Looking forward to next year

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The prez sez said:
so Our High expectations for Minn get crushed this season. There's no reason we can 't rebound next season too. Look what Fitzgerald has going at northwestern this season after winning only three games last year. I'm not abandoning ship at the first sign of adversity. We will get better.
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And if they suck next year too, which is highly likely?
 

I certainly think it’s possible we’ll be better next year. But tell me who our best players are? Mo has probably been our best offensive player. Nobody else gets any carries to develop depth. Everybody who sees Wiley wants to move him to LBer. Will Mo return?
Bateman is supposed to be our best player and he hasn’t been given the scheme to excel. He will be gone. Pretty big jump to any other WR stepping up to TJ or Bateman.
OL could be good.
Tanner and Sanford don’t mesh well, so far.

Defense, we have a few guys who make a random play but not with any consistency. We have a LOT of guys who look slow. We play the starters on both sides of the ball until the horn sounds. Obviously we have less than zero confidence the backups can play. It’s like we are embarrassed to let the public see
the newcomers.
So, I think it’s also possible we are worse next year. Crazy year and lots of empty promises could mean some guys choose greener pastures. We could have new coaches again. New messages all the time has to make things harder, unless the new guy is a whiz kid.
A million unknowns but to see optimism from watching four games is pretty tough.
 

bonin21 said:
The Vikings are stupid by winning games now. Just more of the same middle of the pack maybe somehow make the playoffs but go nowhere, draft later and miss out on a QB to change things.

What comes first, Vikings SB or Gophers Big Ten title? I've made it 30+ years without either and fully expect 30+ more.
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I disagree, tanking in football is pointless. It just isn't effective like NBA imo........
 

I know the circumstances this season have not been ideal - but every other team in the country was dealing with the same circumstances.

I think one thing we're seeing is that Winfield was even better than we thought. the defense looks lost without him. the other seniors and departed players were generally solid, but Winfield elevated this defense to a different level. without him, the shortcomings of the remaining players are being exposed.
Unfortunately, players like that just don't come along that often at a school like MN.

my other thought - this season shows why you have to be careful about hyping young players. because, unless they have really superior talent or athleticism, young players usually wind up playing like young players.
 

Going to have to get better. Wish we started with some cupcakes
 


short ornery norwegian said:
I know the circumstances this season have not been ideal - but every other team in the country was dealing with the same circumstances.

I think one thing we're seeing is that Winfield was even better than we thought. the defense looks lost without him. the other seniors and departed players were generally solid, but Winfield elevated this defense to a different level. without him, the shortcomings of the remaining players are being exposed.
Unfortunately, players like that just don't come along that often at a school like MN.

my other thought - this season shows why you have to be careful about hyping young players. because, unless they have really superior talent or athleticism, young players usually wind up playing like young players.
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Winfield is really special no doubt, absolutely. But all the departed Claeys guys...
Coughlin, Martin, Barber, Devers, Winston DeLattt...., and Sam Renner made a TON of big plays! That’s 7 guys. Is there somebody else? Who currently looks like they’ll be within shouting distance of those guys?

Why didn’t the current guys learn anything?
 


I think almost every year for as long as I can remember, there has been a player that has come out of nowhere and surprised people with his play. Think Sam Renner, Blake Cashman, etc., many of which are walkons, so they don’t get hyped as much. I know it’s only been 4 games, but is there anybody that is getting playing time and really taking advantage of it? Where are the 3/4/5th year walkons that can bridge the gap instead of putting a freshman out there? Where are the guys that took a big leap from last year? Where’s the true freshman that already is showing you their star potential? Where is the special teamer making too many plays to keep him just on special teams? There’s not too much I can point to.
 

Thanks Face the facts for your Gopher support and your attempt to be positive to others. Was hoping it would rub off on the others a bit, but clearly didn't.
 



forever a gopher said:
I think almost every year for as long as I can remember, there has been a player that has come out of nowhere and surprised people with his play. Think Sam Renner, Blake Cashman, etc., many of which are walkons, so they don’t get hyped as much. I know it’s only been 4 games, but is there anybody that is getting playing time and really taking advantage of it? Where are the 3/4/5th year walkons that can bridge the gap instead of putting a freshman out there? Where are the guys that took a big leap from last year? Where’s the true freshman that already is showing you their star potential? Where is the special teamer making too many plays to keep him just on special teams? There’s not too much I can point to.
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My worry as well, there appears to be nobody. But, the even more alarming part is there is no solid dependable returning leaders on defense either...scholarship guys given their chance to lead.
And backups stay on the sidelines making everybody left to wonder why when you are up or down 4 plus touchdowns the last two weeks.
 

PMWinSTP said:
Like our BBall coach?
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For Fleck, I say put a line through this season. He gets a mulligan.

For Pitino, assuming they get to play a full season without any Covid cancellations, I do think Pitino is responsible for has record and in a non-Covid world, he should be fired for a substandard season, For me, that threshold is a Top 5 conference finish this season or Sweet 16 time. Due to the financial Covid concerns, I don't know how we could haw the $$$ to attract a top flight replacement.
 
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What i think we have to look forward to next year is probably better play that won't show in the score. Wisconsin and Iowa have new qb's, fairly new running backs, lost players to the nfl like we did, etc. This should have been a rebuild type year for them where our offense and returning players made it a win now year for us.

This was our year.

Next year i hope we're better but they won't be as young and inexperienced.
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
Some general observations;

- Whole lotta Freshmen on D, playing like Freshmen. Uff Da
- Penalties. Discipline normally a hallmark of this team, certainly not tonight; overly hyped for rivalry game? Easily the thing that stuck out the most to me
- Really lost the battle of field position, which has been a reoccurring theme all year, although tonight it wasn't just because of the specialists

Best thing about Fresh, they become Sophs. A whole lotta learning going on for players like Gordon, Willis, MJ Anderson, Carter, Daniel Jackson and MBS, Cheney, Lindenberg
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Agree, however our guys just seems slow. Perhaps that is Freshmen slow.....
 



60's Guy said:
I certainly think it’s possible we’ll be better next year. But tell me who our best players are? Mo has probably been our best offensive player. Nobody else gets any carries to develop depth. Everybody who sees Wiley wants to move him to LBer. Will Mo return?
Bateman is supposed to be our best player and he hasn’t been given the scheme to excel. He will be gone. Pretty big jump to any other WR stepping up to TJ or Bateman.
OL could be good.
Tanner and Sanford don’t mesh well, so far.

Defense, we have a few guys who make a random play but not with any consistency. We have a LOT of guys who look slow. We play the starters on both sides of the ball until the horn sounds. Obviously we have less than zero confidence the backups can play. It’s like we are embarrassed to let the public see
the newcomers.
So, I think it’s also possible we are worse next year. Crazy year and lots of empty promises could mean some guys choose greener pastures. We could have new coaches again. New messages all the time has to make things harder, unless the new guy is a whiz kid.
A million unknowns but to see optimism from watching four games is pretty tough.
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Post of the day!
I think you nailed why we never play anyone except our starters.
 

I was looking for the rational and optimistic thread, but looks like I found another foaming at the mouth and hand wringing thread.

Brutal loss. Team is wildly inconsistent. But I have hopes that next year with a full camp and 3 preseason games our young D can step up, and the Sanford and son offense can gel. To me the D looks slow because they are tentative, not because they lack athleticism. They aren’t playing as a cohesive unit, but more like 11 freelancers.
 

GopherGangsta said:
2-3 win season next year and PJ is fired.
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Not going to happen. Too costly and not until Coylec is history. Things will need to get fixed or you will see 2 or 3 wins. Great year last year and a big challenge this year but Fleck is face planting now which is concerning. He is obviuosly unable to handle things right now. The team is poor and that is Flecks responsibily. Seniors leaving is not an excuse. He saw the fuel gauge was getting low.
 

bonin21 said:
The Vikings are stupid by winning games now. Just more of the same middle of the pack maybe somehow make the playoffs but go nowhere, draft later and miss out on a QB to change things.

What comes first, Vikings SB or Gophers Big Ten title? I've made it 30+ years without either and fully expect 30+ more.
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Sad to wake up and read such a depressing question! Vikings are so snake bitten that any reasons for optimism are gone. I think you would have to take the Gophs by a hair. In >30 years from now...
 

Jeshurun said:
I was looking for the rational and optimistic thread, but looks like I found another foaming at the mouth and hand wringing thread.

Brutal loss. Team is wildly inconsistent. But I have hopes that next year with a full camp and 3 preseason games our young D can step up, and the Sanford and son offense can gel. To me the D looks slow because they are tentative, not because they lack athleticism. They aren’t playing as a cohesive unit, but more like 11 freelancers.
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Wildly consistent, you mean? The defense has been the same through all games. Giving up yards per play at historic rates. Along with abhorrent special teams play.
 



I've been a Gopher football fan for as long as I can remember. I've grown accustomed to looking forward to next year and the hope it may bring.
Anyway, I'm hoping Faalele and Dunlap are back next year...that'll make the OL better, I think. And I will keep telling myself that the D is young and we got some good recruits coming in on that side of the ball. That'll get me through.
 

60's Guy said:
I certainly think it’s possible we’ll be better next year. But tell me who our best players are? Mo has probably been our best offensive player. Nobody else gets any carries to develop depth. Everybody who sees Wiley wants to move him to LBer. Will Mo return?
Bateman is supposed to be our best player and he hasn’t been given the scheme to excel. He will be gone. Pretty big jump to any other WR stepping up to TJ or Bateman.
OL could be good.
Tanner and Sanford don’t mesh well, so far.

Defense, we have a few guys who make a random play but not with any consistency. We have a LOT of guys who look slow. We play the starters on both sides of the ball until the horn sounds. Obviously we have less than zero confidence the backups can play. It’s like we are embarrassed to let the public see
the newcomers.
So, I think it’s also possible we are worse next year. Crazy year and lots of empty promises could mean some guys choose greener pastures. We could have new coaches again. New messages all the time has to make things harder, unless the new guy is a whiz kid.
A million unknowns but to see optimism from watching four games is pretty tough.
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RB we'll be fine. Ky Thomas could be the starter next year and Potts has looked excellent in his limited carriers. Wiley might be good if he gains some weight and becomes more of an Eddie George, run with power guy. Right now his running style is that, but he's not strong enough to break those tackles.

Defensively, we are playing bad because they aren't playing together, and younger guys are getting dominated by an offensive line from Iowa. Well, which teams that we play will traditionally have the best O-lines? WI, IA, and Michigan.

I think there is talent on the defensive side, and if there isn't PJ will bring in some transfers, but I'd expect him to be patient since he's been heavy on D-Line recruiting the last three years. There is no doubt our defensive line talent coming in as freshman is better than our D-line talent recruited over the last 5-10 years. This will only help us.

Now if they never improve from Seniors in High School to Seniors in college, then we have a development issue, but I don't know we can say that's the issue. Somehow the Gophers made a player out of Sam Renner who was not a high ranked recruit. Someone developed him into a player.
Be somewhat ignorant to think whoever helped develop him the last 3 years suddenly lost the ability to do it with kids who show up with more natural ability.
 



laazrakit said:
I agreed with ya... up to this one. Howden does, indeed, suck.
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No P5 teams offered him during the regular recruiting cycle.

He was sitting there in the summer and someone got in one of our coach's ear saying "you gotta give this kid a chance!"

Here's his non-existent recruiting profile:
 

I liked how Howden played against Penn State last year.
 

#2Gopher said:
Thanks Face the facts for your Gopher support and your attempt to be positive to others. Was hoping it would rub off on the others a bit, but clearly didn't.
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You can't honestly expect positivity with this season so far.

That's not honest or reasonable.


No one is demand you be angry, if you don't want to be. But you absolutely need to let other people vent their frustration. No one here has any right to demand others not to be frustrated. That's silly
 

Word said:
I liked how Howden played against Penn State last year.
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You mean when their QB made a bad decision with a receiver who fell down, and he got to come off as the hero for "saving" the game?

What about the play before that where they burned us for a huge pass play? Where was Howden on that play?

See for yourself: (play before at 2:45 , game ending play starts at 3:00)




2019 was the luckiest year in Gopher football. We should've known that such luck only comes to Gopher football in 20 year cycles.

Lucky as hell that NW was suddenly the worst they had been in a long time (after being great the year before). If they have the QB they have this year, we lose in Evanstan to go on a 3-game losing streak to end the season, no "co-Division title" either. Lower bowl game. Who knows.
 

FredCoxRocks said:
I've been a Gopher football fan for as long as I can remember. I've grown accustomed to looking forward to next year and the hope it may bring.
Anyway, I'm hoping Faalele and Dunlap are back next year...that'll make the OL better, I think. And I will keep telling myself that the D is young and we got some good recruits coming in on that side of the ball. That'll get me through.
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As far as the list of things needing to be fixed, the OL play is pretty far down that list.
 
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This year isn’t going as planned, but let’s not say things can’t get better. We lost a lot, look at LSU, Auburn, they also lost a lot and are struggling. We could be in Penn States shoes, this year is all messed up.
 

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