Just One Guy's Thoughts

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MNVCGUY said:
But there really haven't been any calls for Jerry's head even after the losses this year. And for good reason, you don't fire a guy for one down year. If this season continues on the path of not winning a lot of Big Ten games or maybe even falling short of a bowl game it still won't be enough to get Kill fired after this season.

The thing it will do is make his seat a little warmer next year and it will be on the staff to prove that this year was a fluke and not a sign that they have plateaued or that they overachieved and can't sustain the success of the past few years. In all likelihood there will be a new AD in charge next year so if the program has back to back down years the new AD may decide he/she would rather bring in their own guy to run the football program.

Of course there is still time to get this season back on track with a few wins. Just tough to predict many of them right now considering who is left on our schedule and the way they have been playing to this point in the season. Especially the three game stretch coming out of the bye week, right now that looks like a murderers row.
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Agree with everything you've written except I have strong doubts about the following: "Of course there is still time to get this season back on track with a few wins." Technically there is still time but two more wins would look like a heroic feat at this point.
 

Blackhammer said:
I think taking too many reaches in recruiting is showing. Probably more so at wide receiver and defensive pass rushers than anywhere. This years class looks better and in general we are seeing improvement in talent. But we have few receivers who can make plays and no one who can rush the passer.
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Meanwhile Wisconsin's leading receiver, running back, and pass rusher are all walk-ons. The Big Ten leader in sacks, Nassib from Penn State was also a walk-on.
 

goldengophers said:
Kill reminds fans of the guy that used to sell seed to grandpa and they would run into at Schmidt's meat market, other than that he's a decent at best head coach who has failed to meet the Glen Mason standard. The screws are turning further and further on Kill, we will see over the next 1-2 year whether he can elevate this program or is out the door.
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I don't know what you recall the "Glenn Mason standard" to be, but it seems off. Following up a year like last year with a year like this year is EXACTLY what the Glenn Mason standard was. Kill's teams improved every year he was here until this year. That trajectory is NOT what the Glenn Mason standard was. Not trying to start a Mason-Kill debate, but put your vision of the "Glenn Mason Standard" in check - it seems off.
 

MGGopher said:
Yup, Twitter, FB, and the casual fan on the street absolutely spew this crap. There's plenty of 'em here on GH too, but rather than come right out and say it (for fear of being ridiculed) they veil their beliefs by saying things like, "the staff is in over their heads," or "This shouldn't be happening in YEAR 5!!!" or "We get outcoached almost every week!"

Do I question the coaches on occasion? Absolutely. I thought it was stupid to kick a FG with 6 min left yesterday. I thought it was stupid to continue running into an 8 man wall against KSU. I couldn't believe they kept putting James out there to muff punts against CSU.

But the bottomline for me is that I believe the program IS moving forward. Each recruiting class has been better. Prior to this year, the results on the field were better each year. The facilities are coming. This year is a blip on the radar, in my mind. And yes -- it's due to injuries, which in turn have led to youth. That's not whining or excuse making...it's reality.
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Stop being rational. Not allowed here.
 

Reasons for optimism: the defense will be better going forward, the offensive line will be better/continue to develop, and Good Mitch showed up yesterday. The passing game is showing signs of life, Limegrover showed signs of creaticvity. Despite all the predictions of doom, we can compete in all the games left this year.
 


More reasons for optimism:
I saw a person on Twitter yesterday saying he would bet $1,000 that Eric Murray won't play in the NFL. No word if he is all talk tho [emoji3].
 

cjbfbp said:
Pretty representative of the polarity of modern thinking in general. The same thing applies to all sorts of topics. If you haven't before, go visit a political web page sometime. Maybe modern thinking isn't much different than it was generations ago, but the internet gives us a far greater view of the lack of nuance in the average person's thoughts.
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I'm just a little surprised how quickly some people have turned. I get the frustration and pessimism, but there are a bunch of people calling for his head already. I don't think anyone can see the program hadn't been progressing the last four years. We just won a combined 9 conference games in a 2 years span for only the 2nd time since 1991 (4th time since 1973). That doesn't mean I am content with that or anything. One bad year doesn't negate four years of progress in my opinion, that is all.
 


Pompous Elitist said:
Reasons for optimism: the defense will be better going forward, the offensive line will be better/continue to develop, and Good Mitch showed up yesterday. The passing game is showing signs of life, Limegrover showed signs of creaticvity. Despite all the predictions of doom, we can compete in all the games left this year.
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I hope you are right on that last one but to this point we have not been competitive in 2 of our 3 Big Ten games to date this season with arguably the three toughest conference opponents we will face this year lined up in our next 3 games.

Hopefully they can get some guys healthy and come up with some killer gameplans because you can bet Harbaugh is going to have those guys plenty riled up when they get to town on Halloween after the way that MSU game ended.
 



GophersInIowa said:
I'm just a little surprised how quickly some people have turned. I get the frustration and pessimism, but there are a bunch of people calling for his head already. I don't think anyone can see the program hadn't been progressing the last four years. We just won a combined 9 conference games in a 2 years span for only the 2nd time since 1991 (4th time since 1973). That doesn't mean I am content with that or anything. One bad year doesn't negate four years of progress in my opinion, that is all.
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Outside of places like twitter and facebook that are the definition of knee jerk are you seeing calls for Kill's head anywhere else? I see the same frustration and pessimism but I don't see the media or even people in here saying Kill should be fired. The seat gets a little warmer and the expectation to get back on track next year goes up but no way should a head coach be fired for one bad season.
 

It's cliche, but the offense didn't show up in Evanston, and the defense was undermanned and out of sync yesterday. It's conceivable, however unlikely, that both phases will hit on the same day.

I'm not predicting winning out, just saying there is opportunity there. The defense yesterday played really poorly. The lack of intensity was most disappointing although they perked up a little toward the end. I don't know if it is a leadership thing, a morale thing, or an individual player issue. We missed Campbell in the first half, in coverage and his ability to chase down and knock down passes. Our blitzes were totally ineffective. Pretty much everything went wrong that could go wrong. Fumblerooski for first down. Might as well shut er down at that point. J/k but how unreal.
 

Spoofin said:
More reasons for optimism:
I saw a person on Twitter yesterday saying he would bet $1,000 that Eric Murray won't play in the NFL. No word if he is all talk tho [emoji3].
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Did you make the bet?
 

The schedule this year sure isn't doing us any favors, I just hope they improve and the next three games are not complete blowouts, two more wins sounds a bit optimistic, they probably overachieved a bit last year and are underachieving a bit this year. One year isn't going to make or break the program. All we can hope for is improvement and an upset or two in the final five games.
 



GopherWeatherGuy said:
Meanwhile Wisconsin's leading receiver, running back, and pass rusher are all walk-ons. The Big Ten leader in sacks, Nassib from Penn State was also a walk-on.
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We could go with all walk ons. Why recruit actually play makers? Percentages will tell you the better the recruit the better chance he becomes a player. Think you knew that just felt you had to be contrary. I think recruiting is getting better and there is luck involved. Fact is we have no play makers at wide receiver or in the pass rush.
 

bottlebass said:
Did you make the bet?
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LOL. Too many others had already tried to take him up on it. It shows the mentality of some tho. EM31 is incredibly good. Viewed by experts as a high draft pick. Shuts down WRs on the boundary as good as any. Gets put in the slot yesterday (which confuses me) and is beat a couple times. Some folks go instantly to "He sucks. No Good. Will never play in the NFL" as if not all players get beat from time to time. The same delusional "fan" also called for Kill's head during the game. Best not to engage crazy people like that :).
 

I don't think many are calling for kills job.

I may or may not be on the record as saying I don't think kill ever gets it done to the level I want (big ten championship) but I think regardless of how things go kill has until the end of the 2017 season without even the possibility of being let go and rightfully so.
 

GophersInIowa said:
I'm just a little surprised how quickly some people have turned. I get the frustration and pessimism, but there are a bunch of people calling for his head already. I don't think anyone can see the program hadn't been progressing the last four years. We just won a combined 9 conference games in a 2 years span for only the 2nd time since 1991 (4th time since 1973). That doesn't mean I am content with that or anything. One bad year doesn't negate four years of progress in my opinion, that is all.
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I don't think it's people turning, necessarily. I think a lot of negative people lurk in the shadows waiting for bad things to happen so they can leap out and say, "we suck! I told you so!" Case in point was the relatively quiet message board all last week following a win. That's not unusual. Things blow up when bad things happen.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Outside of places like twitter and facebook that are the definition of knee jerk are you seeing calls for Kill's head anywhere else? I see the same frustration and pessimism but I don't see the media or even people in here saying Kill should be fired. The seat gets a little warmer and the expectation to get back on track next year goes up but no way should a head coach be fired for one bad season.
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Yeah, most of it was on twitter and facebook. But there have been people who have essentially said this season proves Kill can't get it done.
 

I want Kill to stay around long enough to stabilize and build the program. Just about every coach out there makes blunders in every game. That doesn't mean they get to escape any criticism. They get a pass for this season due to all the injuries, like it or not. I am a big believer that coaching is a much bigger factor in success than most want to accept; as I've seen teams transform mid-season after a coaching change. Or a perennial doormat has a run of success, or a power goes flat for an extended period. More often than not, the core reason is the leadership. Period. Recruiting, motivation, preparation, game management.

The only way I can foresee Jerry getting whacked next season is we lose out the rest of the way and it continues far into next season. If for example, the offense continued to be one of the worst in Power 5 and we can't win any Big Ten games that seat will get hot.

I don't think any of that will happen.
 

the last two years, it was fun to see a competitive Gopher FB team on the field. This year just hasn't had the same feel. Yes, the injuries have played a part, but there just seems to be a bad vibe over the program. Kill has not helped matters with some of his comments ("fire me") that come off as thin-skinned or defensive.

I am certainly NOT calling for Kill's head. But, it remains to be seen if this coaching staff (and their coaching philosophy) will be able to move the Gopher FB program to a level where they are a legitimate contender for a conference title (or even a consistent top-25/30 national ranking.)

I'm willing to take this season as a bump in the road. But, with an (apparently) easier schedule next season, that is going to be potentially the key year in Kill's tenure. If the Gophs bounce back with 8 or 9 wins and play competitive FB, all will be forgiven. If they continue to struggle, then the s**t may really hit the fan.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
the last two years, it was fun to see a competitive Gopher FB team on the field. This year just hasn't had the same feel. Yes, the injuries have played a part, but there just seems to be a bad vibe over the program. Kill has not helped matters with some of his comments ("fire me") that come off as thin-skinned or defensive.

I am certainly NOT calling for Kill's head. But, it remains to be seen if this coaching staff (and their coaching philosophy) will be able to move the Gopher FB program to a level where they are a legitimate contender for a conference title (or even a consistent top-25/30 national ranking.)

I'm willing to take this season as a bump in the road. But, with an (apparently) easier schedule next season, that is going to be potentially the key year in Kill's tenure. If the Gophs bounce back with 8 or 9 wins and play competitive FB, all will be forgiven. If they continue to struggle, then the s**t may really hit the fan.
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Agree with all of this.
 

Some guy said:
I don't think many are calling for kills job.

I may or may not be on the record as saying I don't think kill ever gets it done to the level I want (big ten championship) but I think regardless of how things go kill has until the end of the 2017 season without even the possibility of being let go and rightfully so.
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I think he could be fired after next season if the team performs poorly then. This school isn't that shy about firing coaches. But I don't expect that to happen because I expect the team to play much better next season
 

short ornery norwegian said:
the last two years, it was fun to see a competitive Gopher FB team on the field. This year just hasn't had the same feel. Yes, the injuries have played a part, but there just seems to be a bad vibe over the program. Kill has not helped matters with some of his comments ("fire me") that come off as thin-skinned or defensive.

I am certainly NOT calling for Kill's head. But, it remains to be seen if this coaching staff (and their coaching philosophy) will be able to move the Gopher FB program to a level where they are a legitimate contender for a conference title (or even a consistent top-25/30 national ranking.)

I'm willing to take this season as a bump in the road. But, with an (apparently) easier schedule next season, that is going to be potentially the key year in Kill's tenure. If the Gophs bounce back with 8 or 9 wins and play competitive FB, all will be forgiven. If they continue to struggle, then the s**t may really hit the fan.
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Kill is following the Mason road map. Couple good years, step back. No great years. Better than Brewster, so we need to be patient. I've not seen any reason to believe Kill can do better than Mase did, but he'll get his chance.
 

Sparlimb said:
Kill is following the Mason road map. Couple good years, step back. No great years. Better than Brewster, so we need to be patient. I've not seen any reason to believe Kill can do better than Mase did, but he'll get his chance.
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My thinking with Kill was that we would be more consistent year to year than we were with Mason. Consistently 4 or 5 conference wins with a run at 6+ wins from time to time. I still think it is possible but have been surprised by the struggles this year.
 

Sparlimb said:
Kill is following the Mason road map. Couple good years, step back. No great years. Better than Brewster, so we need to be patient. I've not seen any reason to believe Kill can do better than Mase did, but he'll get his chance.
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The one difference is that Kill doesn't have the contentious relationship with the administration Mase had. I think if Mase didn't rub people the wrong way, he might still be the coach here.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
the last two years, it was fun to see a competitive Gopher FB team on the field. This year just hasn't had the same feel. Yes, the injuries have played a part, but there just seems to be a bad vibe over the program. Kill has not helped matters with some of his comments ("fire me") that come off as thin-skinned or defensive.

I am certainly NOT calling for Kill's head. But, it remains to be seen if this coaching staff (and their coaching philosophy) will be able to move the Gopher FB program to a level where they are a legitimate contender for a conference title (or even a consistent top-25/30 national ranking.)

I'm willing to take this season as a bump in the road. But, with an (apparently) easier schedule next season, that is going to be potentially the key year in Kill's tenure. If the Gophs bounce back with 8 or 9 wins and play competitive FB, all will be forgiven. If they continue to struggle, then the s**t may really hit the fan.
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Pretty much the way I feel. I still think that Kill needs to get the "MAC" out of his system.

Both the offensive and defensive schemes seem built to dominate weaker opponents (which, outside of the Purdue game, we haven't done this year and injuries have contributed to that). I think the problem shows up more on offense, but I think we need to be a bit bigger on the defensive line and not rely totally on stunting and aggressiveness to the extent we seem to. You still have to win at the point of attack and Richardson is really the only guy we currently have who can do that.

On offense, I still see the passing attack as being little more than a junior high school approach. We've recruited a set of impressive receivers and then seem to use them as decoys or on little dump patterns over the middle. Which is odd to some extent because I remember when Barker (Voldemort though he may be) ran fly and post patterns with some regularity. Maybe the young guys will get more experience and move some guys out of the box, because right now, we are up against defenses that are creeping up on us without worrying about the back end. All this said, we really miss Williams and Fruechte because they could back people up, which creates a lot more options.

This is going to seem way out of the box, but the guy whose performance is most disappointing to me is Eric Klein's. Kill touted him as the best trainer in the country and I'm not seeing a team that is physically imposing. Maybe that's the raw material and certainly you can't just throw inexperienced guys out there, but this team looks physically outmanned. Maybe that's just me.

Anyway, I'm not calling for Kill's head. He righted the ship and deserves a lot of rope. I just think he needs to change a few things.
 

50PoundHead said:
Pretty much the way I feel. I still think that Kill needs to get the "MAC" out of his system.

Both the offensive and defensive schemes seem built to dominate weaker opponents (which, outside of the Purdue game, we haven't done this year and injuries have contributed to that). I think the problem shows up more on offense, but I think we need to be a bit bigger on the defensive line and not rely totally on stunting and aggressiveness to the extent we seem to. You still have to win at the point of attack and Richardson is really the only guy we currently have who can do that.

On offense, I still see the passing attack as being little more than a junior high school approach. We've recruited a set of impressive receivers and then seem to use them as decoys or on little dump patterns over the middle. Which is odd to some extent because I remember when Barker (Voldemort though he may be) ran fly and post patterns with some regularity. Maybe the young guys will get more experience and move some guys out of the box, because right now, we are up against defenses that are creeping up on us without worrying about the back end. All this said, we really miss Williams and Fruechte because they could back people up, which creates a lot more options.

This is going to seem way out of the box, but the guy whose performance is most disappointing to me is Eric Klein's. Kill touted him as the best trainer in the country and I'm not seeing a team that is physically imposing. Maybe that's the raw material and certainly you can't just throw inexperienced guys out there, but this team looks physically outmanned. Maybe that's just me.

Anyway, I'm not calling for Kill's head. He righted the ship and deserves a lot of rope. I just think he needs to change a few things.
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+1 Nice summary. Especially about his schemes. They also work better if you get turnovers which hasn't happened much.
 

Like others, I think Kill has earned a down year. Plus folks are looking for trends. Even with this down year, most could buy the idea that the program is still trending up. Another down year next year, the trending up idea will be hard to argue.

Unless they change schemes, we will live and die by the run game. As such, our most important recruit will be O-Linemen. We need to be able to recruit above average O-Linemen if we want to execute our run heavy game. I would figure Minnesota could sell the idea to HS kids about how important O-Linemen are to the program, which would allow us to get some talent in that spot we may not otherwise get. We need a couple to make it to the Pro's, give us that reputation for being O-Line U. This clock eating offense would also have the added benefit of keeping a faster but smaller defense fresh.
 

50PoundHead said:
Pretty much the way I feel. I still think that Kill needs to get the "MAC" out of his system.

Both the offensive and defensive schemes seem built to dominate weaker opponents (which, outside of the Purdue game, we haven't done this year and injuries have contributed to that). I think the problem shows up more on offense, but I think we need to be a bit bigger on the defensive line and not rely totally on stunting and aggressiveness to the extent we seem to. You still have to win at the point of attack and Richardson is really the only guy we currently have who can do that.

On offense, I still see the passing attack as being little more than a junior high school approach. We've recruited a set of impressive receivers and then seem to use them as decoys or on little dump patterns over the middle. Which is odd to some extent because I remember when Barker (Voldemort though he may be) ran fly and post patterns with some regularity. Maybe the young guys will get more experience and move some guys out of the box, because right now, we are up against defenses that are creeping up on us without worrying about the back end. All this said, we really miss Williams and Fruechte because they could back people up, which creates a lot more options.

This is going to seem way out of the box, but the guy whose performance is most disappointing to me is Eric Klein's. Kill touted him as the best trainer in the country and I'm not seeing a team that is physically imposing. Maybe that's the raw material and certainly you can't just throw inexperienced guys out there, but this team looks physically outmanned. Maybe that's just me.

Anyway, I'm not calling for Kill's head. He righted the ship and deserves a lot of rope. I just think he needs to change a few things.
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You have some good points in here - but the offense Kill was running at UNI at the end of his tenure there doesn't fit the "MAC"/"dominate weaker opponents" narrative.
 

Spoofin said:
You have some good points in here - but the offense Kill was running at UNI at the end of his tenure there doesn't fit the "MAC"/"dominate weaker opponents" narrative.
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I didn't watch UNI that closely under Kill, but the times I did watch they didn't seem to do much with the outside passing game. Seemed like mostly slants and other underneath stuff from his WRs. Maybe it's Leidner or maybe it's the receivers or maybe it's a combination, but we have to do something over-the-top to move the opposing safeties back. Williams did that for us when he was the TE.
 

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