Recap of Brewster on Joe Schmit's Sports Wrap

[GopherLady]

Note - this is not word for word, just as fast as I could type:

Joe Schmit asked Brew with going into his 4th year, is this where he thought the program would be?
Brew didn't' directly answer - he said they've made changes, great graduation rates, APR is the best, doing positive things, want to win, etc. He said he's more convinced today that MN can win a championship than the day he was hired.

Schmit asked what he's learned that he didn't know when he was hired?
Brew said he learned about the community, U, and needed to make mistakes, learn from them, correct them, and said there are some things he'd do differently.

Schmit asked what specific?
Brew said I don't think so. Wanted to win more games, they played a lot of hard fought games. Asks why we haven't been to a championship game in over 50 years - need to reflects on that.

Schmit asked about off the field issues - if it's across the board in college, or it's unacceptable and you won't stand for it?
Brew said we made a lot of positive headlines. We had 100% graduation rates, lots of players with 3.0 or better. Media likes to accentuate the negative and not the positive. 83 kids - 3 young men that made poor decisions, not a blanket statement for what we're achieving.

Schmit asked about starting QB?
Brew talked about all 3 as good QB's. He's in no rush to announce, will announce in the next few weeks.

Schmit asked if Gray would be used as WR if not as QB?
Brew said he has the ability to do a lot of different things, will utilize his skills

Schmit - new OC, how is Horton working?
Brew said he's a great fit, type of fit is so important. Seamless transition, haven't tried to do a lot of things . Want to be able to run the football and be physical.

Schmit - with tough schedule, what would be considered a success
Brew - going to a bowl game, and wants to do that again. Wants to continue improvement in all aspects, on and off the field.

Then he commented on DaJon McKnight being able to step up well, Decker will do well in the pros, when asked about filling up TCF (student section)- he said their job was to win, and then it would fill up. The students respect how they are trying to play the game.

 

[MNbricks]

GL....thanks for the recap! Its great to hear gopher stuff since I don't live there anymore.

 

[josh087]

Thanks for the recap - BTW, his last name is Schmit - no "d."

 

[GopherLady]

Thanks for the recap - BTW, his last name is Schmit - no "d."

Oh shoot! I'll edit - that's bad...that's like spelling a player's name wrong. Thanks for letting me know.

 

[EG#9]

Thanks for the recap GopherLady. One question: who asked why the Gophers haven't been to a championship game in 50 years? Was it Schmit or Brewster?

That seems like such an odd question to ask

 

[GopherLady]

Thanks for the recap GopherLady. One question: who asked why the Gophers haven't been to a championship game in 50 years? Was it Schmit or Brewster?

That seems like such an odd question to ask

It was Brew - that would have probably been more clear if I had gone word for word. He was basically referring to having to reflect upon things they have to do, since it's been so long since we have been that successful.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

Awesome, awesome job by Doogie on the his piece about Garin and Tyler. What great kids.

 

[ConferenceChamp]

Thanks for the recap GopherLady. One question: who asked why the Gophers haven't been to a championship game in 50 years? Was it Schmit or Brewster?

That seems like such an odd question to ask

Entering his 4th season and knowing he is looking at about a 5-7 record...with his job on the line...brewster brought it up on his own...

Kinda like Nixon's 'Checkers speech' in '62...somewhat of a red herring...from a beaten man...


In reality, brewster prolly should have mentioned this '50-year' comment when he was hired 3+ years ago. In that way, he would have managed external expectations.

Instead, he kept blathering on about taking Gopher Nation to Pasadena


Some guys, even college football coaches, are amazing in their idiocy.

 

[gophmeister]

Entering his 4th season and knowing he is looking at about a 5-7 record...with his job on the line...brewster brought it up on his own...

Kinda like Nixon's 'Checkers speech' in '62...somewhat of a red herring...from a beaten man...


In reality, brewster prolly should have mentioned this '50-year' comment when he was hired 3+ years ago. In that way, he would have managed external expectations.

Instead, he kept blathering on about taking Gopher Nation to Pasadena


Some guys, even college football coaches, are amazing in their idiocy.

The Checkers speech was in '52 and if I'm not mistaken he and Ike won that election.

 

[ruralgopher]

Entering his 4th season and knowing he is looking at about a 5-7 record...with his job on the line...brewster brought it up on his own...

Kinda like Nixon's 'Checkers speech' in '62...somewhat of a red herring...from a beaten man...


In reality, brewster prolly should have mentioned this '50-year' comment when he was hired 3+ years ago. In that way, he would have managed external expectations.

Instead, he kept blathering on about taking Gopher Nation to Pasadena


Some guys, even college football coaches, are amazing in their idiocy.

So they basically ask 1 of the 2 questions you wanted them to ask, Brew answers it and you come on here complaining about the answer? Talk about idiocy.

Brewster, nor any head coach, should try to 'manage expectations'. He is a great interview because he speaks what is on his mind and is honest, as much as people don't believe him. example: question about student section, answer "our job is to win". That is an honest, refreshingly candid answer.

 

[ConferenceChamp]

The Checkers speech was in '52 and if I'm not mistaken he and Ike won that election.

hey...great...just what I needed...meister can be my errand boy...

hey meister, keep close to your wikipedia

I'll let you know when you might be needed again

 

[Ole]

So they basically ask 1 of the 2 questions you wanted them to ask, Brew answers it and you come on here complaining about the answer? Talk about idiocy.

Brewster, nor any head coach, should try to 'manage expectations'. He is a great interview because he speaks what is on his mind and is honest, as much as people don't believe him. example: question about student section, answer "our job is to win". That is an honest, refreshingly candid answer.

Exactly, geez.
You want to respond CC? Or maybe just talk about wikipedia some more.
Seriously if it's not a personal reason you hate Brewster so much, let it go at least until the season starts.

 

[gophmeister]

hey...great...just what I needed...meister can be my errand boy...

hey meister, keep close to your wikipedia

I'll let you know when you might be needed again

Well, you should check your facts before you reference something someone can easily look up. However, in your defense, you probably just confused that incident with Nixon's performance presidential debate of 1960.

 

[gophergrad]

hey...great...just what I needed...meister can be my errand boy...

hey meister, keep close to your wikipedia

I'll let you know when you might be needed again

I'm sure he needed wikipedia to figure it out. Even someone with a fragile hold on American history should have been able to figure out that the checker speech was given in 1952 when Nixon was running for vice - president instead of 1962 WHEN JFK WAS ALREADY PRESIDENT.

Anyway back to football...

 

[ConferenceChamp]

...the checker speech was given in 1952 when Nixon was running for vice - president instead of 1962 WHEN JFK WAS ALREADY PRESIDENT.

Anyway back to football...

In '62, Nixon was beaten in California's gubernatorial election (Pat Brown won).

What does JFK being president in '62 have to do with the price of tea in China?...or with this thread?

 

[Maroon]

Note - this is not word for word, just as fast as I could type:

Schmit asked about starting QB?
Brew talked about all 3 as good QB's. He's in no rush to announce, will announce in the next few weeks.

Are the Gophers trying to be overly deliberate with making this decision? Or at least announcing it? From all I've read of their comments throughout spring, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Weber would be starting again next year. Is this delay - albeit a small one and coming in the spring - any sort of sign that maybe that's not the case?

 

[ruralgopher]

hey...great...just what I needed...meister can be my errand boy...

hey meister, keep close to your wikipedia

I'll let you know when you might be needed again

In '62, Nixon was beaten in California's gubernatorial election (Pat Brown won).

What does JFK being president in '62 have to do with the price of tea in China?...or with this thread?

Smiley much?

 

[AhliBobwa]

Is this delay - albeit a small one and coming in the spring - any sort of sign that maybe that's not the case?

I think this is interesting. Weber certainly got most of the snaps in the spring game. (20 pass attempts to Gray's 7). Given the spring game reps, I would have expected Brewster to announce Weber as the starter by now. Maye this is a motivational technique for Weber.

However, maybe the coaching staff is giving serious thought to playing both QBs in the fall. A lot of fans on this board (including me) wanted to see Gray get a quarter to a third of the snaps last fall. Personally, I think Weber is mature enough to handle that, and Gray would welcome any chance to get significant reps at QB.

That said, given last season the aforementioned scenario is highly unlikely and all signs point to Weber taking the vast majority of the snaps come fall.

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

In '62, Nixon was beaten in California's gubernatorial election (Pat Brown won).

What does JFK being president in '62 have to do with the price of tea in China?...or with this thread?

The 1962 quote was "You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore"

Of course 6 years later he was elected President.

 

[alchemy2u]

The 1962 quote was "You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore"

Of course 6 years later he was elected President.

And 6 years later he was on a plane to Cali....

 

[diehard]

GL, thanks for the great post. CC, thanks for screwin' up the whole thread.

 

[ConferenceChamp]

...Brewster, nor any head coach, should try to 'manage expectations'. He is a great interview because he speaks what is on his mind...

We can agree to disagree on whether brewster is a 'great interview.'

Do you ever wonder why people, in general, seem to enjoy a good train wreck?

 

[ConferenceChamp]

You want to respond CC?

First of all, Ole, say hello to Sven...


I don't usually take the bait...

But I am observing, with more and more data points, that Brewster appears manic.


1. he hired some assistant coaches with whom he'd had no previous relationship...then he turns on them and fires 'em

2. he wanted to run the spread...but checks his own testosterone level, and determines he's really a macho man, then declares he wants Glen Mason/Gordie Shaw power football back in town

3. he suggested every day is important...then tosses aside his first 3 seasons, as if they were yesterday's garbage...now seems intent on 'starting over'

4. he talked about taking Gopher Nation to Pasadena...now he'd prefer to talk about about graduation rates (sounds like a guy who's on a very short leash) Are the sands running thru the hour glass? or what?

5. he just seems to have done a lot of '180's' recently

6. and can only discuss the 80 guys who follow the rules, not the 3 who don't

 

[GopherLady]

Awesome, awesome job by Doogie on the his piece about Garin and Tyler. What great kids.

I think this is one thing we all can agree on!

If you haven't seen it, or only saw the shorter version from earlier this week, here is the full video. Great job on this, Doogie!

http://kstp.com/sports/stories/S1542237.shtml?cat=7

 

[AhliBobwa]

First of all, Ole, say hello to Sven...


I don't usually take the bait...

That's right, you usually give the bait cause you are a troll.

 

[maxwellsmart]

First of all, Ole, say hello to Sven...


I don't usually take the bait...

But I am observing, with more and more data points, that Brewster appears manic.


1. he hired some assistant coaches with whom he'd had no previous relationship...then he turns on them and fires 'em

2. he wanted to run the spread...but checks his own testosterone level, and determines he's really a macho man, then declares he wants Glen Mason/Gordie Shaw power football back in town

3. he suggested every day is important...then tosses aside his first 3 seasons, as if they were yesterday's garbage...now seems intent on 'starting over'

4. he talked about taking Gopher Nation to Pasadena...now he'd prefer to talk about about graduation rates (sounds like a guy who's on a very short leash) Are the sands running thru the hour glass? or what?

5. he just seems to have done a lot of '180's' recently

6. and can only discuss the 80 guys who follow the rules, not the 3 who don't

Oh, just for fun: 1) the guys who were dismissed were doing pretty poorly, don't call that "turns on them." 2) Mason / Shaw offense was hardly "macho man." They ran zone blocking schemes so their undersized yet fairly speedy OL could spread the opposition and allow the RB to read the hole. 3) The going part of the way down the road and then concocting a different system when things don't go smoothly is troublesome. Hey! We agree. 4) I don't mind a HC who can and will talk about graduation rates in a positive context. 5) He's always done a lot of 180's; it's Brew, not Mason. Comes with the territory whether we like it or not and at this point shouldn't mean much now that we've had time to know what's what. 6) See #4. I don't mind a HC who will refuse to take the media bait and work himself into a box by allowing talking heads to frame every issue. If the HC wants to focus on 80 guys instead of 3, then great, especially if it allows him to set the parameters for the interview: shakeshead.

 

[Ole]

First of all, Ole, say hello to Sven...


I don't usually take the bait...

But I am observing, with more and more data points, that Brewster appears manic.


1. he hired some assistant coaches with whom he'd had no previous relationship...then he turns on them and fires 'em

2. he wanted to run the spread...but checks his own testosterone level, and determines he's really a macho man, then declares he wants Glen Mason/Gordie Shaw power football back in town

3. he suggested every day is important...then tosses aside his first 3 seasons, as if they were yesterday's garbage...now seems intent on 'starting over'

4. he talked about taking Gopher Nation to Pasadena...now he'd prefer to talk about about graduation rates (sounds like a guy who's on a very short leash) Are the sands running thru the hour glass? or what?

5. he just seems to have done a lot of '180's' recently

6. and can only discuss the 80 guys who follow the rules, not the 3 who don't

Alright, now we can discuss some Gopher football talking points, not Nixon's presidential speeches.
1)yes, he has fired coaches, they all deserved it IMO. This is his first head coaching gig, he hasn't had the luxury of working with the same coaching staff for years, he hired guys that were recommended to him, they didn't meet his expectations and he got rid of them. I have no problem whatsoever with this.

2)He brought in the spread to recruit, it was seriously in vogue in 07(see 06' Dennis Dixon and Oregon), he found that it couldn't hold up to physical Big Ten defenses(again see said high powered Oregon's O destroyed by OSU in '10 Rose Bowl)and he adjusted his philosophy.
Would I have preferred a coach that had a previous track record, and a rock solid offensive dogma and playbook? yeah, but that's not on Brewster, that's on the guy that hired him.
We now have a power running O that can win matchup games and will allow the team to play D and win with clock control. BTW Mason/Shaw's O is not similar to the current offense at all, this is a man on man power pro set running O, they had a zone blocking scheme.

3,5)I haven't heard Brewster ever say anything about starting over, not once. He's been building for this year and next ever since he got here and played youngsters in 07. He is however guilty of changing philosophies, which may not be a bad thing as long as it helps win more games.
Again, he had no dogma coming in, the 180 turns and "manic" changes are due to his lack of head coaching experience, again not on him, on his boss. If in year 10 of his program here, he states that he's completely rebuilding, then I'll be all over him with you.

4)I would think most of his critics would appreciate his toned down approach as of late, it certainly irked the local Bud Grant loving crowd. I also have no problem with touting academic accomplishment, why would anyone?

6)He's interested in touting his 80 some players that have been working hard all spring and staying out of trouble, going about their business the right way, and you want him to talk about the 3 idiots that got in trouble? He maybe could have been more forthright with their status, but I see no problem with him not dwelling on the off field problems. I really doubt he is simply glossing over the problem internally, but it does nobody any good to sit and rehash the drunken exploits of 3 misguided players.

I really wasn't calling you out personally, I just really like to discuss these subjects without resorting to potshots and name calling. You have a different opinion on Gopher football, let's here it, I'll tell you mine and we can discuss, that's why I come here, I really try not to vent or complain here as much as debate and hear insights into my favorite team.
Cheers

 

[husker70]

I for one find not naming a starting QB

To be on the one hand a lack of confidence in Adam Weber. All the coach said bascially is he is a returning 4 year starter. Faint praise at best. When he mentions MG is says he can do more things for the offense. Hmmmm? Does Coach Horton see MG being dual threat off of Play Action? Does his talent put sprint in sprint draw? These are simple yet subtle things MG can do. And then the coach threw praise to Moses. I just don't think they are going with Weber, I could be wrong. It all comes down to which player gives us the best chance to win.

 

[bankonit]

To be on the one hand a lack of confidence in Adam Weber. All the coach said bascially is he is a returning 4 year starter. Faint praise at best. When he mentions MG is says he can do more things for the offense. Hmmmm? Does Coach Horton see MG being dual threat off of Play Action? Does his talent put sprint in sprint draw? These are simple yet subtle things MG can do. And then the coach threw praise to Moses. I just don't think they are going with Weber, I could be wrong. It all comes down to which player gives us the best chance to win.

I hope and pray you are right, going with Weber would be a huge downer to start the season

 

[Ole]

To be on the one hand a lack of confidence in Adam Weber. All the coach said bascially is he is a returning 4 year starter. Faint praise at best. When he mentions MG is says he can do more things for the offense. Hmmmm? Does Coach Horton see MG being dual threat off of Play Action? Does his talent put sprint in sprint draw? These are simple yet subtle things MG can do. And then the coach threw praise to Moses. I just don't think they are going with Weber, I could be wrong. It all comes down to which player gives us the best chance to win.

It IS interesting that a starter hasn't been named yet, despite the media observations and reports of Weber's improvement. I have to agree with you that the job is there for MG to take, they just need to see where he's at after fall camp.
I'm a huge Weber fan, always have been, but I've said that I expect Gray to start this year.

The smaller playbook and emphasis on the run will only help a young QB. As husker said, there are simply plays that can be designed and easily executed with a talented running QB like Gray. Sprint draws, PA rollout run/pass options, and quick reads with a green light to run can help keep a D off balance and allow more open options for the classic passes and runs.
Horton has no allegiance to Weber, he's going to play the best player at the QB position. He knows what Gray can add, he knows that Weber may be able to execute the offense better now.

My bet is the prep work, technique, and film study Gray does this summer will either elevate him with a good showing, or elevate Weber with a poor one.