Gopher Football
Well, that’s it for the positives. The defense still had its usual problems, like all kinds of trouble in the secondary. No 3rd down conversion seemed out of reach for the Bison, converting on nearly 50% of them. The Gopher special teams were problematic whether it be a field goal or a kickoff coverage. The Gopher offense put three points on the board in the first 50 minutes of the game, enough said.
Congratulations are in order to a well-coached and inspired Bison team. Their freshman kicker Shawn Bibeau, a Minnesota kid from White Bear Lake, missed a couple field goals, including a game winner with one second left. That’s understandable. Frankly, NDSU and their fans deserved more than this moral victory.
The statistics don’t lie in this game. NDSU had 22 first downs to the Gophers’ 14. The Bison had nearly 150 more total yards than Minnesota. Really, the only loser stat for the Bison was the two turnovers to the Gophers’ zero. The turnovers cost North Dakota State a possible score and led to a Gopher field goal, just enough to turn the final score in the Gophers’ favor.
Bryan Cupito ended up with a good day passing, completing nearly 60% of his passes. Matt Spaeth was his favorite receiver with six catches. Amir Pinnix had 97 yards rushing and got some very important yards late in the game. Overall, the offense just gave them enough with the 4th quarter touchdown that was run in by Pinnix.
Defensively, there was not much to get excited about, except for the interception by Jamal Harris. North Dakota State moved the ball effectively throughout the game with a balanced attack. On the ground Kyle Steffes had 138 yards rushing and Steve Walker had 238 yards passing
On special teams, Justin Kucik’s 49-yard average on punts was the best thing going for Minnesota. Erratic play was pervasive almost everywhere else.
A lot has been said about Glen Mason and his coaching staff lately and it hasn’t been “œMinnesota Nice.” This was not a well-executed game. Using the final two timeouts before that final punt was a great example of the execution in this game. Meanwhile, NDSU had all their timeouts available on that last drive and they used them wisely. Glen Mason needs get his house in order. There has to be more pressure to win than what we have seen out of Mason and his team so far this year. There has to be more pride. Instead, we hear excuses about how bad it was at Minnesota for so long and that it takes time to dig out. Yes, Rome wasn’t built in a day but should it really take more than a decade to get this program beyond mediocre?
Yes I know, I have endeavored to be positive first and foremost. I was a thrilling win today. A win is a win and all that. The atmosphere was more than tolerable in the Metrodome in front of a near-sellout crowd. Minnesota escaped joining Northwestern and Indiana as Big Ten teams that have lost to Division I-AA teams this year ““ that surely would have been a first for the conference, if the two losses weren’t already. The Bison gave the Gophers a great test and deserved better. Oops, there I go again.
Next week’s game against No. 1 ranked Ohio State has to give the Gophers much more to get worked up about. Like the Bison today, the Gophers have nothing to lose and everything to gain going into a game that no sane people gives them a chance to win. Maybe just maybe, Mason can work his magic again and turn this struggling team into world-beaters, or at least respectable in defeat. Wins have been pulled out before in “impossible” games at Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State during this up and down Mason era.