When The Final Score Is Posted

Donate To GopherHole
husker70

husker70

Active member
Joined
Nov 21, 2008
Messages
6,090
Reaction score
0
Points
36
High above TCF Bank Stadium

It will read

Gophers 17 Vistors 28

I have struggled with script. In past incarnations I have the Gophers struggling on offense but pulling out a win. This will be as ugly as it can get. Northwestern will stuff the running game and make Adam Weber beat them. At the same time their passing game lights up the secondary. Its an easy win for the Wildcats, and few fans will be left for the fourth quarter.
 

20-17 Gophers and most of the little amount of fans that show up will still be there in the 4th quarter
 



Gophers: 45
Wildcats: 21

Adam Weber starts off strong then falters and gets injured. Gray comes in to replace Weber and Gray performs like Denard Robinson. In the end this disheartens the wildcats and they never recover to gain some momentum.
 



Can't stop anyone, can't score TD's in the red zone, this will be a lot like last week's game. 38-20. But we'll win in T.O.P because we "pound the rock."
 

I have thought from the get go, that this was probably our second toughest game. Not that the wildcats are the second best team on our schedule, just that the matchup is all wrong. I don't like it.

I'm expecting us to give up three big plays at least. I think NW scores 45. Our O is definitely improved, so maybe we keep up? I don't think we're quite there yet. So....

45 -34

But we kill in TOP. :)
 

Since everyone is marking it down as a loss, I guess I'll do the contrarian thing and predict a 44-38 Gopher win. This one is going to make prexy B go crazy! He won't sleep for weeks trying to decide if this win is a reason to keep the coach in place for 2011 or whether to go ahead and terminate the coach prior to the naming of the new prexy, in spite of his own lame duck status. (He has announced that he is stepping down in June of 2011, just in case some aren't aware of that.) This entire prexy thing really complicates matters. In fact, it may be the very best thing that the coach has going right now.

I would say that more important than the final outcome will be the size of the crowd, the behavior of the crowd and the number of fans in the stands during the final five minutes of the fourth quarter.

Student section chants could play a key role in the prexy's read of the situation. "...every picture tells a story..." and in the fourth quarter, "...the sounds of silence..." could certainly be a dedicated chapter in the saga of the 2010 Big Ten season for the Golden Gopher Football Program.

I want a win though, so, I will say: Gophers 44 NU 38. A win would be GREAT for our Gopher Players. It wouldn't hurt my spirits at all either.

The real question of the day is: "Will prexy b be in the house for the game, or does he have a prior committment?"
 



The Gophers will have no answer to Persa and he could easily build on his unreal 80% completion and 185 Pass Efficiency rating.

NU 45-Gophers 27
 


Y'all are like the people who text in to say we will be down at the end of the 3rd quarter. /pout.

Gophers 44 - Cats 43
 




Northwestern 35, Gophers 24

There's no way the Gophs secondary can slow down the patented NW passing attack, especially against the quick passes on 3-step drops they love to use...they will score TDs, not field goals. Ellestad misses another FG in the first half, and the Gophers are a step behind the rest of the way, just like they've been at home all year long.

But the Homecoming Tailgate will make it much more tolerable.
 

NU 37 UM 20

These two programs have certainly gone in different directions since we beat them in their place last year. Our "clean slate" lasts only one week. Yet afterwards there is still a feeling that we are somewhat close to being 5-0.
 

There is no way we are going to win this game. Northwestern is a lot better team then people are gving them credit for. Their defense is pretty good and their passing attack will give us fits. Of all the Big Ten teams Northwestern is the team that will improve the most during the course of the season. I think they are the darkhorse canidate in the Big Ten this year. Their schedule is pretty easy not playing Michigan or OSU. Some of the better Big Ten teams they play at home, so winning the Big Ten this year is not unrealistic for Northwestern.

This game will not even be close. Fans will really be frustrated at the end of the game becaue it will get ugly. 54-21 Northwestern in a blow out. I actually think we'll win some games this year but not on Saturday. Northwestern's style of play will give us fits. Sorry but we have no shot on Saturday.
 

Gophers HAVE to win this game, but realistically it's hard to see them stopping the Cats' QB (80% completions so far this year). Still, hoping against hope, Gopher 38, Cats 37.
 

I'm pretty sure right now the Cats football team is rocking out to Gucci Mane - Wasted. I have a spy taking pics.

when_cats_go_bad.jpg


Don't underestimate the hangover effect. That is an advantage to the Gophs!
 

The Wildcats will try to match the Gophers "pound the rock" mentality and pass only 8 times. The game will be tied 0-0 late in the 4th. The Gophers will punt from mid-field downing it at the 2. After 3 fullback dives up the middle and only gaining a yard, NW punts with just :10 left. Bryant Allen calls a fair catch at the 45 with just a few seconds left. Ellestad will trot out there and kick the fair catch kick through the uprights for a 3-0 win.
 


Gophers 27
NW 16

Troy S has a triumphant debut in the secondary, trying to save Brewster's job.
 

Gophers 24
NW 20

We use more Nickel with Stoudermire, and it works.
 


Remember 2 things.

One, Northwestern plays a OOC schedule so soft the Gophers might have been able to go undefeated against it. This is why Northwestern has done better against Wisconsin/Iowa than against Minnesota recently. The Gophers are usually the first team with Big Ten size or speed that the 'Cats play. If Minnesota improves at all this will be a good game.

I'm thinking this one gets wild. Gophers win 31-30. Under pressure from Brew Horton opens up the offense and Northwestern's truly awful secondary gets lit up like a Christmas tree. Northwestern returns the favor and this one comes down to TOs and STs. Minnesota has a better return game and I think that and a couple key TOs will be the difference.
 

NU 31
Minnesota 21

Drake Dunsmore gives the gophers problems all day.
 

Brewster - can you say 0-1

Northwestern 49
Gophers 17

Couldn't stop South Dakota or NIU offenses - how are we going to stop Northwestern's?
 


Last time Northwestern beat the Gophers by more than 7 points, Pat Fitzgerald was their starting LB.

Game Prediction
Northwestern-34
Minnesota-30

Bold Prediction
If Minnesota loses, Brewster's gone. (Not saying I agree with the decision that this game should be the end all, be all....just a prediction that a loss will trigger it).
 

Score: Wildcats 45
Gophers 32 another last second TD form Gray to ?.
 

Gophers 27
Northwestern 21

Bennett 18-125-1
Weber 20-35-265-2
Gray 7-115-1
McKnight 5-60-1
Ellestad 2-3 (28,41)
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom