Jerry Kill has Minnesota at Half Century High Water Mark
It's been more than 52 years since Minnesota Gopher Football has played in a New Year's Day Bowl game. Yes, it was the Rose Bowl way back in 1962 where the Gophers rolled, defeating UCLA 21-3. With the introduction of the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings in the early 1960s, Gopher football's luster wore off and and a half century of obscurity and futility ensued.
Until now.
After a pair of 8-4 seasons, Minnesota has emerged as a legitimate middle-of-the-pack Big Ten football program for the first time since the late 1960s. Road wins over Michigan and Nebraska this season helped highlight the fix-it capability of coach Jerry Kill and staff. He's turned around every program he's coached, including Saginaw Valley State, Emporia State, Southern Illinois and Northern Illinois. Coupled with a 6-1 home record, Minnesota is now being labeled a solid football program by most media outlets.
Kill has done it by coaching up two and three-star prospects with a staff who has been with him for years. His coordinators, Matt Limegrover and Tracy Claeys, make more than $550,000 a year, making them among the highest paid assistants in the BIG. Kill was named BIG Coach of the Year for his efforts, making him a talked-about coaching commodity for big-time programs looking to hire a coach.
A win over Missouri, ranked 17th and the SEC Eastern Division Champion, would swing fan following to new highs, most likely resulting in a soldout TCF Bank Stadium in 2015. Not since its inaugural season in 2009 has "The Bank" put 50,000-plus in the seats at every home game. Just Win Baby, laments the Twin Cities' oldest sports writer, Sid Hartman, and the Gophers will become a very hot ticket.
The fan base is responding as evidenced by the sale of more than 6,500 tickets for the New Year's Day bowl game in Orlando, which starts at noon. Minnesota is expected to sell out its 9,000-seat allotment, a first for the program.
Charter flights, student buses and sun-seeking Twin Citans will flood the Sunshine State after Christmas with many planning to stay a week and take in the game. Kill and his squad will have his work cut out for them. Missouri averages 28 points a game on offense and boasts the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year in Shane Ray, a defensive end who stops the run and get after the quarterback. The Gophers will have to rack up the yards with a solid run game effort. Quarterback Mitch Leidner will have to play his best game of the season for Minnesota to prevail. He'll need to be effective in the read option offense, and complete at least a dozen passes to keep the Gopher attack balanced. Look for Gopher Tight End Maxx Williams to be a key difference maker for Minnesota. Williams leads the Gophers in receptions, yards and touchdowns this season.
Minnesota has not won a Bowl Game since Glen Mason's 2004 team beat Alabama in the Music City Bowl. The Gopher offense stalled last season in a 21-17 loss to Syracuse in the Texas Bowl at Houston's NRG Stadium. Kill is 0-2 at the helm after losing the 2012 Houston Bowl to Texas Tech, 35-31.
Until now.
After a pair of 8-4 seasons, Minnesota has emerged as a legitimate middle-of-the-pack Big Ten football program for the first time since the late 1960s. Road wins over Michigan and Nebraska this season helped highlight the fix-it capability of coach Jerry Kill and staff. He's turned around every program he's coached, including Saginaw Valley State, Emporia State, Southern Illinois and Northern Illinois. Coupled with a 6-1 home record, Minnesota is now being labeled a solid football program by most media outlets.
Kill has done it by coaching up two and three-star prospects with a staff who has been with him for years. His coordinators, Matt Limegrover and Tracy Claeys, make more than $550,000 a year, making them among the highest paid assistants in the BIG. Kill was named BIG Coach of the Year for his efforts, making him a talked-about coaching commodity for big-time programs looking to hire a coach.
A win over Missouri, ranked 17th and the SEC Eastern Division Champion, would swing fan following to new highs, most likely resulting in a soldout TCF Bank Stadium in 2015. Not since its inaugural season in 2009 has "The Bank" put 50,000-plus in the seats at every home game. Just Win Baby, laments the Twin Cities' oldest sports writer, Sid Hartman, and the Gophers will become a very hot ticket.
The fan base is responding as evidenced by the sale of more than 6,500 tickets for the New Year's Day bowl game in Orlando, which starts at noon. Minnesota is expected to sell out its 9,000-seat allotment, a first for the program.
Charter flights, student buses and sun-seeking Twin Citans will flood the Sunshine State after Christmas with many planning to stay a week and take in the game. Kill and his squad will have his work cut out for them. Missouri averages 28 points a game on offense and boasts the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year in Shane Ray, a defensive end who stops the run and get after the quarterback. The Gophers will have to rack up the yards with a solid run game effort. Quarterback Mitch Leidner will have to play his best game of the season for Minnesota to prevail. He'll need to be effective in the read option offense, and complete at least a dozen passes to keep the Gopher attack balanced. Look for Gopher Tight End Maxx Williams to be a key difference maker for Minnesota. Williams leads the Gophers in receptions, yards and touchdowns this season.
Minnesota has not won a Bowl Game since Glen Mason's 2004 team beat Alabama in the Music City Bowl. The Gopher offense stalled last season in a 21-17 loss to Syracuse in the Texas Bowl at Houston's NRG Stadium. Kill is 0-2 at the helm after losing the 2012 Houston Bowl to Texas Tech, 35-31.
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