The Daily Gopher Fix 9.2.08

So, what has the reaction been from the punditocracy on Minnesota's 1-0 start?

• Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune pens a day-after post-mortem. The article states Brewster wasn't happy with the defenses tendency to give up big plays. It will be interesting to see if Bowling Green can put up big passing numbers against Minnesota's secondary.
• Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune wonders where Brewster's heralded 2008 recruiting class was on Saturday. Traye Simmons and Tramaine Brock started on defense, and four other freshman, and two JUCO traansfers saw action. Four-star wide out recruit Brandon Green, and his fellow freshman wide receiver teammates, didn't see action.
• Pat Ruff of the Rochester Post-Bulletin also wonders why Brewster didn't play his new, athletic players at wide receiver.

And you know what that Gophers alignment produced? One large collective yawn from the Northern Illinois defensive backs.

That's what happens when you trot out exactly one wide receiver worth fearing, junior Eric Decker.

The others? There was Ben Kuznia, a former high school quarterback at Olivia and a Gophers walk-on. There was also Ralph Spry, a lightly recruited guy out of Alabama. And finally, there was Jimmy Thompson, another guy that practically no other big-time school wanted from Hayward, Wis.

• Ryan Collado was abused by NIU's Nathan Palmer. And that prompts attention. Brewster's got Collado's back: "We hug his neck and say, 'It's OK,' " he said. "It's one play at a time. You must live to fight another day."
• Eric Decker is deservedly praised for his play Saturday. I wonder how good this kid could be if he had talent lining up at wide receiver with him? He'd probably be incredible.
• It seemed like Tim Powers of the PiPress wanted to make fun of the Gophers, but instead praised Adam Weber. Across the river, Patrick Reusse wanted to take shots at the Gophers and did. He suggested Brewster didn't get the most out of Minnesota's talent.
• Northwestern blog Lake the Posts suggests that Duane Bennett's late touchdown "in all liklihood" saved Brewster's job.

And, how are the fandoms of other Big Ten schools responding after Week one?

• Brian at MGO had this to say to the Wolverine partrisans: "This program is under construction with a completion date around 2010. This is going to be a tough year. If you’re prone to hysterics you should do everyone a favor, watch something else, and annoy everyone on the Project Runway message boards with your all-caps posts. Get over it."  Losing to Utah had to be rough. I understand Rich Rodriguez has a track record and Brewster does not, but some Minnesota fans could take Brian's adivce as well.
• Mistakes cost the Illini against Mizzou, says Illinois blog The Quad.
• Indiana beat Western Kentucky, but it was closer than expected. The Hoosier Report gives you the good, bad and ugly from IU's opener.
• Ohio State fans are justifiably spending their time worrying about Beanie Wells. Eleven Wariors has the latest (well, the latest as of Monday night).
• The opener against California didn't go as planned for the Michigan State Spartans writes GOEL from Ground Zero East Lansing.