fisch there might have been a lot more stability on that side of the ball.

I didn't like Jedd Fisch at all but he was highly regarded by some. He is currently 0-7 at the University of Arizona and I don't think they will win a single game this year. If I were them I would be looking to dump him at the end of the year --- and hire ANYONE else!!!!

 

[noamfromm]

I considered '07, but I think '07 was mitigated by the fact that we brought in a new coach, and you expect some growing pains. In 2010 we'd been bowl eligible the previous two seasons and folks were hopeful for an upward trajectory and then we got shitcanned by South Dakota -- which some consider the worst loss in school history. I think context matters here more than W/L.

Thats a fair argument -- losing to NSDU is probably what takes the cake for me in putting '07 ahead. I can't really divorce the Iowa win from the 2010 season as it was such a fun game to be at.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I didn't like Jedd Fisch at all but he was highly regarded by some. He is currently 0-7 at the University of Arizona and I don't think they will win a single game this year. If I were them I would be looking to dump him at the end of the year --- and hire ANYONE else!!!!

Jedd must interview really really well as he has gotten all kinds of opportunities.

When Jedd arrived at the U he tried to create a whole new offense using bits and pieces of all kinds of systems, it was super complicated and way over the heads of the players. No surprise that Adam Weber's worst year was the year when Fisch was running the offense.

Horton was a finalist for the position but didn't get the OC role in 2009. In 2010 Brew hired him and he immediately simplified things and undid a ton of what Fisch did. I don't think the Brewster tenure would have gone much better if he had hired Horton instead of Fisch in 2009 but it would have been a much better choice in hindsight.

 

[Gold Rush]

Jedd must interview really really well as he has gotten all kinds of opportunities.

When Jedd arrived at the U he tried to create a whole new offense using bits and pieces of all kinds of systems, it was super complicated and way over the heads of the players. No surprise that Adam Weber's worst year was the year when Fisch was running the offense.

Horton was a finalist for the position but didn't get the OC role in 2009. In 2010 Brew hired him and he immediately simplified things and undid a ton of what Fisch did. I don't think the Brewster tenure would have gone much better if he had hired Horton instead of Fisch in 2009 but it would have been a much better choice in hindsight.

You are one of the best posters on here and I enjoy reading your posts! I think Gopher fans could have helped Arizona with that head coaching pick because there is no way anyone would have recommended that guy! I felt sorry for Adam Weber as he had a different OC ever year with a different offense and was coached poorly. On top of that there were many fans that ripped him constantly. In Fleck's offense he would have been immensely better!

Horton actually wasn't a bad coach and I remember several on here wanted him to retain the coaching position before they went with Kill. They made the right call with Kill! But Fisch for whatever reason just didn't work out here and I don't think he is working at Arizona in an elevated position there, either. I think if someone like that just isn't working out, it's better to get rid of him sooner rather than later.

 

[IceBoxGopher]

I considered '07, but I think '07 was mitigated by the fact that we brought in a new coach, and you expect some growing pains. In 2010 we'd been bowl eligible the previous two seasons and folks were hopeful for an upward trajectory and then we got shitcanned by South Dakota -- which some consider the worst loss in school history. I think context matters here more than W/L.

I agree with this. On paper, you have a coach known for his recruiting in his fourth year, meaning a lot of his recruits should be upperclassmen with plenty of experience. You also have a veteran, senior quarterback. You also have a brand new stadium that is bringing energy to gameday.

And the result is a complete trainwreck. The loss to South Dakota was especially bad. It's one thing to lose to NDSU, which went 10-1 in 2007 and won the FCS title in 2011. Yes it's a lower level, but still, a good team. But South Dakota was 4-7 that year, they weren't even that great, and they shredded a Big Ten defense.

That Minnesota team also got steamrolled by Jerry Kill's Northern Illinois and struggled against an average Middle Tennessee State team.

Meanwhile, I view 2007 the same as I did in 2011. It's a new coach, with a new system, set for a rebuild. Mostly what I want to see in years like that is improvement from game to game.
---
On another note, watching that 2010 game still makes me feel like we didn't utilize MarQueis Gray well enough. When I look at what's been done with Green and Kramer, I look back and think about how he could have been more impactful in some ways.

At the end of his career, he had:

• Rushing - 1,731 yards and 12 touchdowns
• Receiving - 766 yards and 6 touchdowns
• Passing - 2,053 yards and 14 touchdowns
• Total - 4,550 yards and 32 touchdowns

Certainly not bad, but knowing what he brought to the table athletically, maybe something could've been done differently.

 

[noamfromm]

On another note, watching that 2010 game still makes me feel like we didn't utilize MarQueis Gray well enough. When I look at what's been done with Green and Kramer, I look back and think about how he could have been more impactful in some ways.

With MarQuies as our 'wildcat' quarterback on the '19 we win the B1G! But seriously he would be so fun to watch in Kramers role.

 

[MNVCGUY]

You are one of the best posters on here and I enjoy reading your posts! I think Gopher fans could have helped Arizona with that head coaching pick because there is no way anyone would have recommended that guy! I felt sorry for Adam Weber as he had a different OC ever year with a different offense and was coached poorly. On top of that there were many fans that ripped him constantly. In Fleck's offense he would have been immensely better!

Horton actually wasn't a bad coach and I remember several on here wanted him to retain the coaching position before they went with Kill. They made the right call with Kill! But Fisch for whatever reason just didn't work out here and I don't think he is working at Arizona in an elevated position there, either. I think if someone like that just isn't working out, it's better to get rid of him sooner rather than later.

I really don't know what Arizona was thinking in hiring him to be their head coach. Fisch hasn't stayed at a place for more than 2 seasons and has bounced around a ton for someone who is only 45.

To me, he always fit the NFL better but he keeps coming back to the college game. He is extremely smart, really knows the game and he clearly leaves a good impression on other coaches since some big name guys have hired him through the years. Will be interesting to see how long Arizona sticks with him if they don't see some pretty drastic improvement in the near future.

 

[Gold Rush]

I really don't know what Arizona was thinking in hiring him to be their head coach. Fisch hasn't stayed at a place for more than 2 seasons and has bounced around a ton for someone who is only 45.

To me, he always fit the NFL better but he keeps coming back to the college game. He is extremely smart, really knows the game and he clearly leaves a good impression on other coaches since some big name guys have hired him through the years. Will be interesting to see how long Arizona sticks with him if they don't see some pretty drastic improvement in the near future.

If you remember they finished 0-12 last year and Coach Kevin Sumlin got fired at the end of the year. I guess he recruited a little better so they are torn on whether they should keep him. They have lost 19 straight games - it is a mess down in Tucson. I always loved the 'Cats as I lived there for a year and got to be a fan - I think they can do better and they deserve better. I would dump him ASAP - I would never have hired that guy!

 

[highwayman]

I was there. Probably the best live sporting event I've attended in my adult life. As a kid at least I had the '91 world series.

I've always said that Jeff Horton should get a statue for somehow managing to wrench an amazing moment like that out of a dreadful, dreadful season. Most dreadful season in recent memory -- if you take out the win over Iowa.

Man, we're hard up for good moments!

Until the PSU game in 2019, for me also. This pic was from the Des Moines Register. That's me wearing the Gopher hardhat and my gloved right hand about to slap Floyd on the arse.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

Jeff Horton won more trophies here than Brewster did.

 

[FormerFatOL]

First really cold game at the Bank. I was woefully unprepared, stood on an inch of ice all afternoon, but loved it. Pre-coils too.

Watch the wicked crack back block on the Gophs punt return. What used to be celebrated is now a 15 yard penalty.

 

[Ope3]

'07 worse than '10 (even excluding Iowa)

2011 was actually worse in terms of record than 2010, and also had a loss to NDSU. But they also hung onto Floyd that year in Kill's first season which also put him a leg up on Brewster in terms of Trophy Ws.

There was hope.