Iceland12
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2008
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First NOT a Rose Bowl. We should NEVER expect that. It's been 50 years since they've played in a post New Year's Day Bowl game. Fifty-years. How about a post New Year's Bowl? During the last 50 years the number of post New Year's Day Bowl games has escalated. Now finishing 2nd, 3rd maybe even 4th in the Big Ten can get you into one. The Gophers haven't gotten to one yet and we shouldn't have expected that either. Anybody who has sprung for Season Tickets prior to 2008 and still has them wasn't expecting that. Hell, anybody who has had tickets for 15 years plus should be considered a GD Gopher HERO or judged to have major psychological problems. NONE of those people expected a New Year's Bowl. If you've been a Season Ticket holder since at least the Wacker years not only didn't you expect a 9-10 win Season, what you saw Saturday is something that you've seen DOZENS of times through the years.
Cubs Fans have NOTHING on us when it comes to loyalty. Those of us that sat through that crap IN THE RAIN Saturday would say this though: Cubs fans might have us on brains.
What should we expect? How about expecting a Center to get the ball to the QB? How about that? Is that expecting to much? How many exchanges were botched on Saturday? 1 or 2 okay, things happen, but 4 or 5? That's just plain unacceptable. Don't keep telling us how your coaching "the fun-dee-men-tals" show us on the field. The snap should get to the QB and he shouldn't drop it. That's what we should expect.
How about expecting an interception? The D-Backs have played pretty well, but how about turning around to look for the BALL! College Coaches have been coaching the "play the receiver not the ball" for quite awhile now. A version of "bend not break". Stop the catch or strip the ball, don't turn and look for it. It's to stop the "big gain" or a TD. Had a chance to ask David Gibbs about it when he was coaching for Mason. The call screener at KFAN said he wouldn't allow me to ask the question. He laughed and said that D-Backs "don't do that kind of stuff", but he let me through anyway.
What did Gibbs say? "Yeah we coach 'um to do that!" Pretty feisty about it too. He said they were more interested in making sure the pass didn't go for a TD than trying and missing an interception. Shabazz was fun to watch because he'd look for the ball and go for it. Saturday there were two instances where the DB was almost hit by the Pass. On the Pass Interference call on Troy he not only wouldn't have been penalized he would have made the INT if he would have just turned and looked for the ball! That may be on the players but it's a better chance it's on the coaches.
How about a QB who can complete a pass to an OPEN Receiver? An OPEN Receiver! From the last couple years under Mason, through Brewster's tenure and last year Gopher faithful thought guy's getting open only happened for the other team, but now guys in Gopher uniforms are actually getting open. The problem is Gray for 4 Quarters in Las Vegas and after that Shortell, can't hit them in a spot where they can catch it. That's been going on since the Western Michigan game by the way. Shortell's "catchers" bailed him out a few times in that game and ever since we've heard how they "need to make that catch". How about leading a receiver, not making him reach back for it? Or zipping a pass to them instead of making them wait, during which time the Defender can close the gap and either knock the ball away or level the receiver. Gray seems to throw a more "catchable" ball than Max does. That's damn surprising when the consensus seems to be that Max is a much better passer.
Those who critics who are upset with the conservative play calling should consider the possibility that the Coaches just don't trust their QB to make the throws. Shortell being the Passer that were constantly told he is. That's what I'd like to see. He LOOKS like a QB sure, and moves like one as well, now he needs to throw like one too.
Prior to the season 6 wins and a Bowl Game seemed about right no matter HOW many times the staff tried to lower expectations. What hurt the last couple of weeks has been the performance of the team not their lack of talent. The Offense, in the 1st Half at least, didn't give them a chance against Iowa. Then a bunch of self-inflicted wounds buried them against the Wildcats. Make no mistake, as others have pointed out, this isn't the injury depleted team that limped to a 7-6 finish under Brewster. It isn't the constantly over-matched team from the last couple of years either. We should be able to expect them to minimize their mistakes and then if they get beat so be it.
If they do that and Gray gets healthy or Max plays the way his supporters constantly have told us he can then 2 or even 3 mores wins could/should be there.
Oh, and Middle Linebackers, or just SOME Linebackers in the Middle of the field. THAT shouldn't be to much to expect should it?
Cubs Fans have NOTHING on us when it comes to loyalty. Those of us that sat through that crap IN THE RAIN Saturday would say this though: Cubs fans might have us on brains.
What should we expect? How about expecting a Center to get the ball to the QB? How about that? Is that expecting to much? How many exchanges were botched on Saturday? 1 or 2 okay, things happen, but 4 or 5? That's just plain unacceptable. Don't keep telling us how your coaching "the fun-dee-men-tals" show us on the field. The snap should get to the QB and he shouldn't drop it. That's what we should expect.
How about expecting an interception? The D-Backs have played pretty well, but how about turning around to look for the BALL! College Coaches have been coaching the "play the receiver not the ball" for quite awhile now. A version of "bend not break". Stop the catch or strip the ball, don't turn and look for it. It's to stop the "big gain" or a TD. Had a chance to ask David Gibbs about it when he was coaching for Mason. The call screener at KFAN said he wouldn't allow me to ask the question. He laughed and said that D-Backs "don't do that kind of stuff", but he let me through anyway.
What did Gibbs say? "Yeah we coach 'um to do that!" Pretty feisty about it too. He said they were more interested in making sure the pass didn't go for a TD than trying and missing an interception. Shabazz was fun to watch because he'd look for the ball and go for it. Saturday there were two instances where the DB was almost hit by the Pass. On the Pass Interference call on Troy he not only wouldn't have been penalized he would have made the INT if he would have just turned and looked for the ball! That may be on the players but it's a better chance it's on the coaches.
How about a QB who can complete a pass to an OPEN Receiver? An OPEN Receiver! From the last couple years under Mason, through Brewster's tenure and last year Gopher faithful thought guy's getting open only happened for the other team, but now guys in Gopher uniforms are actually getting open. The problem is Gray for 4 Quarters in Las Vegas and after that Shortell, can't hit them in a spot where they can catch it. That's been going on since the Western Michigan game by the way. Shortell's "catchers" bailed him out a few times in that game and ever since we've heard how they "need to make that catch". How about leading a receiver, not making him reach back for it? Or zipping a pass to them instead of making them wait, during which time the Defender can close the gap and either knock the ball away or level the receiver. Gray seems to throw a more "catchable" ball than Max does. That's damn surprising when the consensus seems to be that Max is a much better passer.
Those who critics who are upset with the conservative play calling should consider the possibility that the Coaches just don't trust their QB to make the throws. Shortell being the Passer that were constantly told he is. That's what I'd like to see. He LOOKS like a QB sure, and moves like one as well, now he needs to throw like one too.
Prior to the season 6 wins and a Bowl Game seemed about right no matter HOW many times the staff tried to lower expectations. What hurt the last couple of weeks has been the performance of the team not their lack of talent. The Offense, in the 1st Half at least, didn't give them a chance against Iowa. Then a bunch of self-inflicted wounds buried them against the Wildcats. Make no mistake, as others have pointed out, this isn't the injury depleted team that limped to a 7-6 finish under Brewster. It isn't the constantly over-matched team from the last couple of years either. We should be able to expect them to minimize their mistakes and then if they get beat so be it.
If they do that and Gray gets healthy or Max plays the way his supporters constantly have told us he can then 2 or even 3 mores wins could/should be there.
Oh, and Middle Linebackers, or just SOME Linebackers in the Middle of the field. THAT shouldn't be to much to expect should it?
