Minnesota Gopher Football

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...

November is traditionally the cruelest month of Golden Gopher Football.  Swoon time.  Trophy Game defeats.  It's like the air just oozes out of the Gophers in Hindenburg fashion.  Collapse. Reality sets in.  Swaths of open seats are visible at The Bank. Teeth gnashing as you read the Sunday morning game headlines. It's been a Minnesota Football reality.  EXCEPT THIS YEAR. November was truly glorious for me and my mini Gopher entourage this season.  I'm going to dub it GOvember.  We took it all in. Yes, unlike most Gopher fans, my sister and I went to ALL the Gopher football games.  And we truly enjoyed a football THANKSGIVING like no other. After taking the first weekend off to recharge after the debacle that was our road loss at Illinois, a large segment of my family -- a couple sons, my sister, I and a bunch of friends -- erected a stellar tailgate at our usual spot just south of the massive, former ADM grain bins in southeast Minneap...

I am going to try not to be too critical of any Minnesota Gopher football players in my blog over the foreseeable future.  It's not right to be too harsh to kids playing their hearts out who are really amateurs who happen to be the entertainment for millions of college football watchers. But an interesting question arises when I look to next season:  Can Mitch Leidner, Minnesota sophomore quarterback, take our football team to the next level?  That level would be competing for a BIG West Division championship, going at least 6-2 in the BIG and making a New Year's Day Big Six bowl. Or even maintaining our second-place finish in the West Division with at least a 5-3 BIG mark. My initial impression is no.  And here's why.  He completed an average of about 10 passes per game this season, for a completion rate of 49 percent.  He has 13 career TD passes and nine interceptions.  He's been sacked 31 times over parts of two seasons.  That is just not g...

Minnesota's New Year's Day clash against Missouri in the Citrus Bowl will boil down to five key factors.  The Gophers can win their first bowl game since 2005 by accomplishing the following: Pass the Football Effectively.   Gopher sophomore QB Mitch Leidner must have a very good day throwing the football.  By his standards, I would say hitting 15 of 22 throws in the 200-yard range.  The BIG's worst passing offense can't win without some balance to offset the run game. Key to this will be Maxx Williams getting open and grabbing the tosses that sometimes seem out of reach from Leidner. Slants over the middle could be promising as well as Mizzou's pass rush will likely get to the quarterback quickly. Minnesota wideouts must also be a factor in this game. The passing game has to be effective when we are tied or leading as the Gophers are not equipped to pass when trailing (see Wisconsin). Oh and Leidner CANNOT turn the ball over! Execute the Trick Play.   I...