What would Jerry Kill's record have been this year...

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John Galt

John Galt

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it's purely hypothetical, but if Kill was still the head coach, Claeys the DC, Limegrover the OC, what is our record?

My best guess: 8-4

Why I find this interesting to think about is would there be the same desire to move on from Jerry Kill after an 8-4 season as there is with Claeys? My opinion is that few if any would be pushing to fire Kill because he was likable and had cred from rebuilding the program. Even though the questions about whether he could bring us to the next level would be just as relevant as they are now, he would get the benefit of the doubt even after 6 years.
 


It all gets back to this question: what is an acceptable level of success for Gopher Football?

If an 8-win season and a mid-level bowl game is an acceptable level of success, then you should be happy.

Maybe the Gophers will never be better than this. Maybe there is no coach or AD alive or dead who could turn the U of MN into a stronger FB program again. I don't know.

But, if this is it - if this is the best it will ever be, then let's get used to it. If you dream of steak, but all you ever get to eat is meatloaf, then stop dreaming of steak. You'll only drive yourself insane. Or you could start drinking heavily. (I tried that - didn't end well.)
 

Kill would be in his sixth year, but with the same offense and QB problems all six years. Mason developed 8 All-Americans in ten years, this regime one in 6 years and he went pro after his sophomore year. Mason generally clobbered the weaker teams on his schedule after the first year or two, Kill/Claeys struggles with them. Mason went 10-3 his 7th season - hard to see 2017 in that light. Yet Mason would probably have never reached the heights. Recruiting is probably the key for Claeys, starting at QB. But he needs an OC with more imagination, too.
 

Hard to say with all the injuries on the O-line, but my guess is 9-3, maybe 10-2. My guess is we'd still lose to Wisconsin and Nebraska for sure. We played so poorly against Iowa that I don't think it would have mattered who was coach.
 




MNGoldenGophers1 said:
The bigger question is what would have been Mason's?
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This season is similar to Mason's 2003 season where they beat every team they were supposed to beat and lost to every team that was ranked. That Gopher team was 9-3 (before the bowl). Yes we beat Penn State (3-9) and Wisconsin (7-6) that year, but neither of them was very good that year.
 




10-2. One of the things I was impressed with when Kill and Co. came on board was the good adjustments at halftime; especially on defense with Claeys at the helm (the opposite with Brewster and even Mason). Wisconsin is still a loss because it was a different issue (4 interceptions by the QB don't help). But our defense got gashed by big plays in the 2nd half against Penn State, Iowa and Nebraska. I think two of those, probably Penn State and Iowa, could have been wins.
 


Hard season to evaluate. Certainly frustrating not to beat any "good" teams, all the more so given second half leads in all 4 losses. But, 8-0 against teams outside the top 25 is actually an achievement in my book too. I think people that are taking that for granted should consider almost every other season in recent memory.
 

Panthadad2 said:
10-2. One of the things I was impressed with when Kill and Co. came on board was the good adjustments at halftime; especially on defense with Claeys at the helm (the opposite with Brewster and even Mason). Wisconsin is still a loss because it was a different issue (4 interceptions by the QB don't help). But our defense got gashed by big plays in the 2nd half against Penn State, Iowa and Nebraska. I think two of those, probably Penn State and Iowa, could have been wins.
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Totally agree with your comment on adjustments. That said, think it's fair to note that we started games poorly pretty consistently under Kill as well, a trend that was mostly reversed this year. Almost opposite sides of the same coin. Obviously the goal would be to start well and make good adjustements when needed - not breaking any news there.
 



One thing that would have been different with Kill is attendance. The Northwestern game was embarrassing from a crowd standpoint. There is no excitement with this team. Holtz had less talent than this group, but the excitement about the program was off the charts.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
 

Best case would have been 8-4 and most likely would have been worse. I don't see Kill as the difference in any of the games that we lost and I could see him dropping one that we won due to overly conservative play-calling, etc. That said, I think Kill would be able to out recruit TC which means better teams in the future.

I don't see Kill as some great football genius. He was a good turn around guy and a good guy to build the foundation of the program into a middling team in the B1G. He accomplished both of those things but I think he hit his ceiling regardless of the health issues. In that way, I see TC as the extension of Kill so the decision on his future really is a philosophical one - are we happy with a ceiling at 8-4 or perhaps 9-3? We would be having the same exact conversation if Kill was still in charge.

I don't think TC will be fired - at most - he won't get extended and then be able to use that as an excuse for the recruiting class, etc (somewhat justified). While I would love for a true superstar coach to come here, I don't see that as realistic. Also, I think TC will go 8-4 or 7-5 for as many years as we let him stay - and that is an accomplishment still even with the watered down B1G. So, I am indifferent as to what the AD does....just please do not bring in Brewster 2.0.
 

8-4.
6-6 with Kiffin.


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Great Plains Gopher said:
Kill would be in his sixth year, but with the same offense and QB problems all six years. Mason developed 8 All-Americans in ten years, this regime one in 6 years and he went pro after his sophomore year. Mason generally clobbered the weaker teams on his schedule after the first year or two, Kill/Claeys struggles with them. Mason went 10-3 his 7th season - hard to see 2017 in that light. Yet Mason would probably have never reached the heights. Recruiting is probably the key for Claeys, starting at QB. But he needs an OC with more imagination, too.
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Apparently, Limegrover HAD imagination, he either chose not to use it most of the time (some games he was absolutely brilliant, others it was like watching paint dry), or he was told not to use it most of the time. Either way, Penn State's offense under Limegrover is one of the best offenses in college football; and Northern Illinois' was not too shabby prior to Kill coming to the Gophers.

This may lead back to the QB position and who they have been playing there. The Limegrover offense is predicated on a dual-threat QB who can roll out of the pocket and make defenses pay with his feet with the read option running game. Neither Weber nor Leidner ever was much of that type of threat, however. Going back to other threads on similar topics, I place the problems on the feet of the coaches, who have not utilized a dual-threat QB in the lineup other than Nelson - who they also benched - and [sometimes] Gray (when he could throw and hold onto the ball).
 


8-4. I don't see much difference, other than Kill is a better PR/rah-rah guy, and Claeys is more of a cerebral football strategist. I think the team is better off without Limegrover as OC - I found the offense under him extremely frustrating. Most of the offensive woes this season seemed to be player error (Leidner yesterday) rather than bad coaching. You can't make Mitch not throw 4 INT's. My biggest concern going forward is not with Claeys as an x's and o's coach, but his ability to recruit. Kill could make someone excited. Hell so could Brewster, bad a coach as he was. Tracy doesn't have that in him that I see, and while I think he's a good coach, that's only part of the job as a major college head coach.
 

discochris said:
8-4. I don't see much difference, other than Kill is a better PR/rah-rah guy, and Claeys is more of a cerebral football strategist. I think the team is better off without Limegrover as OC - I found the offense under him extremely frustrating. Most of the offensive woes this season seemed to be player error (Leidner yesterday) rather than bad coaching. You can't make Mitch not throw 4 INT's. My biggest concern going forward is not with Claeys as an x's and o's coach, but his ability to recruit. Kill could make someone excited. Hell so could Brewster, bad a coach as he was. Tracy doesn't have that in him that I see, and while I think he's a good coach, that's only part of the job as a major college head coach.
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Jerry would have coached the team to at least 1 more win. I cannot prove any of this but good coaches get at least 1 win per season via coaching.
 

6-6. JK would have had more seizures and the kids would be more worried about his health than playing football. See 2015.
 



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