PP: Gophers need to bounce back from Illinois loss the way they did after Bowling Green

[BleedGopher]

per Greder:

While the scab has been ripped off, the Gophers (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) still can bounce back like they did a month ago. With the loss, they remain in a four-way tie for first place in the Big Ten West and face Iowa (7-2, 4-2) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

“I was really proud of the way the entire team responded to adversity we faced after the Bowling Green game,” linebacker Mariano Sori-Marin said. “… When you face adversity, there are two roads you can go down. You can go down the blame game, you can pull apart, or you can come together even stronger as a team. I know this team and how resilient we are.”

Gophers need to bounce back from Illinois loss the way they did after Bowling Green

Minnesota rushed for a season-low 89 yards against Illinois and threw for only 200 on Saturday. Their 289 total yards was the offense’s fewest since the Bowling Green debacle (241).

www.twincities.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[#2Gopher]

Not going to disagree with that statement. Clearly need to respond fast for this game against Iowa.

 

[Some Day...Maybe]

“Lowest point total in last 42 games”. Gave up 10 sacks between BG and Illinois. 4 interceptions against BG and Illinois combined. 89 yards rushing vs Illinois. Both games at home. What a waste of the best O line in decades and the winningest QB in decades.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

I want the Gophers to respond. But the book is now there on how to beat the Gophers. And if our “response” is simply to do essentially the same thing (against better defenses in IA snd WI) yet expect a different result, then we meet the colloquial definition of insanity.

Our inability to move away from an excruciatingly slow tempo, highly predictable offense when we are a couple of touchdowns behind is an enormous coach-inflicted handicap. One thing about a tortoise-slow offensive pace: it very courteously gives the defense more time to rest, substitute, communicate and get set. Maybe some up tempo once in a while would have the opposite effect on the defense?

Our strong tendency to refuse to adapt our play calling to capture the easy yards that defenses give us is another such handicap. Four and five yard passes might not be explosive, but they are a great substitute for four and five yard runs that have been taken away by a loaded box. Short passes, if they are being almost conceded by the defense, get you out of the 3rd and 10 quagmire.

If we run a ponderous, predictable, slow developing, play-into-the-hands of the defense, “Illinois Green” offense against IA and WI, we are essentially conceding the games before kick off. We simply don’t have the superior talent to pull that strategy off. If BG and IL can easily stifle that form of offense, so will IA and WI.

We might well lose with an offensive plan that is designed to take the easy, short yardage gains the defense gives. And we could lose if we sacrifice some TOP for some up tempo offense. And we could lose if we used misdirection, counters, jet sweeps, screens, wheel routes, etc. But at least we would have tried to do something to meaningfully respond to the defensive strategy we know we are likely to face.

 

[Unregistered User]

iowa has scored a total of 31 points the past 3 games, with their high water mark of 17 vs. NW this past weekend.

GO GET THE PIG!