Too Many Transfers to Overcome

[Gopherchase]

I think it’s clear now that we don’t have a quarterback on the roster that would make it two deeps at any of the Dakota schools. I don’t know what I saw in person last year at Wisconsin, but that quarterback has disappeared and just the weight of his inconsistency makes it real hard for us to put together any semblance of a well played, total football game. That doesn’t excuse our shortcomings on D but we certainly could’ve put 60 on that Purdue defense yesterday.

 

[MaxyJR1]

I think it’s clear now that we don’t have a quarterback on the roster that would make it two deeps at any of the Dakota schools. I don’t know what I saw in person last year at Wisconsin, but that quarterback has disappeared and just the weight of his inconsistency makes it real hard for us to put together any semblance of a well played, total football game. That doesn’t excuse our shortcomings on D but we certainly could’ve put 60 on that Purdue defense yesterday.

It’s a combination of issues. I don’t know how a team that kicks FG’s and protects with 7-8 guys are supposed to score over 60 minutes that much. We were down in the 4th and still protecting with 7. Not hard to cover 3 eligible receivers. We are only do many route with 3 guys to run. Harder to get open and harder to complete passes.

We are made for leading and when we have to chase, we’re not built for it.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

I think this all comes back to the same point - the college football landscape is changing with NIL and the Portal. Is Fleck capable of changing and adapting to the new circumstances?

Fleck wants MN to be a program that recruits and develops HS players. Sounds good in principle. But if you lose X amount of talent to the portal, then you have to at least replace that talent to remain at the same level.

If you lose older players to the portal, then replace them with HS kids who are not ready to play at the college level, that is not an even swap. that is a net loss in talent.

and we are seeing the results on defense. MN needs to hit the portal hard this off-season to bring in DB's and LB's who can play right away at a P5 level.

 

[MaxyJR1]

Even in the portal he likes to get guys that have multiple years left to develop. We may need to hit on some upperclassmen. Being this far out from COVID I’m it sure how much upperclassmen movement there will be going forward.

I think getting a high number of MN HS kids committed to Fleck is a good formula to develop and not fear transfers.

Tall task in roster formulation.

 

[hungan1]

It’s a combination of issues. I don’t know how a team that kicks FG’s and protects with 7-8 guys are supposed to score over 60 minutes that much. We were down in the 4th and still protecting with 7. Not hard to cover 3 eligible receivers. We are only do many route with 3 guys to run. Harder to get open and harder to complete passes.

We are made for leading and when we have to chase, we’re not built for it.

I agree. AK needs a QB coach. Someone who can help maximize his potential and confidence. Losing KC to Rutgers was a big blow. The offense is not delivering. It is fair to question offensive coaching. OTOH, the team depth and talent level are not there. The Gophers need a killer instinct instead of trying to protect a lead. Losing to NW and Illinois should not have happened.

 

[SHGopher]

Against Northwestern, the Gophers secondary was bunched to one side, five guys covering two Northwestern guys. A Northwestern guy on the other side of the field ran free to the endzone for the last second loss.

Against Maryland, the Gophers safety got burned by the Maryland receiver running a speed route to-and-past the Gophers safety that should not be assigned to cover a fast receiver in full speed bomb mode. Gophers lost in last minute on a bomb.

Against Purdue, it was a complete domination against the Gophers defense by a bottom-feeder B1G team. And without a star QB, Gophers can't counter. It was a beat down.

I do not know the Gophers enough to know why the defense is in disarray.


Defense in disarray.

No star QB to win high-scoring slug-fests.

 

[WHB Brewer]

This defense is deflated and has no spares. Too many guys transferred and there were not enough quality replacements.

Add to that the loss of some of the position coaches to other conference opponents, Fleck and Rossi really have their work cut out.

I think the recruiting has been consistent from HS recruiting personnel, but the transfers and loss of quality coaches is obvious now.

Sid is back from the grave!

 

[gopherdudepart2]

Against Northwestern, the Gophers secondary was bunched to one side, five guys covering two Northwestern guys. A Northwestern guy on the other side of the field ran free to the endzone for the last second loss.

Against Maryland, the Gophers safety got burned by the Maryland receiver running a speed route to-and-past the Gophers safety that should not be assigned to cover a fast receiver in full speed bomb mode. Gophers lost in last minute on a bomb.

Against Purdue, it was a complete domination against the Gophers defense by a bottom-feeder B1G team. And without a star QB, Gophers can't counter. It was a beat down.

I do not know the Gophers enough to know why the defense is in disarray.


Defense in disarray.

No star QB to win high-scoring slug-fests.

I think you meant Illinois this year. Purdue Card not a bad QB, he is decent, but with injured Oline he had free reign to do what he wanted.

 

[hungan1]

Even in the portal he likes to get guys that have multiple years left to develop. We may need to hit on some upperclassmen. Being this far out from COVID I’m it sure how much upperclassmen movement there will be going forward.

I think getting a high number of MN HS kids (and WI HS kids - FIFY) committed to Fleck is a good formula to develop and not fear transfers.

Tall task in roster formulation.

Winning more often and sooner and luck in landing more upperclassmen that pan out.

 

[Texan Gopher]

I think Burnsie put it as a situation not unique to Minnesota but that we're particularly susceptible to a positional Portal hit with the heavy recruiting reliance on HS prospects and the fact that we're more a developmental program talent wise.

Right now there is no good answer here for us. The Portal has made "the grass looks greener over there" a reality as now you can hop the proverbial fence over to another pasture. No guarantees on the other side of the fence but you know what you have now and are just not happy.

Grandpa expounding on the Good Ole Days is certainly looking truer in some respects.

With NIL.and the transfer portal, teams like Minnesota, Indiana, etc are never going to have a real chance again.

Can we win 7-9 games a year ? That is our mountain top in today's college game. It is what it is.

I suggest all Gopher fans cheer hard every week, hope for an upset win and bowl game every year...

But, we as fans should find a tier 1 team to cheer for when it comes to playoffs and championships.

Gophers are my wife.

LSU is my side piece going forward.