Take me back to the Air Wacker days Gopher fans

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El Amin Fan

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Air Wacker days were before my time, but I know we put up some big offensive numbers during those days. And, obviously our defense was worse than our offense was good. We had some shootouts in that time. Was our QB and WR play that much better or was it schemes with 5 wide and no TEs on the line? Certainly not clamoring for 45-42 loses each week, but curious what we did during that time.
 

It was a mixed bag. Good wr and never had a really good qb. Go to youtube and watch some clips you will see.
 

I've tried to block out the traumatic memories, but as I recall it was an early version of basketball on turf, just another iteration.

For what it's worth, Wacker was a great guy.

His record as Gopher coach 1992-96 was 16-39. 8-32 in the B1G. Zero bowl appearances.

But, hey... lots of offense.

en.wikipedia.org

Jim Wacker - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 

I loved it. The just could’t recruit defensive linemen(sound familiar)?. Their schemes were up to date - normal 5 - 2 - 4 . But didn’t recruit anyone up front that could make the big play.
 




RememberMurray said:
I've tried to block out the traumatic memories, but as I recall it was an early version of basketball on turf, just another iteration.

For what it's worth, Wacker was a great guy.

His record as Gopher coach 1992-96 was 16-39. 8-32 in the B1G. Zero bowl appearances.

But, hey... lots of offense.

en.wikipedia.org

Jim Wacker - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
Click to expand...
Literally until wacker Minnesota wasn’t really a team ever thought of as a bottom dweller program.

Gutekunst had two really bad years but was actually 18-30-2 in conference (.36)

Jerry kill was .40 in conference

Wacker won 20% of his conference games. Less than Tim Brewster. Worst coach in the history of the program.
 


El Amin Fan said:
Air Wacker days were before my time, but I know we put up some big offensive numbers during those days. And, obviously our defense was worse than our offense was good. We had some shootouts in that time. Was our QB and WR play that much better or was it schemes with 5 wide and no TEs on the line? Certainly not clamoring for 45-42 loses each week, but curious what we did during that time.
Click to expand...

The Gophers were often behind during the Wacker era. No doubt that had a positive impact on the passing numbers.
 




2-3 vs. Alvarez during his tenor, gave me a couple of Axe wins while in school
 








If only he was as good a coach as he was a person.

Teams were overmatched athletically on defense and couldn't stop anyone. The passing offense gave some teams fits as the college game was still more of a running game then.

Crazy thing is, after the Wisconsin upset in 93, they'd won 3 straight conference games and it looked like they actually had momentum and might be building something; then they were up late the next week at Illinois and managed to lose, in part due to some creative hometown timekeeping, and after that it was pretty dismal.
 

They were the last team to ever finish 10th in the ten team Big Ten and the 2nd team ever to finish 11th in the Big Ten under Wacker. The biggest lasting achievement of the era was making even modest seasons feel great for the next couple decades.

Plus they wore these in the actual games. All of them.

gettyimages-72349822-1024x1024.jpg
 

xyz1 said:
If only he was as good a coach as he was a person.

Teams were overmatched athletically on defense and couldn't stop anyone. The passing offense gave some teams fits as the college game was still more of a running game then.

Crazy thing is, after the Wisconsin upset in 93, they'd won 3 straight conference games and it looked like they actually had momentum and might be building something; then they were up late the next week at Illinois and managed to lose, in part due to some creative hometown timekeeping, and after that it was pretty dismal.
Click to expand...
That Illinois game was painful. The defense could not make a key stop and some atrocious clock management. His nephew audibled to a pass and it was incomplete, we just needed to run the clock. I wrote him a letter about the and he wrote one back. I considered that to be classy. Go Gophers!
 

Coach Wacker was a terrific human being... very honorable, honest and decent.
And super positive with high energy.

When he first arrived, he talked about the MetroDome being an asset for a wide-open passing attack, where "the conditions were always 72 degrees and dry, with no wind". So he emphasized recruiting and developing offensive skill guys... but, as mentioned above, he achieved only limited success here. I wish it would have worked out better for him and for the program.
 

In 1993 we beat Purdue 59-56, in regulation.

One of the few decent memories of the Wacker era (I was 9 but remember my dad giggling listening to the game on the radio).
 


I also was too young to follow the Gophers for most of Wacker's tenure. From what I've read and watched in replays, though, it seemed like the bigger issue was Wacker not being a Big Ten level coach and lacking sufficient talent/recruiting, rather than the scheme.

Wacker was fired the year before Joe Tiller was hired, and the latter was able to bring a more passing-centric offense to the league with a good deal of success.

As for today, I certainly wouldn't mind seeing the Gophers airing it out. Part of what made 2019 so fun was that pass attack, the catches made during the Penn State game was a blast.

I have to admit, even as a fan of the tough, low-scoring battles, those Big 12 shootouts are a good time, too. TCU had a 55-52 barnburner against Texas Tech in 2015 that was really entertaining.
 

Some guy said:
Literally until wacker Minnesota wasn’t really a team ever thought of as a bottom dweller program.

Gutekunst had two really bad years but was actually 18-30-2 in conference (.36)

Jerry kill was .40 in conference

Wacker won 20% of his conference games. Less than Tim Brewster. Worst coach in the history of the program.
Click to expand...
Smokin Joe Salem would disagree. Don't think Joe Salem won a conference game in 83'. Maybe won one in 82'?
 




IceBoxGopher said:
I was there! Honestly I don't remember the game even being that bad, I think that was mainly because the worst part was the thunderstorm in the second half.
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It was a fun game to watch. Gophers could have called 0 pass plays and still ended up with the same score. The Oline was blocking well and Cobb & Streveler were running all over the place.
 

STPGopher said:
Smokin Joe Salem would disagree. Don't think Joe Salem won a conference game in 83'. Maybe won one in 82'?
Click to expand...
Finishing on the bottom once or twice does not make you a bottom dweller.
When I say bottom dweller I mean a program that people expect to finish at the bottom year after year.

For instance, northwestern has multiple last place finishes the last 6 years but I don’t consider that program a bottom dweller. I do consider Rutgers and Indiana bottom dwellers.


From 1960 to 1990 the gophers had 3 finishes with 0 or 1 conference wins OR a last place finishes.

From 1991 to 1997 this happened 6 times, 4 of which were Wacker’s.


Is my point. Maybe I poorly stated it
 

Some guy said:
Finishing on the bottom once or twice does not make you a bottom dweller.
When I say bottom dweller I mean a program that people expect to finish at the bottom year after year.

For instance, northwestern has multiple last place finishes the last 6 years but I don’t consider that program a bottom dweller. I do consider Rutgers and Indiana bottom dwellers.


From 1960 to 1990 the gophers had 3 finishes with 0 or 1 conference wins OR a last place finishes.

From 1991 to 1997 this happened 6 times, 4 of which were Wacker’s.


Is my point. Maybe I poorly stated it
Click to expand...
I see your point (s). No arguments really. I think I poorly stated that the slide began at the end of the Salem era. Wacker could never get us out. Glad our program has risen from the ashes.
 

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