John Woodrow on Gophers: These guys are not your fathers’ Gophers!

[BleedGopher]

per Wood"row":

Well folks, even the most staunch skeptic of the coaching style of P.J. Fleck and the Minnesota Gopher football team members have to be smiling after their win over favored Auburn in the Outback Bowl on New Years Day.

You had to love this team, from its All-American and flamboyant coaching system to the cheerleading on the sideline. You might think Fleck is just that, a cheerleader, but he knows the game. He knows how to fire his team up and he is just sneaky enough to fool the opposition from time to time.

The Gophers saved the best for last to be sure and they took the Tigers to task again and again, and came away with the biggest bowl win in recent memory for the maroon and gold. Nice job Gophers, keep rowing the boat, we’re all starting to believe a little more every day. These guys are not your fathers’ Gophers!

Better days are coming

Well folks, even the most staunch skeptic of the coaching style of P.J. Fleck and the Minnesota Gopher football team members have to be smiling after their win over favored

www.messagemedia.co

Go Gophers!!

 

[dlw4gophers]

My fathers Gophers wen to two Rose Bowls and won a few National Championships. I would settle for that fro PJ.

 

[MNVCGUY]

My fathers Gophers wen to two Rose Bowls and won a few National Championships. I would settle for that fro PJ.

Was going to say something similar. For most of us, these current Gopher's are probably far closer to our father's Gophers then any version of the team has been for quite some time.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I started to feel that way in 2018 when you had offenses where put in a critical spot ... I started to belive / expect they could make big plays.

Long plays when pushed way back.

Long drives when needed.

Even sacks / aggressiveness that pays off on defense.

Late games 2018 there were games where the crowd was small, but they were really into those games and crowd had changed from "man just hang on" to "what awesome thing are they going to do next!?!?!"

You didn't feel that way about years past teams for the most part.

I watch the Auburn game and that 3rd quarter doesn't bode well, but I had no doubt they'd pull it off.... against Auburn. Years past I (and the team even) would seem to think "oh man oh no"... but not anymore.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I started to feel that way in 2018 when you had offenses where put in a critical spot ... I started to belive / expect they could make big plays.

Long plays when pushed way back.

Long drives when needed.

Even sacks / aggressiveness that pays off on defense.

Late games 2018 there were games where the crowd was small, but they were really into those games and crowd had changed from "man just hang on" to "what awesome thing are they going to do next!?!?!"

You didn't feel that way about years past teams for the most part.

I watch the Auburn game and that 3rd quarter doesn't bode well, but I had no doubt they'd pull it off.... against Auburn. Years past I (and the team even) would seem to think "oh man oh no"... but not anymore.

Has been fun to see the team find ways to win as opposed to coming up with creative and catastrophic ways to lose. Far cry from the Mason days especially when you just kind of waited for things to go sideways and the team to find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in big games.

Still remember the sense of dread I had in the Texas Tech game after that long drive to start the third quarter ended in a field goal. Just had this feeling things were going to go sideways and of course they did in a big big way that day.

Agree that during the Auburn game, even when things started to look a little dicey, just had this feeling we were going to find a way to win the game in the end.

 

[CWCWCW]

per Wood"row":

Well folks, even the most staunch skeptic of the coaching style of P.J. Fleck and the Minnesota Gopher football team members have to be smiling after their win over favored Auburn in the Outback Bowl on New Years Day.

You had to love this team, from its All-American and flamboyant coaching system to the cheerleading on the sideline. You might think Fleck is just that, a cheerleader, but he knows the game. He knows how to fire his team up and he is just sneaky enough to fool the opposition from time to time.

The Gophers saved the best for last to be sure and they took the Tigers to task again and again, and came away with the biggest bowl win in recent memory for the maroon and gold. Nice job Gophers, keep rowing the boat, we’re all starting to believe a little more every day. These guys are not your fathers’ Gophers!

Better days are coming

Well folks, even the most staunch skeptic of the coaching style of P.J. Fleck and the Minnesota Gopher football team members have to be smiling after their win over favored

www.messagemedia.co

Go Gophers!!

I always wondered when The Aitkin Independent Age would chime in. About time!

 

[Maverick]

Has been fun to see the team find ways to win as opposed to coming up with creative and catastrophic ways to lose. Far cry from the Mason days especially when you just kind of waited for things to go sideways and the team to find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in big games.

Still remember the sense of dread I had in the Texas Tech game after that long drive to start the third quarter ended in a field goal. Just had this feeling things were going to go sideways and of course they did in a big big way that day.

Agree that during the Auburn game, even when things started to look a little dicey, just had this feeling we were going to find a way to win the game in the end.

That final drive in the bowl against Auburn is my favorite drive of the game and I think makes the strongest statement! Over 8 minutes, 70-80 yards and first downs when they needed them! Auburn I'm sure expected to get the ball back and the Gophers weren't about to let that happen! One of the best drives of the season and sets the stage for next year!!! Go Gophers!

 

[Atl Gopher]

I agree about that final drive. I am standing in the stands and watching them move the ball, and take the risks they needed to take to ensure a win. After our final first down, I looked up at the clock and there was 1:35 left. I started to do the math in my head. Could Morgan take a knee and run out the clock? Before I could complete my calculation Morgan took the first of his three kneel downs. It must have pretty funny watching this old guy jumping for joy (at least 6 inches off of the ground) and high fiving anyone near me expect for the gracious Auburn couple to my right.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

That final drive in the bowl against Auburn is my favorite drive of the game and I think makes the strongest statement! Over 8 minutes, 70-80 yards and first downs when they needed them! Auburn I'm sure expected to get the ball back and the Gophers weren't about to let that happen! One of the best drives of the season and sets the stage for next year!!! Go Gophers!

Yeah I'm pretty sure Auburn's offense assumed they'd get the ball .. somehow again.

Nope....

The crowd I thought too started with the approach that there would be some more possessions but as the clock ran and they got first downs the excitement built.

 

[salzie]

That final drive in the bowl against Auburn is my favorite drive of the game and I think makes the strongest statement! Over 8 minutes, 70-80 yards and first downs when they needed them! Auburn I'm sure expected to get the ball back and the Gophers weren't about to let that happen! One of the best drives of the season and sets the stage for next year!!! Go Gophers!

Last year too against Wisconsin had a long drive that essentially sealed game. Missed chip shot FG, but we took over 8 minutes off clock.....that was first time I allowed myself to believe we were going to beat the badgers

 

[WAGopher]

Our 1st and 2nd down efficiency was also impressive. We made 17 first downs from either a 1st or 2nd down play. We only made 4 of 14 3rd down conversions, but it had little affect on the game. It helped that we were 2 for 3 on 4th down conversions.

I took the stat from ESPNs website, and it's still hard to believe we were only 4 for 14 on 3rd downs, because the game sure didn't feel that way.