Official Minnesota-Iowa Pre-Game Thread: Articles, Links, Tweets & More

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BTN predicts: http://btn.com/2012/09/26/week-5-we-predict-all-six-big-ten-games/

Minnesota (4-0) at Iowa (2-2) – noon ET, ESPN
Tom’s pick: Minnesota, 24-21 – This will be three wins in a row for the Golden Gophers over the Hawkeyes, as Minnesota’s defense continues to play well vs. an Iowa attack that can’t get on track.
Brent’s pick: Minnesota, 24-16 – Who’s more legit: Iowa RB Mark Weisman or the Minnesota defense? Based on my pick, I’m more sold on the vastly improved Gopher defense that can stop both the run and the pass.
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CBS' predicts:

The game comes down to: Whether Minnesota is legitimate, or the Gophers could kickstart the Hawkeyes' tailspin season. Minnesota defeated its first BCS conference opponent last weekend with a 17-10 win over Syracuse but is Iowa ready to give in? The Hawkeyes aren't as bad as they've looked and should hold serve at home with a powerful rushing attack.

Prediction: Iowa 24, Minnesota 20

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...iew-minnesota-golden-gophers-at-iowa-hawkeyes

Go Gophers!!
 

per Shama:

Big Ten Forecast: U Won’t Be Last
September 26, 2012 - (0) comments



Two years ago when the Big Ten announced Nebraska was joining the league and the football teams would be organized into two divisions the pessimists in Dinkytown pronounced the Gophers’ future was bleaker than the dark past.

The argument was Nebraska added another super program to the league, making the Gophers’ ambitions of Big Ten relevancy even more difficult. Worse, the Cornhuskers would play in the same division as the Gophers. That division—now known as the Legends Division—was also to include Big Ten power Michigan, and formidable other programs.

Woe to the Gophers.

But guess what? The Legends Division teams don’t look so imposing these days. In fact, the whole Big Ten isn’t such hot stuff.

Michigan, 2-2 in 2012, is still trying to recover from the nosedive the program took under coach Rich Rodriguez. Ohio State, struggling but 4-0, is trying for a comeback while under sanctions from “tattoo-gate.” Penn State is doing the football version of Great Britain and is no longer a super power after the Jerry Sandusky scandal. And Nebraska isn’t the same program that for decades struck terror into the hearts of Big 12 and Big Eight fans.

So there you have it. The Big Ten—actually not such a big deal even going back to the 1980s—is reeling, mostly because four programs that looked so powerful in the history books are now underachieving. The conference’s journey through mediocrity includes a 1-6 record in the last seven Rose Bowls. And this fall the league’s image is really taking a pounding with not a single school ranked in the Associated Press top 10. The conference has just three ranked programs, No. 14 Ohio State, No. 20 Michigan State and No. 22 Nebraska. The SEC has four teams in the top six while even the reorganized Big 12 has two top 10 teams, No. 7 Kansas State and No. 9 West Virginia.

After four weeks of nonconference games the Big Ten season begins on Saturday. There’s not a super squad among the 12 league teams and that’s nothing but good news for the Gophers who along with Northwestern are two of the conference’s (America’s?) biggest success stories and surprises in September.

There’s a lot of football to be played between now and the end of the league season on November 24. Some teams will improve and others will slide. Injuries and scheduling will impact results but Sports Headliners is ready to make its predictions on the final standings in the Legends Division and Leaders Division.

Coach Jerry Kill and his assistants make up one of the best coaching staffs in the Big Ten. Rank this group near the top for teaching and managing a program. Minnesota is 4-0 mostly because of a much improved defense that has impressed rushing the passer and swarming to ball carriers and receivers.

The Gophers, though, are only in their second season under Kill. The program must attract better talent particularly on offense where the line needs more push and a breakaway running back is lacking. And more speed and elusiveness among the receivers will be missed when the Gophers face the league’s better secondaries.

Minnesota defeated UNLV, New Hampshire, Western Michigan and Syracuse in four nonconference games. Those foes are a combined 6-10 so far in 2012. That’s part of the reason the odds-makers have Iowa(2-2) as about a touchdown favorite on Saturday when Minnesota and the Hawkeyes meet in Iowa City.

The prediction here is the Gophers will finish fifth among six teams in the Legends Division. Don’t be discouraged, though. The Gophers could do better than fifth and even if they don’t this is a team that—unless crushed by injuries—will be competitive in most or all of its games. Kill’s program has a future that’s getting ready to distance itself from an embarrassing past. Think bowl game in 2012.

Michigan State (3-1) is the pick for first in the Legends Division. The Spartans have a great defensive guru in head coach Mark Dantonio and the league’s premier runner in Le’Veon Bell. He is averaging 152.59 yards per game, third best in the country. Now if the Spartans could only find a passer.

The league’s best offense might be in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers (3-1), who have scored 194 points in four games, are the choice for second in the division. The problem in Nebraska: defense. The Huskers gave up 653 yards of total offense in a loss to UCLA, the most difficult test Nebraska has faced this season.

Can’t blame Michigan (2-2) quarterback Denard Shoelace Robinson if he is looking down at his shoes a lot these days. His passing doesn’t exactly remind Wolverines’ fans of Tom Brady. The runner extraordinaire threw four interceptions in a Michigan loss to Notre Dame last Saturday. The Wolverines, with some talented players and coaches, will finish third in the division.

Venric Mark. He might be the league’s most exciting player and certainly a significant reason why Northwestern is 4-0 and headed for at least a fourth place finish in the division. Mark is No. 2 in the country in punt return average at 30.60 yards. He leads the Big Ten in all-purpose yards at 178.50, ranking eighth in the nation. Northwestern’s season could get derailed by injuries and lack of depth—always a Wildcat nemesis.

The folks in Iowa City love their Hawks except when they start the season 2-2, including losses to Iowa State and no-name Central Michigan on a last minute field goal. The boos filled the air at the end of last Saturday’s game against Central and things will get uglier if Minnesota wins for a third straight year this Saturday. The Hawks passing game has sometimes been awful and Iowa is down to an impressive walk-on running back. The Hawkeyes will be competitive on most Saturdays—and may beat the Gophers on Saturday—but put them down for last in the division.

Buckle up for our Leaders Division choice. Purdue will finish first, followed by Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State, Illinois and Indiana. Too bad the Gophers can’t petition the Big Ten office for membership in the Leaders Division where because of sanctions Ohio State and Penn State aren’t allowed to play in the Big Ten championship game but are eligible to win the division title.

The Leaders Division looks inferior to the Legends Division and that’s one reason to pick Purdue to emerge as champion. The Boilermakers (2-1) played undefeated Notre Dame tougher than Big Ten brethren Michigan and Michigan State. And they did it in South Bend during a 20-17 loss. Coach Danny Hope has built a roster featuring speed. Purdue fans like that and also a schedule that includes only one formidable road game, at Ohio State on October 20.

The 4-0 Buckeyes haven’t been that impressive under first year coach Urban Meyer. The defense is an issue and Ohio State has given up 59 points in the last three games against Central Florida, California and UAB. But the Buckeyes might have the league’s most effective quarterback in Braxton Miller and they’ve got a super coach in Meyer. Any setbacks in 2012 will be softened by national championship expectations within five years in Columbus.

Where have you gone Russell Wilson and Paul Chryst? Wilson, the dynamic quarterback, is in the pros after leading Wisconsin to the Rose Bowl. Chryst, one of college football’s best offensive minds, left for the head coaching job at Pittsburgh—part of an exodus of Badgers assistants. The result: trouble in Madtown where the Badgers have turned out of desperation to a redshirt quarterback and 27-year-old offensive line coach. There’s still talent and coaching but being competitive in Big Ten games is different than being almost a lock to win. Wisconsin (3-1) will have some struggles.

Penn State fans have a love-hate relationship with senior quarterback Matt McGloin but he’s produced lately and helped the Nittany Lions (2-2) to consecutive wins over Navy and Temple the last two weeks. New coach Bill O’Brien needs to prove himself after leaving the NFL and replacing Joe Paterno. He will need to keep his wits when Penn State plays consecutive games against Ohio State at home and on the road versus Purdue and Nebraska.

You know your school is off to a difficult start under a new coach (Tim Beckman) when Louisiana Tech beats you up at home, 52-24. Illinois (2-2) was also embarrassed by Arizona State, 45-14. Wins came against Western Michigan, 24-7, and 44-0 over “cupcake” Charleston Southern. On the Illini’s long to-do list is settling on a starting quarterback, presumably Nathan Scheelhaase.

When does basketball season start? The basketball Hoosiers are a preseason choice for No. 1 in the nation while the football Hoosiers are a consensus pick for last in the Leaders Division. Indiana students have season football tickets, mostly because the athletic department told them it was a package deal if they wanted to watch the basketball team. In home games the 2-1 Hoosiers beat Indiana State 24-17 and lost to Ball State 41-29. That doesn’t scare fans at other Big Ten schools but it may frighten IU students.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Go Gophers!!
 


BleedGopher said:
With an easy schedule ahead, Minnesota should expect to make a bowl game with at least eight wins.
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Well no one could accuse them of giving the readers reasonable expectations for the team this year :rolleyes:
 



BleedGopher said:
per Shama:

...Minnesota defeated UNLV, New Hampshire, Western Michigan and Syracuse in four nonconference games. Those foes are a combined 6-10 so far in 2012...
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Take out the losses to the Gophers and those foes are 6-6. If the Gophers were 0-4 our nonconference opponents would look much tougher. ;)
 

ESPN predicts: http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/59980/big-ten-predictions-week-5-2

MINNESOTA (4-0) at IOWA (2-2)

Brian Bennett: Somehow, Iowa is favored in this game. But even though it's at Kinnick Stadium, all the good vibes belong to Minnesota going into Saturday. The Gophers' pass defense has been strong, while James Vandenberg and the Hawkeyes' passing attack has sputtered. Mark Weisman will batter his way to 160 yards, but the Gophers come up with two picks and a special teams score to hogtie the Hawks. ... Minnesota 21, Iowa 14

Adam Rittenberg: I went against the Gophers last week and paid the price. Not happening again. The Gophers' defense contains Weisman and forces some mistakes from Vandenberg, while the run game surges behind Donnell Kirkwood. It'll be an up-and-down day for Max Shortell, but he finds senior tight end and Iowa native John Rabe for the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. ... Minnesota 24, Iowa 20
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CFN predicts: http://cfn.scout.com/2/1225244.html

Minnesota (4-0) at Iowa (2-2) Sept. 29, 12:00, ESPN2

Here’s The Deal: There are two ways to look at Iowa. Either it’s a hot mess with no offense, a defense that can’t come through in the clutch, and overall it’s one key play against Northern Illinois away from being 1-3 and winless against FBS teams. On the flip side, it could be argued that the Hawkeyes are two plays and four points away from being unbeaten. The embarrassment against Central Michigan and the tough loss to Iowa State won’t matter anymore if the Hawkeyes can beat Minnesota and avenge the strange losses in the fight for the Floyd of Rosedale trophy over the last two seasons.

The Gophers showed last week against a high-powered Syracuse attack that they might be for real, keeping the Orange to just ten points in its strong win. But now the Big Ten slate starts – is this when reality hits? Is Jerry Kill really doing one of the best jobs in college football? If the Gophers win this week, they’ll get two weeks off to bask in the glory of 5-0 before facing Northwestern.

Why Minnesota Might Win: Where is the Iowa passing game? There’s nothing scaring anyone down the field and the ground game isn’t softening up anyone but Northern Iowa to help make the air show take off. At this point, Minnesota is used to passers allowing just 228 yards to Ryan Nassib and a Syracuse passing game that went nuts on Northwestern and pushed USC. Western Michigan’s Alex Carder was limited to just 209 yards with a score. If Iowa wasn’t able to throw before, it’s not likely to get everything working this week. The Minnesota secondary is playing way too well.

Why Iowa Might Win: It’s time to get nasty. Western Michigan was able to run the ball on the Minnesota defensive front seven, and UNLV was able to move the ball a bit with its spread. Greg Garmon is expected to be back to add a little bit of depth to the Hawkeye running game, and with Damon Bullock still out, Mark Weisman and his 217 yards and three scores against Central Michigan should hammer on the Gopher line. Everyone has tried to finesse Minnesota. Now is the time to go smashmouth, partly because Iowa can’t throw, and partly because the offensive line helped get Weisman into a lather last week.

What To Watch Out For: This was supposed to be time when MarQueis Gray grew into a special playmaking quarterback for the Gopher offense. He helped carry the team to a win over Iowa last year, but now it’s Max Shortell’s offense to run. As a true freshman Shortell completed 48% of his throws for 309 yards and two touchdowns with two picks. This year he has been far, far better throwing three touchdown passes against Western Michigan and completing 16-of-30 passes for 231 yards against Syracuse. With Gray still out with an ankle injury, Shortell is getting a chance to show what he can do.

What Will Happen: Can Minnesota really make it three in a row in the series? The defense is playing well enough to get it done, but Iowa will bounce back with James Vandenberg coming up with enough short to midrange passes to get by, while the Iowa ground game will be stunningly effective for long stretches. It will be a battle, but Iowa is getting back the pig trophy.

CFN Prediction: Iowa 20 … Minnesota 17
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Never thought about how key Q was in our 2 recent wins over Iowa and how he will not be a part of the game Saturday this time around. I still think we've got a really good fighting chance to win anyway, but that's definitely a detriment we'll have to work through.
 

Looks like Ra'shede Hageman has a good mindset going into the game, based on a couple of tweets.

"The moment my opponent starts breathing hard or [bending] over for air. That's my Que. To Feast!!!!!!"

"Today I'm hungry. Im taking things serious, building my craft to perfection. I'm taking what's mine then I'm taking yours and making it mine"

"Failure is not an option, success is just a process"

@BIG_shede

Although social media is rarely the best indicator of preparedness, he does seem to have his head in the right place, which has shown through the first 4 games.
 

This maybe a little too soon but I see Hageman as the second comming of Ndamukong Suh as a college player. Unstopable. Go get 'em Big Shede. From the first snap hit em in mouth, or in the sternum and cause them to bend over for air.
 



station19 said:
School has played Iowa since 1891 but never before in September.
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Interesting factoid, and also accurate. The earliest in the year the two have ever played was October 2, 1909, a 41-0 Minnesota victory. Most of the games have taken place in November.

Other interesting nuggets from the Minnesota-Iowa series: Minnesota won each of the first 12 games, by a combined score of 463-30 (i.e., average score of 39-3). Minnesota shut out Iowa in 6 consecutive games from 1901 to 1909, by a combined score of 216-0 (i.e., average score of 36-0).
 

Rochester Post-Bulletin: Nate Justice is student coaching intern for Gophers

"Austin High graduate Nate Justice is a member of the University of Minnesota football team. The 2009 graduateis in his fourth season with the team. He was an equipment student manager with the Gophers as a freshmen and sophomore, under former Gophers head coach Tim Brewster. Justice begins his second full season as a student coaching intern, under coach Jerry Kill. Justice's responsibilities include assisting offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover with game preparation and Nate Griffin with offensive quality control. Justice has held this full-time position since coach Kill took over the Gophers program in 2011. He is a full-time undergraduate student also, and will be completing his undergraduate studies this December with a B.S. Degree in Sports Management. His plans are to pursue graduate studies in Sports Management at the University of Minnesota. The Gophers are off to a red-hot start, going 4-0 during their non-conference slate. The Gophers open Big Ten play this weekend on the road at rival Iowa."

http://www.postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1509705

Go Gophers!!
 



Gopher07 said:
Well no one could accuse them of giving the readers reasonable expectations for the team this year :rolleyes:
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Haha, seriously. 4-4 should be EXPECTED? I don't see a single B1G game that we can consider a "gimmie" so to speak (maybe @ Illinois, depending on if they've quit again). Every other game is either a road game (Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska), or a tough home game (NW, Purdue, Michigan, MSU). No IU or PSU, and that sucks, cause I like our chances against those teams quite a bit. This schedule is far from easy. Of course we could easily win 4 of them, but I'm just saying to "expect" it, is not fair IMO.
 

husker70 said:
This maybe a little too soon but I see Hageman as the second comming of Ndamukong Suh as a college player. Unstopable. Go get 'em Big Shede. From the first snap hit em in mouth, or in the sternum and cause them to bend over for air.
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Not sure if he will ever get to Suh levels but he is a beast physically and seems to be figuring out the position. Been a while since we have had a dominant DT we could rely on to make plays and disrupt the opposing offense. Shede seems to be becoming that guy and probably setting himself to play on Sundays down the line as well.
 


MNVCGUY said:
Not sure if he will ever get to Suh levels but he is a beast physically and seems to be figuring out the position. Been a while since we have had a dominant DT we could rely on to make plays and disrupt the opposing offense. Shede seems to be becoming that guy and probably setting himself to play on Sundays down the line as well.
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I wouldn't be surprised if he is the highest draft pick from the U since Carl Eller in 1964.
 

Ski U Mah Gopher said:
I wouldn't be surprised if he is the highest draft pick from the U since Carl Eller in 1964.
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Certainly possible. I think our highest since then is Maroney who went 21st overall. He'll have to be REALLY good to get there though.
 

Gopher07 said:
Certainly possible. I think our highest since then is Maroney who went 21st overall. He'll have to be REALLY good to get there though.
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Minnesota 1st-round draft picks since 1964 (Eller went #6 overall):

DE Aaron Brown, #6, 1966
OG/DT Gale Gillingham, #13, 1966
C Brian Williams, #18, 1989
RB Darrell Thompson, #19, 1990
CB Willie Middlebrooks, #24, 2001
RB Laurence Maroney, #21, 2006
 

dpodoll68 said:
Minnesota 1st-round draft picks since 1964 (Eller went #6 overall):

DE Aaron Brown, #6, 1966
OG/DT Gale Gillingham, #13, 1966
C Brian Williams, #18, 1989
RB Darrell Thompson, #19, 1990
CB Willie Middlebrooks, #24, 2001
RB Laurence Maroney, #21, 2006
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Well I'll be damned. Ain't no way 'Shede is going top 5.
 

Gopher07 said:
Well I'll be damned. Ain't no way 'Shede is going top 5.
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I forgot Aaron Brown. My bad.

But with his size & speed, top 10 is a possiblity if he continues his improvement over his next 22 games (9 this year and 13 next year).
 


Announcer FYI on ESPN2: 12 PM- Minnesota at Iowa (ESPN2) Beth Mowins, Joey Galloway, Lewis Johnson
 

CrocShots said:
Announcer FYI on ESPN2: 12 PM- Minnesota at Iowa (ESPN2) Beth Mowins, Joey Galloway, Lewis Johnson
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133943640653.jpg
 



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