Northwestern State worst Gophers' opponent since... ?

[GopherGrit]

Well said.

We were able to get live game reps for 76 players today. If we were scheduling like Indiana I could understand the complaining about a game against an overmatched FCS team. But we have a power 4 and MAC opponent in our other two non-conf games so there is nothing wrong with a layup in that third spot.

While I disagree, I think yours and Maxy's view is fair

 

[BilldGopher]

We played the Demons today because Bowling Green backed out of the original slot. The choices available under these circumstances are pretty poor and today was no different.

That said, no recent Gophers team has actually experienced what happened today. Nothing could go wrong until literally Freshmen were on the field. BTW it was fun to be in the stands watching it too.

Hopefully Coach and his staff can control "Big Head Syndrome" coming out of a game like this, especially with Cal coming up in the West Coast almost after bedtime. [EDIT: Mase was NOT able to manage his squads with this over his tenure at all; Minnesota would play all cupcakes and then get manhandled in the original Big 10 + 1 back in the day...a constant complaint.]

Today was fun and even gratifying but this did little to prepare us for the B1G schedule starting with Rutgers in 3 Saturdays. That is not Coach's fault but he must manage it. We'll see.

 

[GopherGrit]

We played the Demons today because Bowling Green backed out of the original slot.

Do you have a link for this? Google search turning up nothing for me. I would have expected Randy to mention something about this in his STrib column, if true

 

[BilldGopher]

Grit, it was a Strib article by Randy probably behind a paywall but here's the money paragraph:

Turning Point​

November 2023 | That’s when the contract between the Gophers and Northwestern State was signed. The Gophers were originally scheduled to play Bowling Green, but the Falcons asked for that game to be rescheduled to 2028. Minnesota obliged and replaced Bowling Green with the Demons, who received $500,000 for the game.

Here's the link to the source article:

Takeaways: Gophers score on opening play of the game, don't look back in 66-0 thrashing of Northwestern State

The Gophers wasted no time against Northwestern State on Saturday, scoring on the first play from scrimmage when senior defensive back John Nestor returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown.

www.startribune.com

 

[MaxyJR1]

I agree.

My complaint is NOT that the Gophers schedule such an opponent, it's that EVERYONE schedules this type of fodder.

As a consumer, it's a terrible product. As a Season Ticket holder, I don't have the ability to opt out of funding this type of contest.

It's always been somewhat of a joke given the scholarship and budget limitations. Now with NIL and the Portal it's even a wider chasm. Decent players at the FCS level don't hang around if they get the opportunity to get bigger checks, nor do they have to sit out.

I agree it has to be a cross the board change to fix it. They need to consider an exhibition game and then league games. Basically it two gimmes and then try and win 8+ of your 10 P4 games.

 

[noamfromm]

We played the Demons today because Bowling Green backed out of the original slot. The choices available under these circumstances are pretty poor and today was no different.

That said, no recent Gophers team has actually experienced what happened today. Nothing could go wrong until literally Freshmen were on the field. BTW it was fun to be in the stands watching it too.

Hopefully Coach and his staff can control "Big Head Syndrome" coming out of a game like this, especially with Cal coming up in the West Coast almost after bedtime.

Today was fun and even gratifying but this did little to prepare us for the B1G schedule starting with Rutgers in 3 Saturdays. That is not Coach's fault but he must manage it. We'll see.

Per this article, the gophers paid them 475K to reschedule the game

Minnesota was previously scheduled to host Bowling Green at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Sept. 6, 2025. According to a copy of an amendment obtained from Bowling Green State University via a public records request, the game has been rescheduled and will now be played three seasons later on Sept. 9, 2028.

As part of the agreement to reschedule the game, Minnesota will pay Bowling Green a one time payment of $475,000 on or before Feb. 1, 2026. That’s in addition to the $1.45 million guarantee for the game stipulated in the original contract, which remains unchanged.

 

[GopherGrit]

Grit, it was a Strib article by Randy probably behind a paywall but here's the money paragraph:

Turning Point​

November 2023 | That’s when the contract between the Gophers and Northwestern State was signed. The Gophers were originally scheduled to play Bowling Green, but the Falcons asked for that game to be rescheduled to 2028. Minnesota obliged and replaced Bowling Green with the Demons, who received $500,000 for the game.

Here's the link to the source article:

Takeaways: Gophers score on opening play of the game, don't look back in 66-0 thrashing of Northwestern State

The Gophers wasted no time against Northwestern State on Saturday, scoring on the first play from scrimmage when senior defensive back John Nestor returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown.

www.startribune.com

A thousand thank you's Sir

 

[GopherGrit]

Per this article, the gophers paid them 475K to reschedule the game

Minnesota was previously scheduled to host Bowling Green at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Sept. 6, 2025. According to a copy of an amendment obtained from Bowling Green State University via a public records request, the game has been rescheduled and will now be played three seasons later on Sept. 9, 2028.

As part of the agreement to reschedule the game, Minnesota will pay Bowling Green a one time payment of $475,000 on or before Feb. 1, 2026. That’s in addition to the $1.45 million guarantee for the game stipulated in the original contract, which remains unchanged.

So ... that doesn't read better to me, as billd is suggesting ... that reads worse.

That to me reads that we paid $1M ($475 extra to BG and $500 to NW St) in order to purposefully schedule an FCS cupcake this year rather than have a second MAC team ......

 

[MaxyJR1]

8 of the top 24 teams that played today scored 56+.
3 scored 70+.
12 gave up fewer than 10 points.

 

[MaxyJR1]

So ... that doesn't read better to me, as billd is suggesting ... that reads worse.

That to me reads that we paid $1M ($475 extra to BG and $500 to NW St) in order to purposefully schedule an FCS cupcake this year rather than have a second MAC team ......

Pretty sure MAC schools get paid also.

People would rather play some regional FCS teams, but I don’t think the U is interested in helping fund those programs, especially when they are all top FCS programs.

The FCS teams in the south are brutal.

 

[GopherGrit]

Pretty sure MAC schools get paid also.

People would rather play some regional FCS teams, but I don’t think the U is interested in helping fund those programs, especially when they are all top FCS programs.

The FCS teams in the south are brutal.

Clarify:

we already had BG on the schedule for whatever it was, around $1.145M? Or something like that.

And then we laid down another almost $1M (475 more to BG to ask them to move, and 500 to NW St) to turn this year's game into an FCS cupcake.


Anyway, it's done and over. And my opinion (for however little it is worth) is that I would like to see the conference make a rule against scheduling FCS teams going forward.

 

[stocker08]

Since people unironically spoke about the "days of yore".

 

[Word]

Per this article, the gophers paid them 475K to reschedule the game

Minnesota was previously scheduled to host Bowling Green at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Sept. 6, 2025. According to a copy of an amendment obtained from Bowling Green State University via a public records request, the game has been rescheduled and will now be played three seasons later on Sept. 9, 2028.

As part of the agreement to reschedule the game, Minnesota will pay Bowling Green a one time payment of $475,000 on or before Feb. 1, 2026. That’s in addition to the $1.45 million guarantee for the game stipulated in the original contract, which remains unchanged.

Strib said BG requested to move the game so this doesn't mesh with that in terms of the money.

 

[Some guy]

Yup, that was a bad bad bad loss. However, I will also say after watching Northwestern State that that Bowling Green team would boat race them.

Accurate

 

[MaxyJR1]

Clarify:

we already had BG on the schedule for whatever it was, around $1.145M? Or something like that.

And then we laid down another almost $1M (475 more to BG to ask them to move, and 500 to NW St) to turn this year's game into an FCS cupcake.


Anyway, it's done and over. And my opinion (for however little it is worth) is that I would like to see the conference make a rule against scheduling FCS teams going forward.

I’m ok with it if it’s across the P4. FCS should be its own league.

 

[Word]

I’m ok with it if it’s across the P4. FCS should be its own league.

Maybe fcs should just merge into D2?

 

[MaxyJR1]

They were so bad. Even where they could have helped themselves they couldn’t.

Punts terrible

Kickoff return. The guy could have just taken a knee for a touchback and runs out and gets killed. (He muffed if and did not have to run it out, Morgan wrong on broadcast)

 

[mggoph]

They were so bad. Even where they could have helped themselves they couldn’t.

Punts terrible

Kickoff return. The guy could have just taken a knee for a touchback and runs out and gets killed. (He muffed if and did not have to run it out, Morgan wrong on broadcast)

I believe he touched it in the field of play before going into the end zone and had to return it, or else it would have been a safety,

 

[MaxyJR1]

I believe he touched it in the field of play before going into the end zone and had to return it, or else it would have been a safety,

He muffed it. Force of the kickoff put it in the end zone. He just has to go recover it for a touchback.

If he possesses it and then fumbles it back into the end zone, it would be a safety.

 

[noamfromm]

Strib said BG requested to move the game so this doesn't mesh with that in terms of the money.

The article from FB schedules says that they got the information from a public records request with Bowling Green that the gophs paid them 475K. So one of the sources is wrong.

 

[Word]

The article from FB schedules says that they got the information from a public records request with Bowling Green that the gophs paid them 475K. So one of the sources is wrong.

Exactly.