WHY SATURDAY IS SO IMPORTANT

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Curseislifted33

Curseislifted33

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This may be a non-conference game, and future B1G match ups will probably take the cake but I cannot recall a recent game that was more of a gauge in the overall status of the Gopher Football Program than this Saturday night’s showdown with ‘Cuse. It is a MAJOR test for everyone involved with the team and will show where each component of the Gopher Football program stands at the moment. We are undefeated at 3-0, it is a night game, fans have all day to tailgate and get their chili hot, we have a lot of very talented recruits on campus for both football and basketball, and we are facing a recognized and respected AQ team. It is a legitimate test of where we stand in terms of talent on the field, coaching abilities, fan and general public support, and arguably most importantly the university’s dedication and vision for the future of the team.

I will attempt to not over-state the importance of a single game, but I can’t stop thinking about how many impactful and positive results that can come from a strong performance on and off the field this Saturday night.

On the field, we will see the coaching staff’s ability to adjust and maintain high-level execution on the offensive side of the ball without our leader, who happens to also be the most skilled and dangerous offensive weapon we have. This will be the most talented team we have played thus far and Syracuse’s offense will present our defense with a chance to prove they are legitimately improved along the D-line and in the secondary in terms of shutting down a potent passing attack.

Hopefully TCF will be sold out and rockin. The $10 dollar promotion was IMO a great idea because it gives the non-diehard fan a chance to experience first-hand all the awesomeness that is attending and rooting for the home state Gophers in a game at TCF Bank Stadium. The current situations of the Twins, Vikings, and the locked out Wild only present more opportunities for the Gopher Football team to capature new fans. There is no comparable advantage to having an energetic, rowdy, and enthusiastic crowd in support of Kill and co. The Gophers realizing a true 12th man advantage during the only night game of the season can provide us with an edge we have more often than not been lacking at the bank and will undoubtedly give us a better chance to get that ‘W’.

If you doubt the impact the fan support can have on the success of the Gopher Football team, I would like to say it effects the short-term successes in terms of disrupting the opposing team on key plays and energizing our own team but also in the long run through recruiting.

I have a very specific example for this Saturday’s game to prove the latter, and it comes from a big time WR recruit named Hunter Jarmon who is officially visiting the Gophers for the game all the way from Texas. He has 10+ BCS offers so he has his choice of where to play college ball, but in a recent interview with GopherIllustrated, when asked about what he was looking forward to on his visit this was his reply:

“I am really looking forward to seeing the fan support. I want to see how involved the students are. That is really important to me because I believe in the 12th man. I think it can help you either win or a lose a game.”

Any college coach will tell you that recruiting is the life-blood of a college football program, so to ensure the future success of the Gophers we need to get talented recruits to commit to our current classes to make that happen. Like Jarmon stated, recruits make decisions based off impressions made during their visits and this Saturday’s game against Syracuse has the potential to be a big recruiting weekend for all of the teams encompassing Gopher Sports.

We as fans need to control what we can, which is to make sure we have a positive impact on winning the game on Saturday night and just as importantly showing that the future of Gopher Football is supported by a loyal, passionate, and dedicated fan base which will enable success on the field and also provide for a memorable experience for the fans.

I know the Coaching staff and players are up to the challenge, the question is are you???


LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
 

Great post! If the Gophs do lose, however, it's still only one game and an upset later on would regain the momentum. Nevertheless, this is the most important game of the non conference schedule. SKI - U - MAH!
 

This game is certainly important but before we go all overboard viewing it as a program changing event remember that Brew had the team off to a great start in 2008 and took the team to a bowl in 2009. Real tangible improvement will be seen when we are relevant in the Big Ten picture again. Winning early season games is great, getting to bowl games is great, but to turn the corner, I mean really turn the corner we need to at the very least get back to Mason levels and then push our way into that upper tier.

I love the enthusiasm but let's not lose sight of the big picture because you site all the positives that can come from a win on Saturday, so where does that leave us if we lose?
 

Good post, you laid out your position in well thought out manner. It's no doubt a big recruiting weekend, but I actually think it's the least important game of the year. The first three wins were critical because they were expected. If we would have lost one of those games, the general public would have looked and it said, "See, same old Gophers." Syracuse is a similar program to the Gophers, we're starting our back-up QB, and our 3rd best CB is out. As long as the game is relatively close, I don't see much harm in a loss, comparing this game to others. Whether we're 4-0 or 3-1, Iowa is huge the following weekend because it's a Big Ten game, a rival, a team we've beaten twice up here, and a school we directly recruit against. To put it another way, I'd prefer a win over Iowa, or any Big Ten team for that matter, to a victory over Syracuse. But it's still the next game up, I'll be there, and I'm excited to see how we play.
 

I liked the post. Every game is the most important, but I would love to have momentum going into B1G play.
 


Agree...most important non-conference game ever at TCF.....the only other two that were maybe a little significant were Air Force and Cal.

We need to impress the recruits with a W!
 

Parski1 said:
Agree...most important non-conference game ever at TCF.....the only other two that were maybe a little significant were Air Force and Cal.

We need to impress the recruits with a W!
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I'd say Air Force was more significant as opening up the stadium with an "L" would have been really bad. History will always mention the first game played in a stadium and I am really glad that was a "W". I am sure it was just an oversight, but I think the USC game was the second most significant non-conference game at TCF. A win in that game would have done more for the program than any other non-conference game we've had going back much further than TCF.

The results of this seasons Big Ten games will tell us much more about the state of the program than a win over a Syracuse team that lost at home to Northwestern and doesn't have a D-1 win this year. A loss, while starting a backup QB, isn't the end of the world either. I'd like to see a minimum of 3 Big Ten wins and no 50 point blowouts this season.

I love the passion in the original post though and hope the team/coaches prepare for every game like it is the most important game.
 

I agree with the posters that the program's future success is not necessarily dependent upon a win Saturday, but we should look at this game as an opportunity to sell the program to casual fans and to recruits. This has the potential to be the next big building block for the program. I don't think of it as a must-win in that the team should feel intense pressure to win but as a great opportunity to showcase the steps the program is taking.
 

This is a must win. It is the only game we have THIS week. It is a chance to keep winning. The more you win, the more it becomes an expectation. The opposite is also true. To Be 4-0 going into the Big 10 Season, puts Minnesota on the regional map. BEAT SYRACUSE!!!!!!
 



"The current situations of the Twins, Vikings, and the locked out Wild only present more opportunities for the Gopher Football team to capature new fans." This can't be true. I've been told forcefully many times by contributors here that UM is not influenced in any way by the fact that we have four major pro franchises in town.
 

Every game is critical if the program is to improve. Most importantly is our final record and that is what most recruits will focus on.
 

It seems there were many of us who said we would sweep the non-conference segment ( including me) While I think this game is a giant baby step it by no means has the ramification of the Friday night Michigan game under Mason several years ago. I remember being on the road that week and as I was walking in the airport to my gate with my Gopher hat on I heard several " Go Gopher's"!!
That Friday they had the biggest walkup sale in the history of Gopher football at the Dome. The crowd was electrified. The loss, and the way we lost completely burst the bubble of the football program capturing the state of Minnesota. I love the passion of the OP, but this game while important, is not going change the overall perception of Gopher football with the minions. A loss
this early in the Kill rebuilding process to most "Gopher " fans would be: " Well, you have to take 2 steps backwards to take on step forward " A win, is like I said. A giant babystep.
Boys, this is Syracuse not Michigan. Go Gopher's !
 

Beating Syracuse will be HUGE for us (Us = all of the die hard fans). Beating Syracuse won't do much of anything for the rest of the population of Minnesota. The rest of them will need something much, much bigger to even get a raised eyebrow. Just the way it is.
 



This game is a big opportunity. I don't think we've seen the Gophers really put it all together yet. There' most definitely signs of them playing much mor like a cohesive team, and the win against New Hampshire was solid, but against a weaker opponent is tough to guage.

If the Gophers play a solid well-ronded game I think they win. A 7-10 point win with few penalties, turnovers, and an ability to control the ball late (convert 3rd downs) would be a nice step forward.
 

It has taken 3 weeks, but a night game against a BCS opponent is finally starting to move the sports needle. Not only in the Twin Cities, but specifically on campus too...

http://www.mndaily.com/2012/09/20/gophers’-saturday-night-lights-generate-excitement-campus

I agree this is a sort of 'crossroads' where the crowd sizes and enthusiasm for the team will either bloom, or shrink right back down the hole it has emerged from. The game is huge in the war for casual fans, and ongoing stadium atmosphere. With each win, more casual fans take notice. The timing couldn't be better for a night game. But with opportunity comes risk. If the Gophers go down Saturday night, it will be "see I told you" and back to regularly scheduled programming for the masses.
 

ruppertflywheel said:
It seems there were many of us who said we would sweep the non-conference segment ( including me) While I think this game is a giant baby step it by no means has the ramification of the Friday night Michigan game under Mason several years ago. I remember being on the road that week and as I was walking in the airport to my gate with my Gopher hat on I heard several " Go Gopher's"!!
That Friday they had the biggest walkup sale in the history of Gopher football at the Dome. The crowd was electrified. The loss, and the way we lost completely burst the bubble of the football program capturing the state of Minnesota. I love the passion of the OP, but this game while important, is not going change the overall perception of Gopher football with the minions. A loss
this early in the Kill rebuilding process to most "Gopher " fans would be: " Well, you have to take 2 steps backwards to take on step forward " A win, is like I said. A giant babystep.
Boys, this is Syracuse not Michigan. Go Gopher's !
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NOooo why did you bring up the Michigan loss under Mason?? I won't be able to sleep now! The highlights of that game are like the Bill Buckner play for Red Sox fans. It just hurts every time.
 

Like the post!

ALL the die hard fans need to understand we need to show up, be loud, represent, etc. at every game because THERE ARE IMPORTANT RECRUITS AT EVERY GAME. Remember these are kids that haven't had a lot of life experience. It doesn't take much to "WOW" them with atmosphere or fall short by comparison to others. That's why it befuddles me that some on here purposely go against the grain...see "gold out" post.

THE CULTURE OF OUR FANS NEEDS TO BE CHANGED! I'm glad to see some of the grass roots efforts this board is attempting!!!!!
 

John Galt said:
Good post, you laid out your position in well thought out manner. It's no doubt a big recruiting weekend, but I actually think it's the least important game of the year. The first three wins were critical because they were expected. If we would have lost one of those games, the general public would have looked and it said, "See, same old Gophers." Syracuse is a similar program to the Gophers, we're starting our back-up QB, and our 3rd best CB is out. As long as the game is relatively close, I don't see much harm in a loss, comparing this game to others. Whether we're 4-0 or 3-1, Iowa is huge the following weekend because it's a Big Ten game, a rival, a team we've beaten twice up here, and a school we directly recruit against. To put it another way, I'd prefer a win over Iowa, or any Big Ten team for that matter, to a victory over Syracuse. But it's still the next game up, I'll be there, and I'm excited to see how we play.
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B1G games are important, but I think you are absolutely wrong about this weekend's game given the first statement in bold. I believe this game is HUGE for the program. This game truly show us if the defense is as good as they have looked thus far. A win would give the program tons of momentum going into B1G play. That includes energizing the fans, bringing them back to the Bank instead of sitting on their couching and switching the channel once an opponent scores a TD. Buzz is generated, peaking the interest of recruits. Students come to the game even if they are still hungover from the night before and keep partying.

But more importantly, a win puts confidence in the players, the coaches, the boosters, the AD, regents, Kaler, and the players' trust in Kill. That momentum being 4-0 for the first time in years (heck, even having 4 wins period for the first time in years) goes with them to Iowa. We have to play an Iowa team that looks like it's defense is pretty tough. I believe a win vs. the Orange gives our young Gophers squad the energy they need to get over any adversity they face at Kinnick and legitimately defend Floyd from being stolen by the Hawkeyes.

I would always prefer wins over every B1G team. I just don't think we get there with out proving that we can beat a team that nearly gave NW a loss to start the season (and we have seen how much NW has proven itself compared to the rest of the conference). As John Madden would put it "40% of the game is 100% mental" .....thanks John.
 

Schnauzer said:
It has taken 3 weeks, but a night game against a BCS opponent is finally starting to move the sports needle. Not only in the Twin Cities, but specifically on campus too...

http://www.mndaily.com/2012/09/20/gophers’-saturday-night-lights-generate-excitement-campus

I agree this is a sort of 'crossroads' where the crowd sizes and enthusiasm for the team will either bloom, or shrink right back down the hole it has emerged from. The game is huge in the war for casual fans, and ongoing stadium atmosphere. With each win, more casual fans take notice. The timing couldn't be better for a night game. But with opportunity comes risk. If the Gophers go down Saturday night, it will be "see I told you" and back to regularly scheduled programming for the masses.
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Well said Schnauzer.

Us GHers are fickle....the casual fan is much more fickler!!
 

I can't say this game is that big to tell you the truth, not with Iowa coming up the following week. Lose to Syracuse and beat Iowa no one will remember the loss to a Big East opponent. I think this game is big in the term of trying to go 4-0 with a chance to beat Iowa and be 5-0. This Gopher team needs to make a Bowl game in the worst way starting the season with 4 wins will be a great way to get there but in each case the Gophers should win these games.
 


Gopherdrummer said:
B1G games are important, but I think you are absolutely wrong about this weekend's game given the first statement in bold. I believe this game is HUGE for the program. This game truly show us if the defense is as good as they have looked thus far. A win would give the program tons of momentum going into B1G play. That includes energizing the fans, bringing them back to the Bank instead of sitting on their couching and switching the channel once an opponent scores a TD. Buzz is generated, peaking the interest of recruits. Students come to the game even if they are still hungover from the night before and keep partying.

But more importantly, a win puts confidence in the players, the coaches, the boosters, the AD, regents, Kaler, and the players' trust in Kill. That momentum being 4-0 for the first time in years (heck, even having 4 wins period for the first time in years) goes with them to Iowa. We have to play an Iowa team that looks like it's defense is pretty tough. I believe a win vs. the Orange gives our young Gophers squad the energy they need to get over any adversity they face at Kinnick and legitimately defend Floyd from being stolen by the Hawkeyes.

I would always prefer wins over every B1G team. I just don't think we get there with out proving that we can beat a team that nearly gave NW a loss to start the season (and we have seen how much NW has proven itself compared to the rest of the conference). As John Madden would put it "40% of the game is 100% mental" .....thanks John.
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So you believe fans would be more energized over this win than a win over Iowa next week? Or Northwestern at homecoming? Or Wisconsin the week after that? Since you just stated that you would always prefer a win over every B1G team, aren't you saying that this is no more than our 9th biggest game of the year and pretty much agreeing with me? We're playing a 1-2 Syracuse team for crying out loud, not Alabama. It's a big game because we're 3-0, it's the next one up, and it's a night game at the Bank. Win or lose, this one isn't going to be the defining moment for the program that some are claiming it is.
 

It's not a program-defining game but I do believe it is important. The 2009 season not withstanding, it's pretty rare that we find an opportunity where a large number of casual fans come out to a home game. The few times it has happened in the past we've left them leaving disappointed.
 

Man I remember when people were hoping at the beginning of the season that we would go 3-1, now Syracuse is a must win? Its definitely not a must win game. This team and program isn't going to take huge steps forward in casual fan attention with one win, or even one winning season. Its going to take years of grinding and winning the close games that we couldn't before to change the culture. Syracuse isn't a bad team, and I would guess we are going to need to score in the neighborhood of 33 pts to beat these guys. A win would be great for the Gophers, putting us two wins from bowl eligibility before the B1G season starts would be HUGE considering most people here before the season started would have taken a 6-6 record.

Let's keep some perspective on this game, don't ride things to high, and don't think the sky is falling if we head into Iowa City with a 3-1 record. The team has got to concentrate on making improvements every game, most importantly not beating ourselves with penalties. Is this game winnable? Yes. Should we expect to? No. Can't take anything for granted when you are building a program the way we have to. Doing the little things right will go a long way towards making this program respectable now and in the future.

That being said, BEAT THOSE ORANGE CHUMPS!!! GO GOPHERS!!
 

Saturday will be important because all these guys will be here.........

@ECARTERLG8, @2HunterJarmon2, @_Tedxric, @Dyancey14, Drew Wolitarsky, and Berkley Edwards are all expected to visit Minnesota this weekend.

http://twitter.com/#!/LucasTrickleGI
 

Saturday will also be important for Gopher football because it is a night game. At this point, the casual fans still have the 3-0 start as a footnote. Many of these casual fans will be out and about Saturday night and the Gopher game will be front and center in every bar with a TV in the Twin Cities. For many of these fans... it will be an excellent opportunity for the Gophers to move from "I hear the new coach might have them going in the right direction" to "hey, I might have to take my kid to a game. Jerry's team is fun to watch."
 

John Galt said:
So you believe fans would be more energized over this win than a win over Iowa next week? Or Northwestern at homecoming? Or Wisconsin the week after that? Since you just stated that you would always prefer a win over every B1G team, aren't you saying that this is no more than our 9th biggest game of the year and pretty much agreeing with me? We're playing a 1-2 Syracuse team for crying out loud, not Alabama. It's a big game because we're 3-0, it's the next one up, and it's a night game at the Bank. Win or lose, this one isn't going to be the defining moment for the program that some are claiming it is.
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Let me try to say this differently. I don't think you can compare the importance of a game, or even rank them, because that is subjective and changes with the context of every season. Are B1G games important? Yes because we are in the B1G. But going into say the Wisconsin game any given year with no B1G wins (or even just no wins) is important because it is a rivalry game. That changes if we are or the verge of getting 6 wins, or if we are undefeated we are competing to stay in contention for the B1G Championship game. So I think ranking games by importance is not a fair practice at the beginning of the season. I hope that made sense.

That being said, I think this year, right now, Saturday is important for many reasons. Yes, Syracuse has a poor record, but they aren't necessarily a terrible team. They almost beat Northwestern and Northwestern is impressing people with their performance. In the past two seasons, I don't think we beat a team like Syracuse, and we have many players that have been through those seasons. Tomorrow, it looks like we may have a sellout (hopefully 50,805+ show up). Many articles and personal accounts have been posted about people going to a gopher game for the first time. Students are actually excited about going to the game. If the Gophers can win tomorrow, they prove to themselves that they have improved. They would prove to the fans that things are heading in the right direction. If they lose, I think casual fans tell themselves, "well, here they go again, same old Gophers."

Furthermore, I think without a win tomorrow, then we don't win as many B1G games that we have the potential to win. A win tomorrow and Iowa probably looks and gets a bit more nervous than they would have been. A loss kills our momentum. Sure we can definitely hang with Iowa, but without another W I think it takes us a drive or two to really get going. Basically, I just think winning this game helps our chances in the B1G season and obviously helps us get to a bowl game. It could help prove that the program is beginning to turnaround a bit, and that we aren't a "glorified MAC team with a MAC coach" as some Badger fans seem to think we are.

It is just my opinion. I do appreciate the increased attention towards the program. It might not be abundant, but it is great to hear about the improvements Kill is making. No matter the outcome, let's enjoy the game and have a great time.
 

Parski1 said:
Saturday will be important because all these guys will be here.........

@ECARTERLG8, @2HunterJarmon2, @_Tedxric, @Dyancey14, Drew Wolitarsky, and Berkley Edwards are all expected to visit Minnesota this weekend.

http://twitter.com/#!/LucasTrickleG...meone said Yancey will not be making a visit?
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By the way... both ESPN bloggers predict a Gopher defeat tomorrow.
 

This is a HUGE game. Please follow my explanation of how the next month plays out . . . after we beat the Cuse, we go into Iowa 4-0. After playing a beatable IA team, we keep the pig. After a bye week, we go into homecoming 5-0 and being ranked #25 in the nation. After playing a tough Northwestern team, we go into WI 6-0 with being ranked #19. After playing a beatable WI team, we storm the field and chop down the goal post with the mighty axe and are ranked #14 . . . and then what happens with recruits? ticket sales? believers?

JERRY JERRY JERRY!!!

KILL M ALL!!!
 

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