In case you missed it, the Gophers dropped their final game of the season and final game ever in the dome in memorable fashion.

Box Score 55-0
BTN Highlights

When listening to Kirk Ferentz post game I think he accurately described the Gopher's season while talking about his own.

“I think in football typically you get what you deserve.  We didn’t deserve to win those four games.  We turned the ball over, we didn’t make the play or whatever it may be." 

"That is your resume, that’s our resume, we finished up with eight (ed: seven for the Gophers) and that’s the best we could do.”

He was obviously referrering to Iowa's four close losses earlier in the season, but it is appropriate for the Gopher's final four losses.  In their final 16 quarters they played one well enough to win.  The 55-0 loss was just the exclamation point. 

The things Brewster said in his press conference were all true on some level.  We are better than a year ago, we have to be able to run the ball, we are not physical enough and we have a long way yet to go.  But what he was not willing to admit to is that this team has plateaued while the rest of the conference is getting better as they go. 

It is really tricky to give the defense a pass when they gave up 55 48 points and 483 yards, but once again the offense didn't do their job putting the defense in tough situations early and often.  Weber played mediocre and the running game was beyond awful.  The defense fared well through the first quarter giving up only three points and putting Iowa in third down situations often.  In that same quarter the offense mustered just over 20 yards and three punts on three possessions.  The defense can only bend so far and when they were on the field for 2/3 of the first half eventually the Iowa offense got into a rythm that we couldn't stop.

I'm not going to spend the bulk of this bashing the offense then bashing the defense nor am I going to find whatever silver lining I can possibly fine (Troy Stoudermire), this game was about our lack of competitiveness and preparedness from the very beginning.

It was clear that this team, particularly the offense, did not improve as the season went along.  The offensive line lived on their excuse of being young all season but never got better.  We found out today that OL coach, Phil Meyers has left the coaching staff and will of course be a scapegoat for this cog in the offensive let down.

There was incredible improvement from 2007 to 2008 on the defensive side of the ball and they played as well as we had hoped.  But the offense regressed.  It is easy to point out that we had fewer yards and fewer points but we regressed in other key areas as well.  By my unofficial records we had exactly the same amount of possessions but had more three and outs, fewer offensive touchdowns and more punts (likely due to fewer turnovers). 

Despite greatly reducing turnovers we still managed to give the ball back to the opponent more often.  The final three home games got progressively worse culminating in a 55-0 embarrassment.  

I am not in to overreacting.  You'll hear/read a lot of fire Dunbar, Weber is terrible, etc.  I don't believe any of that to be true.  But this offense cannot rely on youthfulness as an excuse next year and it will have to be better.  Weber reduced turnovers, has shown a lot of toughness and leadership but he'll have to get better.  Dunbar at times had some very good gameplans but his playbook will have to be more creative and a running game must be discovered.  Consistency and improvement are a must for next year and from Dunbar on down to the players people will have to be held reponsible. 

There are reasons to be optimistic about 2009, but just relying on improvement because these guys will be 12 months older isn't going to be enough.  The list of improvements needed is for another post, but the Gophers could get things going in the right direction by taking steps toward improvement in their bowl game, wherever that may be.

The Hate Bowl was fun to do, albeit off the usual course of TDG content.  But now it is back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Floyd of Rosedale is back up for grabs.

Stat comparison

This will likely be a very quick preview as for me it comes down to two things...

When Iowa has the ball...

Stop Shonn Greene.  Iowa is very similar to Wisconsin statistically on offense and defense.  Both are very good at running the ball, but the huge difference is that the Wisconsin rushing attack was very north/south.  The middle of our defense did a great job of slowing down their bruising rushing style.

But Shonn Greene is a very different story.  Greene, the Big Ten's leading rusher, will cut b

ack on this defense and find open holes on the backside if our linebackers and safeties do not remain disciplined and stay home.   When Iowa has the ball this is the biggest thing to watch for. 

Specifically keep an eye on Steve Davis and Deon Hightower.  These guys have a history of overpursuing plays, biting on misdirection and abandoning their run gaps.  When the runningback then cuts back the holes are mack truck sized and we give up massive yardage. 

Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi took over the starting job shortly before the midpoint of the season.  His numbers are not oustanding but all he has to do it not throw interceptions and hand off to Greene (not in that order).  The Sophomore has seven interceptions on the season and is averaging just 141 yards per game.  Even more than Wisconsin I think we can sell out on the run and force them to pass.  On the year th

e Hawkeyes have 24 touchdowns on the ground and just 12 through the air.

We aren't going to be the first team to say, "make Stanzi beat you" so it is obviously easier said than done.  We aren't going to hold Greene to 75 yards so expect yards from him, but we absolutely have to make him work for it.  He cannot get 6 or 7 yard runs on first down because of undisciplined play by our linebackers.  Stay at home, shed blocks, make the tackle! 

 
When Minnesota has the ball...

Iowa is a very good defense, maybe the best we have seen since Ohio State.  But I think we'll be able to move the ball better than we have in recent weeks.  Why you ask?  Because I think we'll be able to give Weber more time in the pocket tomorrow than we have in a very long time.

Iowa's defense is good, but getting pressure on the QB is not their greatest strength.  We will not be able to run the ball, but they are last in the Big Ten in sacks which indicates to me that we might be able to give Weber enough time to find Decker, Green, Simmons, Smith or Kuznia.  This will be a the best we have moved the ball through the air since Northwestern. 

Predictions

GN - My middle name is Floyd, Gopher Floyd Nation to be exact, and I think that will be more than enough to overcome the Gopher Nation pressbox curse.  We move the ball through the air, slow down Greene just enough and pull out the tight win.

Iowa - 27
Minnesota - 28

PJS - is a firm believer in the GopherNation (TDG) curse. He says that if I am in attendance we lose 34-35 on a late touchdown + two point conversion by the Hawkeyes.  I am get sick and do not make it to the game we win.

Iowa - 27
Minnesota - 34

We hate Iowa!  It's not so much that they are so hated, it just kind of rolls off the tongue. Usually this is the forgotten trophy around here.  The Jug means something cause it is Michigan.  The Axe means something because we all hate Wisconsin.  But since we don't have either of those, lets get the one trophy that has spent more time in Minnesota than the rival's trophy case.

To get you all ready for this weekend's showdown for Floyd of Rosedale, I thought we should have a quick history lesson to get us up to speed on some of the finer moments in recent Hawkeye sports history...

(Note: I'd love to string this out into more than one post, but we have real teams outside of football to talk about here.)

2006

Started promising for the always overrated Hawkeyes.  The 5-1 start climaxed with a #13 ranking in the AP poll before a trip to Indiana brought the mediocre Hawkeyes back to reality.  Drew Tate led the Hawkeyes to a brilliant 2-6 Big Ten record over the final eight games of his senior season.  Fortunately for the Hawkeyes, Northern Illinois was mixed into the schedule late to avoid seven game losing streak to end the season.  Minnesota handed Iowa one of those losses in a game where Brian Cupito was just too much to handle.  Floyd spent the year at home, in Minnesota.

This was the year of stunning collapses from overrated Hawkeye teams as this gem preceded the football collapse...

They have been able to achieve mediocrity in football, but their basketball has always been terrible.

2007

If 2006 was spectacular, 2007 must have been better right?  How about

Iowa State-15
Iowa-13

This win for Iowa State, who must have been really good, launched them to a 3-9 record.  A classic battle of the titans which was met with a collective yawn from the sports world. 

And if a Hawkeye fan starts making fun of the Gophers for losing to a MAC team last year, remind them of this.

Western Michigan - 28
Iowa - 19

Yes, we lost to Bowling Green, but at least they won their conference and went to a Bowl.

On the plus side for Iowa they were able to beat Minnesota during our worst season in school history.  And they were able to rack up almost 300 yards and 21 whole points against the worst defense in all of college football (that allowed 500 yds and nearly 30 points per game).  The 2007 Gopher team is worthy of making fun of and we were dominated by many teams, Iowa was not one of them.

The facts are often lost on delusional Hawkeye fans

• We have a higher win% over Iowa than every other Big Ten team (except Northwestern, but who doesn't).
• Floyd of Rosedale started as ours, has usually been ours and will be ours.
• Iowa is the most boring state ever.  Well, except for Des Moines, they have an terrific nightlife down there.
  
• Time to choose sides...
  

  

  

Vs.

This game means a little something for us here at TDG.  A bet has been made with the fine folks soon to be dejected folks at Blackheart, Gold Pants.  It is important for all of us that we win this game/bet or you may be forced to look at some gay porn on this upstanding site for 24 hours.  (I'm not kidding, they love gay porn).

The Gophers are 7-4 but this really feels like an 0-3 team and I think that is unfortunate.  This team just isn't good enough to win games like this unless they make far fewer mistake but they are markedly better than a year ago.  We aren't a BCS Bowl team but we are better and we are competitive.  This may not be enough for some, but we are taking steps and getting back to being competitive is where this program is currently at.

Let's not get too carried away after these last three losses. It was exciting to be 7-1 when they were playing better and more importantly making far fewer mistakes. But this team isn't nearly good enough to win games like this when they commit 10 penalties, fumble three times and give two safeties.

It is interesting how high the expectations were af it was.  They aren't.  What they are is a competitive team what is learning as they go.  Youth isn't a crutch to lean on when they need an excuse but they are sending a lot of freshmen and sophomores up against Big Ten defenses with much more experience.  When Brewster was asked about his young offensive weapons he said...

"Those guys gotta be sophomores, I'm looking forward to them being juniors.  The offensive line needs to continue to grow, get bigger and stronger.  And continue to become a more physical offensive football team"

He's right. They are talented but this team needs to grow and it is hard to compete at the Big Ten level with freshmen and sophomores throughout your offense.

The balance of talent and inexperience of this team what makes this so frustrating.

The Good?

• The defense held Wisconsin to 116 yards rushing.
• Freshmen receivers really stepped up in the absence of All-American candidate, Eric Decker
• Weber's moxy and determination to lead a drive down 11 to get us to within three.
  
• The offensive line played better than they had in recent weeks.

The Bad?

• Two fumbles, the first directly led to a touchdown.
• Losing Lee Campbell and Kyle Theret in the second half.
• Two safeties really killed us and put so much momentum on the Wisconsin sideline.
• 10 penalties for 89 yards, including three personal fouls.  This team just cannot win on the road against a good team with that many mistakes.

It was a fun game to witness.   There were some massive momentum swings, big plays and a little fire from both sidelines.  In the end, just too many mistakes made by the team in maroon and gold. 

This loss was a painful one for the coaches and players.  It really struck me how much this one hurt.  Even Ruesse commented to me about how there were times during Brewster's post game comments that were genuine.

Coach Brewster - "You can see we've got some outstanding young talent on out team.  It's such a disappointing loss because we had an opportunity to come in here and do something special today and we didn't get it done.  And that's a tough pill to swallow."

Simoni Lawrence - "This hurts, this hurts me the most."

Willie VanDeSteeg - "This the only game I didn't win for a trophy game.  This one is going to stick with me for a little bit."

Those look like just quotes on your computer screen but being there you could really see how this one was hard to take.  The last question asked of Brewster was about Weber

"He's a tough kid, he's a hell of a kid, he keeps competing all the time and you know, you know, I've got big admiration for Adam and...  He hits Green (on 4th and 17) for the big play down the middle of the field..." 

And he then paused for a good five seconds looking like he was about to break down because he hurt for Weber. At that moment the hurt he felt for his quarterback and his team was evident in his eyes.  This was one of those moments you don't get reading the paper or analyzing the box score.  This game HURT, this coach hurt for his players.

"We are going to lay on the sword for the next couple days, we are going to bleed this one out.  This one's gonna be tough to let go, but we're gonna fight like crazy to get ready to go and play Iowa and finish as an 8-4 football team."

One week left then likely a trip to a worthless bowl game.  The destination and the outcome is meaningless but the extra month of practice would be valuable for this team and the vast majority of starters who will be returning.

HALFTIME UPDATE:

Minnesota - 21
Wisconsin - 7

First of all the first half game ball has to go to the offensive line.  They are giving Weber all kinds of time and he's been able to find his freshmen receivers to make some big plays.  Watch for the Badgers to start blitzing to get through to Weber, we'll see how ready we are for that.

Defensively we have stopped the run and gotten great pressure on Sherer (who is terrible btw).  When this game began with a Gopher fumble at the 10 things had a chance to get way out of hand in a hurry.  But these guys are playing with some toughness and confidence that we haven't seen in several weeks. 

Plenty of mistakes on both sides but plenty of big plays as well to make this an entertaining game.  Second half should be a lot of fun as The Axe is on the line.

----------

We are live from the Camp Randall pressbox.  Game thread will likely be maintained by you the readers/commenters.  PJS and I may be in and out but no official moderation.

The band is on the field, we are less than 20 min from kickoff.  Here are some keys or questions to be answered today if the Gophers are to win.

1.  Win special teams.  Troy Stoudermire told me last week that he would house a kick off today.  Getting a special team's TD, great coverage and no missed kicks (easy ones at least) will be vital if we are going to win in Madison for the first time since 1994.

2.  How disciplined will our linebackers be.  The weakside guy has to stay at home and not get beat on the cutback.  Then the guys in the middle have to stuff anything between the tackles.

3.  Three and Outs.  We cannot have them on offense and we need to force several of them on defense.

4.  Third and longs!  Get them in third and long, make them pass, then let the secondary make a huge play.

We'll see how it plays out.

Tim Brewster - "All our trophy games are big games, important games. This one is more important than the rest of them."

The Axe is in the wrong hands and it's time to bring it back to the land where Paul Bunyan created 10,000+ lakes with his massive feet (true story).  Paul Bunyan's Axe isn't the oldest trophy we have (that belongs to the Jug) but it does represent the most played rivalry in all of college football.  Some Madison media likes to propagate incorrect propaganda that Wisconsin leads the all time series...

The annual Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle is the longest tenured rivalry in FBS college football. The Badgers are 34-24-3 all-time against the Golden Gophers and have dominated their bitter rivals in recent memory, winning the past four matchups.

This is untrue but don't let the facts get in the way of a good story.  The Badgers lead the series 34-24-3 in the years where The Axe has been on the line.  But the most played head to head series has more than 61 total games played.  Actually Minnesota leads the all time series 59-50-8 but has gone 2-11 over the last 13 meetings to let Wisconsin think they are "winning" this series. 

This game is usually fairly heated and fortunately the intensity has been raised with the newly discovered (created?) mutual dislike between Brett Bielema and Tim Brewster.  Maybe it is the recruiting wars spilling over onto the football field or maybe it is just two personalities that clash.  Or maybe it is just because Bielema is a prick...

After the Hawkeyes dispatched Iowa State, 21-7, during Bielema’s senior season in 1992, he met Cyclones coach Jim Walden during the postgame handshake and said, "You’re a big prick. It’s been a pleasure kicking your ass the last five years."

For whatever reason, these guys seem to genuinely not like each other, which should play out on the field tomorrow.  This game is big for fans, for the players, the coaches and recruiting wars that will take place in midwestern living rooms for the next few months.  All of that makes tomororows game great, but what about the actual football game? 

After a schedule full of taking on spread teams with athletic quarterbacks like Terrell Pryor, Juice Williams, Mike Kafka (I think I just threw up a little inside) and Kellen Lewis; we now enter the smash mouth portion of the schedule.  All two games of this portion.  This week we take on the Big Ten's best rushing team and next week we get the task of tackling Shonn Greene who dropped 117 and two scores on Penn State.  And when you factor in the fact that we are near the bottom of the Big Ten at stopping the run (8th), you realize these games will be challenging. 

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves here are some numbers for Wisconsin and Minnesota.

  When Wisconsin has the ball...

We have to stop their two back attack of P.J. Hill (5-11, 236)and John Clay (6-2, 237).  Both are big, bruising backs who have combined for over 1,500 yards and nearly 300 carries.  By contrast our starting tailback is 5-11 and 190 lbs.  As a team they have 1,000  more rushing yards than the Gophers have on the ground.  The key to stopping the Badgers is no mystery.  Stop the run and make them pass it.

In the Badger's five losses whoever has been under center has thrown an average of 30 times.  In thier five wins they have attempted only 20 passes per game.  Yards are about the same, regardless of the game's outcome.  When the run is being stopped and they are forced into passing, that is not a winning formula for the Badgers.  But when the run game is running downhill they can utilize the pass more effectively

and keep the defense off balance. 

Keep an eye on guys like Lee Campbell, Garrett Brown, Barret Moen and Kyle Theret.  They will have to plug the middle and not get pushed around.  If the corners are making a lot of tackles or the Badger running backs are getting past the linebackers we are in big (BIG) trouble.  Also keep an eye on the cut back runs as this has killed us. 

  When Minnesota has the ball...

I don't have any idea what to expect.  Our best offensive weapon is likely not playing which means everybody else has to step up their game.  Much has been made that Brandon Green, Ben Kuznia, Ralph Spry and other WRs have to step up to replace Decker.  But fact is the OL has to step up in a big way, Eskridge has to step things up and Adam Weber better be sharp as well.  I'm hoping we see a creative offensive game plan to keep Wisconsin on their heals. 

It seems like the Badgers can stop either the run or the pass, but not usually both.  Shonn Greene (217) and Beanie Wells (168) racked up huge chunks of yards but the Iowa and Ohio St passing games were weak.  But it was the opposite for the Michigan St, Illinois and Penn St games.  Hoyer (252), Williams (217) and Clark (244) had big games while the running games couldn't muster more than 60 yards for any one back. 

I do not foresee a big running game, but maybe if Wisconsin is so bent on stopping the passing game that maybe Eskridge breaks a few.  Our offensive line would have to really surprise me for this to happen though.  What I think we'll need to see is screens, options with Stoudermire, swing passes to Eskridge and maybe the use of the tight end in the middle of the field.

I don't know what the successful formula is going to be, but the offense absolutely has to execute better.  They have regressed in the last month and now would be the time to find some rhthym again. 

Predictions...

On paper this game does not look good for the Golden Gophers.  Our offense has been struggling for a few weeks and we then lose our best player.  The defense has been solid but I have no idea how they'll react to a power running team, the likes of which we haven't seen this year.  With that said I think we are capable of wininng.  Wisconsin is 2-5.  If we can find some consistency on offense I think we can make this a great game.  If the offense is unable to get more than one first down in the first half then we'll get killed.

GN

Minnesota - 17
Wisconsin - 21

PJS

Minnesota - 13
Wisconsin - 24

The Daily Gopher will be bringing our curse to Madison so be sure to check back Saturday for some updates from the pressbox.  In Minnesota we are debating whether or not to have alcohol in the stadium, but I'm pretty sure in Wisconsin they'll have beer in the pressbox.  I'll let you know!

Does anybody remember a week ago?  We were 7-1, ranked in the top 20 of virtually every poll, had a remaining schedule that looked very promising and talks of Rose Bowl or at the very least a Jan. 1 destination were popping up all over the place. 

As was displayed on this very website, all of this made me very nervous.  This is not an "I told you so" post because although I thought we would come out sluggish I still was convinced we'd beat Northwestern.  I really don't think that this team overlooked the Wildcats.  The "one game at a time and one play at a time" mantra was believable but how could they not look ahead?  And who could blame them?  This team took a beating on the field and off last year, who could blame them for enjoying their season and looking forward to an Orlando, Pasadena or San Antonio vacation?

The problem is that the time to truly savor your season is when your season is over.  In mid-January I encourage everyone on this team to look back, kick their feet up and smile because they accomplished a lot this year and it was a lot of fun.  But there is still work to be done.  Those happy, fun reflection times will be much more enjoyable if we can secure a trophy or two or three and still get to a bowl game in early 2009, not December of 2008. 

While the Northwestern game stings, is it exactly what this team needed to refocus and truly prepare themselves for the task at hand?  What lessons have we hopefully learned from this game?

A Big Ten quarterback can still hurt us.  I think bigger than our gaudy record and the perceived easiness of our remaining schedule were the injuries to Northwestern's starting QB and RB.  How easy it must have been to think that Kafka can't be as tough as Juice, Pryor, Lewis, etc.  Well Kafka proved that if we don't take the likes of Threet, Stanzi and Sherer seriously they can and will hurt us.

Run the ball, stop the run.  Kafka took it so us on the ground and our rushing offense was unable to give us anything of substance.  Well coming up we don't have mobile quarterbacks to worry about as much but the likes of Shonn Green and PJ Hill are very dangerous.  If we don't get better at stopping whoever has the ball on the ground and if we don't our running game straightened out we will continue to struggle the rest of the season.

Past performance is not indicative of future success (or lack there of).  Northwestern's loss to Indiana did not mean they were going to roll over for us.  In fact it forced them to work harder and come into the Minnesota game more prepared to win.  The fact that Michigan has lost five straight, or Wisconsin is 1-5 in the Big Ten or Iowa is having a frustrating season doesn't guarantee anything for the Gophers.  If we have to take one bad loss to remind us that we are not too far removed from being 1-11, then I'll take it. 

There is more to winning a football game than turnovers.  Hard to imagine that a game where we win the turnover battle and house one for six is a game that we lose, but that is what happened.  If we can't stop the bleeding at the source and if we are unable to score points with our offense then winning games becomes very difficult.  Big Play Traye lived up to his moniker on Saturday but the big play offense failed to come up with enough points to compliment the defense. 

These are just a few of the lessons that were hopefully learned on Saturday.  Nobody wants to lose football games, but I firmly believe this team needed a little slap in the face to remind them that wins do not come easy at this level and as quickly as we went 7-1 we can go 0-4 to finish the year.  November is a huge month for this program and although it started off on the wrong foot, maybe it was just what we needed to get back our rhythm.

Box Score
BTN Highlights

I'll start where Brewster began his press conference...

"The bottom line was, we didn't play well enough in all three phases to win this football game."

He was absolutely correct, lets break the phases down

Special Teams - The missed a 20 yard FG would have won the game. Other than that we didn't play so bad on special teams but that play was big enough to make a difference. 

Joel Monroe - "The snap and the hold were more than adequate.  I know it didn't feel right leaving my foot and it showed." 

It is too bad he missed that FG and I'm not going to harp on the kid. This happens at the collegiate level.  It was a chip shot but he just missed it.  I was impressed he was in the room willing to answer questions about it, he was obviously upset with himself and we'll just leave it at that.

Defense - What was frustrating about the defense was that they were unable to contain and tackle the only legitamite threat the Northwestern offense had. 

"We didn't get off blocks well and go tackle him and that was basically the name of the game.  They didn't have much other offense other than the quarterback running the option and us not tackling him."

The defense played pretty well other than containing Kafka.  I don't know if he was faster than we prepared for, or quicker than he appeared but we took bad angles of pursuit and let him run through arm tackles all day.

After a couple bad throws that led to two interceptions and six points it was obvious that Northwestern was nervous to pass the ball on us.  Multiple third and long situations were hand offs to Conteh and designed QB runs.  The defense also held Conteh to 12 carries for 12 yards.  This offense had one weapon and one weapon only.  It is too bad that we made them so one dimensional.  We didn't just make the a running team we made them a quarter back rushing team.  It was enough to keep their offense to 17 points, but our offense was only able to muster 10 and that was the biggest problem.

Offense - was unable to establish a running game or block well enough to give our quarterback time to make plays. The entire offense to me comes down to the play of the offensive line.  It is absolutely slowing this offense down.  Surprisingly there wasn't a ton of conversation about it post game but I was able to get a little bit out of Brewster and Adam Weber.

TDG - Is your offensive line being physical enough off the ball.  "I'd say right now, no.  We've gott be more physical to run the ball better.  We've gotta do a better job of protecting the quarterback.  But again we've got temendous youth on our team.  That's not an excuse it just is what it is.  We're not gonna be perfect right now I just want to see our guys improving."

I'm not fully buying youth argument anymore.  These guys had four cupcake non-conference games, they've seen the likes of Ohio State, they've played mid to low level Big Ten opponents and have had a bye week to work out kinks (and heel).  After nine games they should be showing signs of improvement and I just don't see it. 

LT - Alford was fine for the most part today.  The one time I really noticed him was early in the second quarter on 3rd and 11.  Northwestern blitzed two guys.  DeLeon Eskridge stepped up in the middle and slowed his guy down.  On the outside Alford moved out to get the OLB blitzing, made contact then was just beat as his man got to Weber and brought him down.  This was just one play that I noticed and pressure wasn't coming from his man all that often but it was a big play that killed our drive.

LG - Orton - I didn't notice Orton much.  Maybe that means he did a solid job but I wasn't focusing on him muh and didn't see guys coming from his spot on pass plays.  Running the ball his hole was often closed and DE never had room to operate on the left side of center. 

C - Tow-Arnett probably grades out the best in my opinion. 

RG - DJ Burris was the recipient of my eagle eyes after I noticed a couple early breakdowns.  A number of plays where Burris would make contact with this hands but then was quickly beat and was left standing with nobody around him looking for someone else to block.  It looked like he was blocking for a screen play but that wasn't the call.  Burris was flat footed all day and his man was often the one putting pressure on Weber.

RT - Wynn, contributed to a weak right side of the line.  In Wynn's defense he was almost always guarding their best DE, Corey Wooten, who is top five in the Big Ten in sacks.  Wooten was consistently trying to beat Wynn around the end.  Wynn was usually capable of keeping him off Weber but there was always that pressure forcing Weber to step up in the pocket and either hurry his throws or tuck and run.  Wooten had just one sack which was his only tackle all day but the pressure was always there.

Weber is confident in his line and sees them improving.

"They are working on different schemes that defensive lines are bringing at them.  I felt like today going agains the best defensive linemen, with the most sacks, I feel like they did a very good job.  I feel like I had a lot of time back there, it just takes experience and time.  They are doing a great job of learning and growing. 

TDG - Is it more of a scheme thing or a technique thing they need to work on? - "I would say it's all technique.  It's one of those things that you've got to practice and as you get later into the season it gets harder because you worry about schemes but you have to maintain technique."

The offensive line absolutly has to get better and I look forward to seeing how much the entire unit will improve when Matt Carufel is added next season.  But we have to worry about now and what we can do to win the last three games of the season.  Ultimately Brewster is right that we didn't play well enough in any phase to win the game.  Monroe's kick hurt but we could have done more.  The offensive line was bad but we still had multiple opportunities to score.  The defense played well against the pass but a QB cannot rush for 220 yards on us. 

This game was a buzz kill and any momentum heading into the Michigan game was seriously slowed but it isn't the end of the season just yet.  If anything this loss will force them to focus on the task at hand and forget about dreams of Rose Bowls.  Michigan is next and Michigan should be receive their full attention this week.  It will be very interesting to see how we respond to this loss and how well we excute.

Four games remain on the Gopher schedule.  As I see things there are two games that my heart wants us to win and there are two games that my head wants us to win.  From the standpoint of a satisfying victory where we can relish the spoils of victory I want us to beat Michigan and Wisconsin so we can proudly display the Jug and the Axe when we open TCF Stadium next fall. 

From the standpoint of maximizing our bowl game and finishing as high as possible in the Big Ten standings I think beating 6-2 Northwestern and 5-3 Iowa will do us the most good.  (Ed note: I would love to have Floyd in TCF as well but the Iowa win would be more about tie breakers and final standings this year).  Since Big Ten Standings and making a Jan. 1 bowl game are ultimately more important for program prestige and pay greater dividends in recruiting I guess that is what we should strive for.  Obviously we want to finish 4-0, but from the stand point of which games are most important, this game is right at the top of the list.

We are aiming for a Jan. 1 bowl game.  As things stand today there are only a few teams left who realistically have a shot at the Outback and Capital One bowls.  Michigan is clearly out of that picture and Wisconsin is too with four Big Ten losses already.  Iowa and Northwestern are still in that picture so beating them knocks them down and gives us the head to head advantage should a tie breaker be necessary.

I had no intentions of this being a bowl game breakdown, but I tihnk this helps to put into perspective that while this game may be the least sexy of our remaining four, it is vitally important to win. 

Before we take a look at this year's match up lets take a quick look back.  The game at Northwestern last year was our most winable Big Ten game and we completely let it slip away.  The Gophers took a 35-14 lead mid way through the third quarter.  NU got the ball back drove down but fumbled on the MN 11 ending that scoring opportunity.  At that point Gopher fans had to feel good about getting what would be their only Big Ten win.  But two Weber interceptions, a missed FG and two fourth quarter TDs for the Wildcats took this game to OT.  It was in the second OT where Brewster decided to go for two, we failed, we lost.

This game was painful and typified the 2007 season.  Watching tape of this game should be enough to motivate the 2008 Gophers.  I've felt all along that this could be a trap game, but the memories of that game should help keep them focused on the task at hand.

  When Northwestern has the ball...

 Get out your roster cause their offensive skill players are changing.  If you've paid any attention this week you know that the Wildcat's starting tailback, Tyrell Sutton, is out for this game and likely the season.  The senior was fifth in the Big Ten in rushing and we are fortunate that we do not have to face this guy.  I'm sure you also know that NU's starting QB is questionable for Saturday's game.  CJ Bacher is fourth in the B10 in passing and lit the Gophers up for 470 yards last year.  If Bacher does not play the more athletic (but not as an accomplished passer) Mike Kafka will be getting the snaps.

Receiving the passes the Wildcats have a balanced and experienced receiving corp.  They have three seniors who each have 31-37 receptions and all have 312 yards or more.  We obviously will not be able to focus on one guy too much as all three are capable of getting open and picking up yards.

The offensive game plan will be interesting and will obviously depend on which QB is playing.  Either way I am expecting a ball control game plan.  Teams have to realize that we are a big play defense that has really only stopped teams when they turn it over.  Quick, short passes and running the ball to minimize turnovers has to be that they think will give them the best opportunity to win.  If I'm Northwestern I'm telling myself that we are good enough to win if we don't beat ourselves with turnovers.

My guess is Kafka starts and his legs are utilized to maintain possession. 

  When Minnesota has the ball...

 You've watched the Gophers play eight games and the offensive game plan should be the same tomorrow as it has been all year.  The offensive line will be our primary focus tomorrow at the game and it will be critical.  Northwestern leads the Big Ten in sacks and Minnesota is near the bottom of the league in sacks allowed.  Can we give Weber enough time to find open receivers and move the ball.

The Wildcat's Corey Wooten is a big pass rusher who has 11 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.  John Gill is their stud at tackle who is also in the Big Ten's top 10 for sacks.  Our offensive line has struggled to come together, stay healthy and keep defenders off Weber's back. 

Northwestern's defense does not have enough weapons to really stop our offense.  Given time we should be able to move the ball with relative ease.  But the big plays and scores may be determined by the time Weber is given.  Especially with the recent emergence of Brandon Green, we now have a second weapon but we Weber will need time to find him if Green is the second option and Decker is covered.

What to Expect

So much has been made our turnover margin being the biggest (if not only) reason we have jumped to a 7-1 start.  Can we win if we lose the turnover battle?  In this case I think so.  Obviously if we are fumbling at the goal ine, fumbling as we are running free after a blocked FG or if we throw a pick-six those turnovers are more damaging.  But Northwestern is beatable even if we don't force a bunch of turnovers. 

I fully expect Northwestern to also use the quick pass attack along with misdirection running with their QB.  If Bacher is starting then I think they'll put him in the shot gun, hope for great protection and try to pick us a part. 

Minnesota should do what we have done all year, I really don't expect anything to be any different.  Brandon Green should be a significant part of the offense in the passing game and Eskridge should get his chances on screens and draws to help neutralize the Wildcate pass rush.  Ultimately Decker should be able to get open at will and he may have his best game of the year.

Predictions

GN - I know I've been skeptical and nervous about a let down.  I think we start slow but a halftime ass chewing snaps us out of it and we dominate the second half.

Northwestern - 21
Minnesota - 34

PJS - I didn't ask him for a prediction this week.  I'm assuming he thinks we win and by double digits.  He can edit this when he reads it (if he ever reads what I write!).

PJS Saturday Update: I think it's going to be close. Very close.

Northwestern -23

Minnesota - 24

LTP - the Northwestern alum is pretty down after losing to the Hoosiers.

Northwestern - 16
Minnesota - 24

Seriously, who would have thought?  I drink the kool-aid more than anybody I know, but not even I would have suggested 7-1 would have been remotely possible.  Back in January I accurately predicted the 5-1 start but I thought for sure we'd lose the two road games at Illinois and Purdue.  We've won back to back road games in the Big Ten.  I know that nationally the Big Ten is viewed as somewhere between the MAC and the Big Sky, but this start is nothing to be ashamed of.  The rest of the season could go horribly wrong but at the very least what a ride we have been on.

Here is what I liked about the Purdue win...

109 passing yards allowed! - a year ago Purdue was the number one scoring offense in the league and barely second in passing per game.  I know, that was last year right?  Well they are still the number two passing offense in the Big Ten.  One play over 11 yards allowed in the air.  Even with Painter in the game they were averaging six yards per completion.  This was a great job by the pass defense led by Marcus Sherels in my opinion.

Turnovers - as usual this carried us.  A great pick by Sherels, a monster hit by Brock to force a fumble and Theret ending the game with a pick in the endzone highlighted the day where we domianted turnovers again.

Brandon Green - FINALLY we saw one of the new receivers step up and make some plays.  Green was an integral part of the offense and it was refreshing to see.  Great job by the freshman.

What I didn't like...

Offensive line play - this is our most glaring weakness.  Currently it slows down the offense cause Eskridge can't get open holes and Weber can't get enough time to find a second open receiver. 

That's about it.  We were far from perfect and we aren't a BCS contender by any stretch of the imagination.  But this guarantees us three road wins on the season.  Most importantly we have three home games remaining and a chance to win all of them.  One game at a time is important starting with Northwestern.

It is an exciting time to be a Gopher football fan.  To quote the wisdom of Mike Tice, "enjoy the season."  Cause this one has been a lot of fun.