Minnesota Gopher Football

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 --...

Well, all have to admit I have been a pretty big Jerry Kill booster and kind of a Mitch Leidner critic to start this blog.  Those two items will be flip flopped today for good reason.  First, Leidner looked better than he has all year throwing the football with his 21 of 31 effort for 265-plus yards in the 33-17 Citrus Bowl loss to Missouri.  And no interceptions. Kill, well, where shall I start.  First, NEVER take three timeouts into a half.  ALWAYS take a damn timeout when your defense is reeling, wheezing and tapping their helmets to come out as the other team marches down the field, grabbing chunks of yards at a time in an uptempo offense.  For Christs sake, give our outsized and thin defensive line a freaking break, Jerry.  You blew it before the half by not spelling our defense.  Instead of regrouping and maybe making a stand, they got torched.  Then you squandered 1:06 before the half, just trying to get off the field.  Maybe we...