2015: A Minnesota Football Season To Forget
Minnesota Gopher football fans are not holding their collective breath as the college football world sorts out the bowl picture as the season closes this coming Saturday. In fact, most would probably prefer that Gopher football ceased operation after a 5-7 season.
If the Gophers make a lower tier bowl there is little chance a large contingent of fans will travel with the team to the two projected destinations -- Detroit or New York City. And you really cannot blame them. Cold weather destinations, awful cities, and MAC or ACC opponents that don't really make fans grit their teeth.
What a difference a year makes. Remember the New Year's Day Citrus Bowl in Orlando?
As one who attended all but the Ohio State, Northwestern and Purdue games, my reflections on Gopher football are as follows:
Nineteen seconds spelled the difference between a 6-6 season and the 5-7 mark. With a first and goal and 19 seconds and a timeout left against Michigan on Halloween Night --- Coach Tracy Claeys first game as head man -- the Gophers managed to run just one play, a unimaginative power off right tackle that went nowhere. Game over.
Had the Gophers have hit paydirt, it would have been a different season. First, the Gophers would have kept the Little Brown Jug. Second, the team might have garnered some steam heading to Ohio State the following week. Third, Minnesota would have finished 6-6 and gotten a middling bowl somewhere warm and the 15 practices would have helped them build toward 2016.
Instead, we are left to ponder this season. The firings of offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover and QB coach Jim Zebrowski came on the heels of a streak of five conference games that actually saw the Gopher offense improve to average 26 points a game. This was against four Top 10 defensive teams -- Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa and Wisconsin.
However, it was the first half of the season, except the Purdue game, that put Minnesota in a huge funk. Minnesota barely got by Colorado State, Kent State and Ohio after a season-opening loss to highly-ranked TCU (23-16). The 3-1 Gophers followed that inept effort up with a horrible 26-0 loss to Northwestern in Evanston and defensive blowup against visiting Nebraska (48-25) two weeks later.
A miserable year overall. Well, let's look ahead. We lost a few key players off the defense in Brian Boddy-Calhoun at one CB and Eric Murray at another. We also lost starting strong safety Antonio Johnson and beast linebacker Devondre Campbell. The defensive line only lost Scott Ekpe and a backup in Ndondo-Lay. We will have Jalen Myrick, Jeff James, Jeff Jones, the Huff brothers and a huge contingent of secondary, linebackers and linemen back in 2016. I will state that our defense won't be any worse than this year.
Offensively, we will be in much better shape, bringing our top two running backs back in Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith, our tight ends all come back, and third year starting QB Mitch Leidner returns for his senior year. His understudy, Demry Croft is a sophomore with some experience and could spell Leidner. The offensive line loses two starters in Jon Christensen and Joe Bjorklund. Center Brian Bobek may get a medical redshirt since he missed the whole year and tackle Foster Bush, a middling spot starter is also gone. Tackle Jonah Pirsig and center Connor Mayes lead the returning starters on the offensive line.
On special teams second-team kicker Ryan Santuso is back as a junior. But punter Peter Mortell graduates. Returners Myrick and James return. The key will be who comes in a offensive coordinator. I am assuming graduate assistant Adam Weber will move to QB coach in 2016. Claeys has said that the Gophers won't have a new identity, however they will have to run the ball and be less predictable when they throw it. With wideouts and tight ends back (less KJ Maye) the receiving corps returns deep and needs to bolster the Minnesota offense.
I feel Minnesota needs to open things up on offense somewhat and also attempt to gain more time of possession and that will come with an improved running game. I think offensive line will be the key and that unit must stay healthy next year as Minnesota welcomes a much easier schedule.
Taking a look at the schedule. I predict wins over Oregon State in the opener, Indiana State in week 2 and the pre-BIG tuneup at home vs Colorado State. Minnesota travels to face an average Penn State team before hosting Iowa to open BIG play. If they can split those games, they would then meet Maryland and Rutgers, which they should win. That would make Minnesota 6-1 before facing hapless Purdue at home and traveling to a decent Ilini team to start November. I will call that a split and that moves Minnesota to 7-2.
Nebraska, Northwestern and Wisconsin roundout the schedule with two of those on the road. Worst case, the Gophers go 0-3 but I feel we can win one of those games. So Minnesota finishes 8-4, 4-4 in the BIG. Barring a run like Iowa had this year, the Gophers should do well but I don't see them winning the West. But even 7-5 gets us a decent bowl and more of a feel good season. I am looking forward to next year.
If the Gophers make a lower tier bowl there is little chance a large contingent of fans will travel with the team to the two projected destinations -- Detroit or New York City. And you really cannot blame them. Cold weather destinations, awful cities, and MAC or ACC opponents that don't really make fans grit their teeth.
What a difference a year makes. Remember the New Year's Day Citrus Bowl in Orlando?
As one who attended all but the Ohio State, Northwestern and Purdue games, my reflections on Gopher football are as follows:
Nineteen seconds spelled the difference between a 6-6 season and the 5-7 mark. With a first and goal and 19 seconds and a timeout left against Michigan on Halloween Night --- Coach Tracy Claeys first game as head man -- the Gophers managed to run just one play, a unimaginative power off right tackle that went nowhere. Game over.
Had the Gophers have hit paydirt, it would have been a different season. First, the Gophers would have kept the Little Brown Jug. Second, the team might have garnered some steam heading to Ohio State the following week. Third, Minnesota would have finished 6-6 and gotten a middling bowl somewhere warm and the 15 practices would have helped them build toward 2016.
Instead, we are left to ponder this season. The firings of offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover and QB coach Jim Zebrowski came on the heels of a streak of five conference games that actually saw the Gopher offense improve to average 26 points a game. This was against four Top 10 defensive teams -- Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa and Wisconsin.
However, it was the first half of the season, except the Purdue game, that put Minnesota in a huge funk. Minnesota barely got by Colorado State, Kent State and Ohio after a season-opening loss to highly-ranked TCU (23-16). The 3-1 Gophers followed that inept effort up with a horrible 26-0 loss to Northwestern in Evanston and defensive blowup against visiting Nebraska (48-25) two weeks later.
A miserable year overall. Well, let's look ahead. We lost a few key players off the defense in Brian Boddy-Calhoun at one CB and Eric Murray at another. We also lost starting strong safety Antonio Johnson and beast linebacker Devondre Campbell. The defensive line only lost Scott Ekpe and a backup in Ndondo-Lay. We will have Jalen Myrick, Jeff James, Jeff Jones, the Huff brothers and a huge contingent of secondary, linebackers and linemen back in 2016. I will state that our defense won't be any worse than this year.
Offensively, we will be in much better shape, bringing our top two running backs back in Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith, our tight ends all come back, and third year starting QB Mitch Leidner returns for his senior year. His understudy, Demry Croft is a sophomore with some experience and could spell Leidner. The offensive line loses two starters in Jon Christensen and Joe Bjorklund. Center Brian Bobek may get a medical redshirt since he missed the whole year and tackle Foster Bush, a middling spot starter is also gone. Tackle Jonah Pirsig and center Connor Mayes lead the returning starters on the offensive line.
On special teams second-team kicker Ryan Santuso is back as a junior. But punter Peter Mortell graduates. Returners Myrick and James return. The key will be who comes in a offensive coordinator. I am assuming graduate assistant Adam Weber will move to QB coach in 2016. Claeys has said that the Gophers won't have a new identity, however they will have to run the ball and be less predictable when they throw it. With wideouts and tight ends back (less KJ Maye) the receiving corps returns deep and needs to bolster the Minnesota offense.
I feel Minnesota needs to open things up on offense somewhat and also attempt to gain more time of possession and that will come with an improved running game. I think offensive line will be the key and that unit must stay healthy next year as Minnesota welcomes a much easier schedule.
Taking a look at the schedule. I predict wins over Oregon State in the opener, Indiana State in week 2 and the pre-BIG tuneup at home vs Colorado State. Minnesota travels to face an average Penn State team before hosting Iowa to open BIG play. If they can split those games, they would then meet Maryland and Rutgers, which they should win. That would make Minnesota 6-1 before facing hapless Purdue at home and traveling to a decent Ilini team to start November. I will call that a split and that moves Minnesota to 7-2.
Nebraska, Northwestern and Wisconsin roundout the schedule with two of those on the road. Worst case, the Gophers go 0-3 but I feel we can win one of those games. So Minnesota finishes 8-4, 4-4 in the BIG. Barring a run like Iowa had this year, the Gophers should do well but I don't see them winning the West. But even 7-5 gets us a decent bowl and more of a feel good season. I am looking forward to next year.
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