Two Games Down: How Do You Project the Season?

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Just Beat Western Illinois. We can only hope to be 3-0 by the end of this week.
 

tikited said:
Will be interesting to see if you get called a Negative Nellie for this?
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Nah, I wouldn't do that. Studwell55 just believes he knows more than the coaches. All that makes him is a GopherHole expert and they are a dime a dozen.:rolleyes:
 

Really? Based on what I've seen so far I'd rank it something like this:

#1 Michigan
#2 Ohio State
#3 Northwestern
#4 Wisconsin
 

We know nothing about Gophers except they have struggled to stop the pass.

Stopping the pass was supposed to be a Gophers Defensive strength, so far it has not been against possibly two of the worst FBS programs in college football.
Gophers have big scores against two really horrible programs but have given up a lot of points to these bad football programs. It's very hard to tell if there is any improvement
going on because of the poor quality of the competition. I don't even know if the SJSU game is going to tell us anything if the program is improving, we might have to wait to the Iowa
game to see if there has been any improvement. Right now Gopher offense and Iowa offense look equal, with them having the edge of defense in experience for there front seven especially the linebackers. As bad as Iowa has looked they will be more battle tested then the Gophers and look to have an edge on defense. Not real optimistic about Big10 play for the Gophers, they have made a lot of mistakes against two really bad football teams. Things can get better and obviously the Gophers are young football team so they have time to correct the mistakes. Right now I see the season like this... I hope I am wrong but the only Big 10 game we may be favored in is against Indiana. Gophers have big scores to show for there last two games but not much consistency or strong periods of play. Hopefully the light bulb comes on and they surprise us but right now I don't have a lot of hope for the Big 10 season. That is why they play the games. We need to get a lot better this week
and the next. Defense still plays way to many snaps and the Wide receivers on this team where are they? AJ Barker would still be a starter here if he wasn't a tard. Tight ends are going to have to
make up for lack of wide-outs.

West Ill- W another bad opponent that will tell us nothing.
SJSU - W Gophers will let them hang around and game will be close until the end. Special teams gives Gophers a win.
Iowa- Toss-up this is going to be a tough matchup for the Gophers, unless they can stop the running game Iowa's defense is better than Gophers so I have to give them the slight edge
Michigan- L Sledom win against Michigan and in the Big House usually get blown out, this one is no different.
Northwesters - L We will be competitive this game but for some reason, they edge us out and pull out wins against us a lot.
Nebraska- L Red Hourde will take over TCF with 36,000 + Husker fans again, this will be an ugly loss after starting 0-3
Indiana - W even though we don't usually play well in Bloomington, Indiana is not a very good football team.
Penn State- L Penn States defense is a lot better than the Gopher offense, and that is what separates them in this game, close game but still a loss.
Wisconsin- L Face facts, we have not beaten them since 2004 and they look as good as ever running the football even with the nothing competition. I expect the Skunks will be chopping down the goal posts as usual. This is becoming like the Michigan "rivalry" not at all competitive.
Michigan State W: An offense that is equally bad at the passing game as the Gophers, Gophers can squeak out a win to be bowl eligible.

2-6 Big 10 record get's the Gophers bowl eligible but is that really progress? Gophers will be competitive and play hard but this looks like another year of same old same old
Big10 play.
 

I still think they'll go 7-5. I'm just happy that the program has progressed to a point where fans can bitch about wins instead of bitching about losses.
 


imthewalrus said:
Stay the course: run the ball and stop the run. Indiana didn't force Navy to punt, even one time in their loss to the Midshipmen. They did NOT stop the run. Minnesota managed to stop at least 3 4th down plays in the 2nd half, alone, in their last win. In other years, the other team probably would have picked up 2 or 3 first downs when going for it on fourth down.

Have the two teams the Gophers have beaten been great teams? Of course not. However, how many teams of the two remaining ooc games are great teams? How many of them have no areas of weakness?
And then, the Conference games will begin. How many of the Gopher's Conference foes are great teams? Probably zero. Possibly Michigan. Do they have any areas of weakness? How many are pretty solid teams? PSU, Northwestern, wisky, Nebraska AND MSU. (MSU makes my list beause of their very strong and physical defense.) Nebraska should have a very strong offense. Northwestern and wisky appear to be pretty well-rounded on offense and defense. And PSU is just plain a pretty physical and gutsy team playing with their backs against the wall and a recollection of their will to win. That leaves iowa and Indiana. Do these two teams have a number of suspect areas of their total packages?

Keep playing the quarterback read offense. RUN the ball and STOP the run. Make iowa and Indiana dedicate their defenses to taking away the dive...the trailing pitch-man...the qb option to run...pitch or pass. Get first downs...control the clock...keep our defense off the field. Teams like iowa and Indiana have some strengths...but...they WILL beat themselves if they try to live by the pass. Take away the run from them.

RUN the ball and STOP the run Golden Gophers! Win the NEXT game. It doesn't NEED to be pretty. Just WIN...

; 0 )
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imthewalrus,

I am really scared whenever our offense throws the football. Too many interceptions and too many dropped balls. It is 20/20 hindsight, but its too bad AJ Barker had a meltdown and left the team.

I am also really scared about what NU will do to us with their spread / no huddle offense.

Yet we have two wins against two Division 1 opponents. This is a good thing. So I will hang my hat on that. Hope all is well with you.
 

GopherHomer said:
MNVCGUY said:
People are not thrilled because despite the final score we have not looked good against really really bad teams (UNLV was routed by Arizona last night at home). If you just look at the final score it paints one picture, however if you watch the game you see an offense struggling to get into any sort of rhythm at all and these bottom feeder opponents being allowed to stay in the game far longer then they should.

I did watch the games. How long was New Mexico State "allowed to stay in the game?" We blew the doors off of them to the tune of a 27-7 halftime lead. The yardage difference in the first half was ridiculous (and apparently this is how Gopherholers judge football games). Then, with the game in hand, we coasted to a victory all the while extending the lead in the 2nd half. Oh, and we put up the most rushing yards in the Kill era.

By all accounts, last night the Gophers showed exactly what the negatives were asking for. They physically dominated an inferior opponent and ran the ball down their throats.
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NMSU was down 16 in the third quarter with the ball and driving down the field. Were they ever a huge threat to get back in the game of course not because they were inept in all phases but they were a few plays away from cutting it to a one score deficit in the second half. As for most rushing yards in the Kill era, that's great, going to go out on a limb and say NMSU may have the worst rush defense in division one football given that they have now allowed back to back 350 yard rushing performances but hey it is a pretty stat.

When does it become ok to expect more from the team? When does it become ok to watch the game and expect to see a dominant effort against an inferior team? Some will point to the scoreboard and say we were up 20 in the first half but did anyone really feel watching the game like we were taking them out behind the woodshed and beating the crap out of them? Maybe some of you did, I didn't, what I saw on that field was too below average football teams having a pillow fight for much of the game.

Those two teams we have played so far are possibly the worst teams in D1 football and while we have beaten both soundly on the scoreboard both victories felt far from dominant the way the score might indicate.
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Killjoy said:
Nah, I wouldn't do that. Studwell55 just believes he knows more than the coaches. All that makes him is a GopherHole expert and they are a dime a dozen.:rolleyes:
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That means there is $132 worth of experts on GopherHole?
 




The Gopher's pass defense hasn't looked good, and the run defense gave up 5.7 yards per carry against UNLV. This could be a problem against Big Ten teams like: Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. The team is better than last year, but the schedule is tougher. 6-6
 

IMHO, 5-7|7-5 symmetry pivoting around the SJSU outcome.
 

Dr.Don said:
That means there is $132 worth of experts on GopherHole?
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Your math is correct but I prefer the Master Card saying, i.e. the GopherHole experts are "priceless". For everything else we have Master Card. On the other hand maybe a better saying might be "Talk is cheap."
 

6 Nov 1999 said:
imthewalrus,

I am really scared whenever our offense throws the football. Too many interceptions and too many dropped balls. It is 20/20 hindsight, but its too bad AJ Barker had a meltdown and left the team.

I am also really scared about what NU will do to us with their spread / no huddle offense.



Yet we have two wins against two Division 1 opponents. This is a good thing. So I will hang my hat on that. Hope all is well with you.
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NU in Evanston will be a very interesting game, I think . NU impresses me a lot. Yet, the game most years is pretty competitive. My brother and I will be at that game to cheer our Gophers on. I really enjoy making the journey to NU! Yes, that offense NU runs can create a lot of problems for defenses. Hope we can run the ball well enough to pick up first downs...score touchdowns AND keep NU's offense off the field. Time will tell. All is well here...hope all is well with you this beautiful September! ...may our Gophers pick up their third win on Saturday!
 



You said:

NMSU was down 16 in the third quarter with the ball and driving down the field. Were they ever a huge threat to get back in the game of course not because they were inept in all phases but they were a few plays away from cutting it to a one score deficit in the second half. As for most rushing yards in the Kill era, that's great, going to go out on a limb and say NMSU may have the worst rush defense in division one football given that they have now allowed back to back 350 yard rushing performances but hey it is a pretty stat.

When does it become ok to expect more from the team? When does it become ok to watch the game and expect to see a dominant effort against an inferior team? Some will point to the scoreboard and say we were up 20 in the first half but did anyone really feel watching the game like we were taking them out behind the woodshed and beating the crap out of them? Maybe some of you did, I didn't, what I saw on that field was too below average football teams having a pillow fight for much of the game.

Those two teams we have played so far are possibly the worst teams in D1 football and while we have beaten both soundly on the scoreboard both victories felt far from dominant the way the score might indicate.[/QUOTE]

mvcguy: It really is very ineffective to complain too much about ooc games. WAIT until the Conference Games start IF you want to be a little...or...I suppose, a LOT critical of my Golden Gopher Football Team. It is such HARD work to bash play calling...passing stats....most any kind of complaining loses something when the Gophers are winning by a lot.

Go ahead and panic once the conference season starts. How many conference wins do you think the Gophers will have in 2013? I suppose that any games you think they have a chance to win...if they don't you can go ahead and rant on about your EXPECTATIONS and how let down you personally are.

I think that would be a lot more effective for you. Just don't panic when the Gophers are pounding an "inferior" opponent. You may be showing your true spirit when you come off the way you do...but, don't expect much support from anyone else about how severe the problems are until we get into conference play. Hopefully my Gophers ARE making progress in being competitive against some of the other Conference teams!

; 0 )
 

If you watched the San Jose St game against Stanford ( 34 -13 Stanford ) they really pressured him into bad throws. The kid is a pocket type passer with only average speed and mobility. They've good WR's, Noel Grigsby being the best along with Jabari Carr. Here is the key for the Gophers. The OL allowed 26 sacks last year. They pretty much live by the pass. Fales threw for 4,193 yards and 33 TD's last year in 13 games ( The won the Military Bowl over Bowling Green ) We will beat San Jose State in proably the most entertaining game of the year. I'm still at 7-5
 


Spoofin said:
Really? The teams they have played make UNLV & NMSU look like powerhouses. They may turn out to be, buy Nothing they have shown proves that yet, IMO. Northwestern on the other hand......

I see the Gophs finishing 8-4.
W's against: W.I'll, SJSU, Iowa, Ind, PSU, & either Wi or MSU.
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Neb is vastly over rated. I expect an upset. I also think Northwestern is over rated. They have some talent but so do we. They win a lot of games by just not beating themselves - just like Kill's teams do.

Under rated ? The Gopher defense. Better than last year and only going to get better.
Teams will have a very hard time running on us and the only way they will be able to move the ball is by throwing the short dink and dunk passes. As we saw against UNLV however that type of passing attack is prone to getting picked off.

Gophers go 8-4
 

Interesting take from everyone. There's certainly positives and negatives to take from our first two wins, and I think everyone made a fair prediction/analysis of where we are. I think the worst projection was 4-8 (I assume that includes a win over SJ St and no BT wins), and the best 8-4. Those seem to capture the most likely scenarios.

I do think this team has some upside potential. Our special teams has been great. Our defense has been good, but with lapses - but they've been opportunistic. Our offense has been the shakiest, but they have also shown some glimmers of hope. We can win in non-traditional ways. Most have projected between 5-7 and 7-5, which I believe to be correct. If we win more than 8 games, I think it would be a great testament to the coaching staff and the development they achieve during the season. It certainly looks like we have a lot of toss-up and "we'd be happy to win" games. I certainly hope for the best.

Carry on.
 

I'm still amazed at the people who seem to think the staff is calling these NC like they are nail-biting B1G games or something. Is it not completely obvious that they are tinkering with lineups, straight vanilla playcalling, etc?

On defense in particular, they are routinely playing 22-24 guys on defense in these early games, and that's BEFORE mop-up time. The drive MNVCGUY references, up 16 with NMSU driving? Shede and multiple other starters on the sidelines. Good grief, either that drive or the next one, Y Timms was in most of the time. I still can't hardly watch the Gopher defense without a program to tell who's who.

This is a work in progress and they don't care how pretty it looks. The cream will rise to the too thru the next several weeks and then well see where things are at.

I hope B Boddy is alright. That would be a big concern, he was looking really good
 



hyaluronic said:
My short answer: 6-6

Long Answer: San Jose St is, like many have already stated, going to show where we really stand. This team can beat lesser opponents. They also have upset potential. If we beat San Jose St, I think we will go 3-5 in the BIG, even given our brutal schedule. We finish 7-5. If we lose to San Jose St, I think we go 2-6 in BIG play, and end up 5-7.
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aren't people tired of this excuse? the schedule is what it is. next year they play TCU and Ohio St. so does make the schedule brutaler?

so far the last 2 years they have won games they should have. start winning games they aren't favored in and you might have something. Other than that everything else sounds like and excuse.
 

imthewalrus said:
NU in Evanston will be a very interesting game, I think . NU impresses me a lot. Yet, the game most years is pretty competitive. My brother and I will be at that game to cheer our Gophers on. I really enjoy making the journey to NU! Yes, that offense NU runs can create a lot of problems for defenses. Hope we can run the ball well enough to pick up first downs...score touchdowns AND keep NU's offense off the field. Time will tell. All is well here...hope all is well with you this beautiful September! ...may our Gophers pick up their third win on Saturday!
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imthewalrus,

1. I wish I could join you, your brother, and The Loon at Dyche Stadium on 19 October 2013. I wish I was not in such a $hitty situation, for I would cash in my Amtrak frequent traveler credits and make the journey to Union Station and then take the EL to Evanston. Historically, NU tends to wear our defense out with all their fancy gymnastics. Hope we have finally developed enough of a bench on Defense this year to thwart them. Of course, we need to be able to find time to execute substitution, a challenge anytime we play NU.

2. Three things this year provide some optimism for me. First is the play of our special teams. This has been a very pleasant development. If their performance is sustained during the conference season, then they will probably be responsible for us winning one or two games the pundits project we are to lose. The second interesting improvement is our defense. It is not as marked an improvement as our special teams, but they play stoicly and they manage to force turnovers. Will they keep up this record up once Big Ten play commences? As my good friend Wren used to say, "That is why we play the games." Finally, Rodrick Williams, Jr. is a sledge hammer! Looks like he has potential to be like our old friend #44.

3. I like to think that we don't look good passing because Jerry Kill and Matt Limegrover don't want to open up the play book until Big Ten competition commences. Nevertheless, I am concerned about our passing game, which we did not need in either of our two victories.

4. Time to go to bed. All the best to you and your family.
 

Sounds like the judges aren't giving the Gophers any style points. And we all know it's not enough to win - you gotta get those style points.
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
I'm still amazed at the people who seem to think the staff is calling these NC like they are nail-biting B1G games or something. Is it not completely obvious that they are tinkering with lineups, straight vanilla playcalling, etc?

On defense in particular, they are routinely playing 22-24 guys on defense in these early games, and that's BEFORE mop-up time. The drive MNVCGUY references, up 16 with NMSU driving? Shede and multiple other starters on the sidelines. Good grief, either that drive or the next one, Y Timms was in most of the time. I still can't hardly watch the Gopher defense without a program to tell who's who.

This is a work in progress and they don't care how pretty it looks. The cream will rise to the too thru the next several weeks and then well see where things are at.

I hope B Boddy is alright. That would be a big concern, he was looking really good
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I agree that it might be vanilla, but how much does an offense change from year to year with the same coordinator?
 


Yep, its hard to predict, we'll have to play the games. I get the feeling that people think that nothing will change from what has happened so far. The season is young. My guess is that:
1) by the time we play MSU their offense will not resemble the one that has played the 1st 2 games,
2) our special teams have played well, but they will lay an egg in at least one game
3) our passing attack will greatly improve
4) we will have a wide receiver emerge and make some big plays
5) That being said, I'll go with 6-6. If Kill gets us to 8 wins he is one heck of a coach.
 


What I got:

Western Ill: Win
SJSU: Win
Iowa: Win
@ Michigan: Loss
@ Northwestern: Loss
vs Nebraska: Loss
@ Indiana: Loss
vs Penn State: Win
vs Wisconsin: Loss
@ Michigan State: Loss

We finish 6-6 (2-6). In order of confidence to win, I'd put it something like:

1. Western Illinois
2. Iowa
3. SJSU
4. Penn State
5. @ Indiana
6. @ Michigan State
7. Nebraska
8. Wisconsin
9. @ Northwestern
10. @ Michigan
 


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