BleedGopher
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per Randy:
The Gophers on Saturday night were good enough to stay in a tight game against Iowa until the very end, but just not good enough to emerge with a victory.
That's become a common thread running through the Big Ten season for this team. As was the case in losses to Maryland, Purdue and Michigan State, the Gophers had their chances — and squandered some golden ones — in the 17-10 loss to the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Even during last week's "you darn well better beat Illinois" game, Minnesota found a way to allow the Illini to hang around late into the second half.
On the surface, the season has taken on a "Groundhog Day" feel, with the tight losses leaving the Gophers 4-4 overall and 1-4 in the Big Ten two-thirds of the way through coach P.J. Fleck's inaugural season in Minneapolis. If you dig a little deeper, however, Saturday's game showed signs of a program taking small steps forward.
The obvious sign of progress has been the Gophers defense. Against Iowa, the Gophers forced the Hawkeyes to punt nine times and held them to 3-for-14 on third-down chances. Minnesota also forced two turnovers in Gophers territory, which were vital in keeping the score in check.
The defense, of course, wasn't perfect against the Hawkeyes. Iowa scored its two touchdowns on its first possession of the first quarter, striking in five plays, and on its first drive of the third quarter. Those scripted situations showed where the Hawkeyes found an edge.
"The effort was there, but our execution wasn't," Gophers linebacker Thomas Barber said of the Hawkeyes' opening haymaker. "… We really bounced back after that. We just played football."
http://www.startribune.com/gophers-football-team-despite-losses-make-incremental-progress/454027683/
Go Gophers!!
The Gophers on Saturday night were good enough to stay in a tight game against Iowa until the very end, but just not good enough to emerge with a victory.
That's become a common thread running through the Big Ten season for this team. As was the case in losses to Maryland, Purdue and Michigan State, the Gophers had their chances — and squandered some golden ones — in the 17-10 loss to the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Even during last week's "you darn well better beat Illinois" game, Minnesota found a way to allow the Illini to hang around late into the second half.
On the surface, the season has taken on a "Groundhog Day" feel, with the tight losses leaving the Gophers 4-4 overall and 1-4 in the Big Ten two-thirds of the way through coach P.J. Fleck's inaugural season in Minneapolis. If you dig a little deeper, however, Saturday's game showed signs of a program taking small steps forward.
The obvious sign of progress has been the Gophers defense. Against Iowa, the Gophers forced the Hawkeyes to punt nine times and held them to 3-for-14 on third-down chances. Minnesota also forced two turnovers in Gophers territory, which were vital in keeping the score in check.
The defense, of course, wasn't perfect against the Hawkeyes. Iowa scored its two touchdowns on its first possession of the first quarter, striking in five plays, and on its first drive of the third quarter. Those scripted situations showed where the Hawkeyes found an edge.
"The effort was there, but our execution wasn't," Gophers linebacker Thomas Barber said of the Hawkeyes' opening haymaker. "… We really bounced back after that. We just played football."
http://www.startribune.com/gophers-football-team-despite-losses-make-incremental-progress/454027683/
Go Gophers!!
