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Badgers? BADGERS? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGERS!
HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE
Speaking of Badgers...
Football
- The Gophers communications interns continue to deliver. Here's the promo/hype video for the Border Battle:
- Phil Miller follows up on Fuller's tweet from last night, confirming that the Badgers may need to prepare to see MarQueis Gray line up as a receiver:
Will Wisconsin feel that way? Depends on Gray's ankle, which was re-injured during the second half. The quarterback practiced at both positions on Tuesday, mostly to avoid piling too much work on him taking snaps. Shortell is still the likely starter at quarterback Saturday.
"He can run straight ahead, but he has trouble stopping and starting," coach Jerry Kill said Wednesday. "He'll have some type of role [Saturday], but how much has yet to be determined."
- I forsee a future QBGAZE moment coming. Why? Fuller comments that playing some WR now will help Gray's NFL future. I don't necessarily think he's wrong, but don't be surprised if this gets used as a reason to keep Gray there moving forward...
- More attention is being paid to the players to recently lose their redshirts, particularly running back Rodrick Williams. Rodrick was not expecting the move:
Nearly midway through the season, Rodrick Williams Jr. didn't see it coming.
The Gophers football coaching staff told the true freshman running back early in fall camp they intended to redshirt him. So, Williams, who has gone by the nickname "Nugget" since he ate 50 McDonald's chicken nuggets during his official recruiting visit, spent his first four months on campus believing his collegiate debut was still a year away.
He understood it was always a possibility the plan could be altered, but that didn't seem likely.
- Losing to your rivals sucks. And these techy stats...
The Gophers haven’t beaten Wisconsin since 2003 — before Facebook or Twitter existed. Their last road win in this series came before the Internet was mainstream — in 1994.
- Coach Kill is making it clear that seizures won't make him quit football. He also revealed that he has had 15-20 small seizures over the past year. This isn't terribly surprising given that it's a chronic condition where you are treating, not curing, the underlying problems. The investigation I've done also says that seizure conditions like his are rarely fatal (unless you have a seizure in a bad spot like driving). But many folks don't realize that. As personal an issue as this clearly is, I'm wondering if Coach Kill may want to be a bit more public about what it means to live with the seizures in order to help folks better understand it.
But Kill said Wednesday that he no longer wants to talk about his situation because it doesn't affect his job.
"I've been as open as I can be," Kill said. "Everybody knows the situation. I'm an epileptic. I've got seizures. I'm going to have them for the rest of my life. I could have one today. It is what it is."
...
Kill said he is aware of other Twin Cities public figures who have epilepsy. It's been frustrating for him because there aren't many people who understand what he goes through. Kill said he's had "about 15 or 20" seizures over the past year.
"I live with them," he said. "It's personal."
- In news that will surprise no one, the Badgers plan to run the ball right at the Gophers on Saturday. And the Gophers will need to improve the mental part of their game to avoid getting gashed again:
Poor communication was a bigger issue than poor tackling last week for the Gophers, who allowed Northwestern's Venric Mark to rush for 182 yards and two touchdowns as the Wildcats posted a 21-13 victory. The bulk of Mark's yards came on a few plays when he bolted untouched because the linebackers and safeties were unsure who was responsible for him. One of the miscues led to Mark's 48-yard touchdown run in the first half.
Sigh...frustrating!
- FBT is getting all nerdy on us. Wouldn't this have been more appropriate during Northwestern week?
- Coming to Madison this weekend? Live here near me? Here are the Sota Social details:
The event, which is free to attend, is from 8-10 p.m. in the Superior room at the Madison Marriott West (1313 John Q Hammons Drive Middleton, Wisconsin 53562).
Basketball
- Trevor Mbakwe has his probation hearing in Florida moved to Friday. Punishment could still include jail time.
Miami Dade State Attorney's Office spokeswoman Terry Chavez said Wednesday that the result of Friday's hearing would either be added probation or jail time.
She said earlier this week that "anything was realistic" and that the decision was up to the judge.
"He's on his third bite of the apple down here," Chavez said Wednesday.
- Maize n Brew previews the Gophers.
Hockey
- After a dominating performance this past weekend, Gopher hockey is now #1 in both national polls.
- Tyler Mason talks about Erik Haula. HOLLA FOR HAULA!
- WCHA Blog offers up their Week 1 Power Rankings for the conference...guess who is #1?
- Gophers head on the road to face an improved Michigan Tech team says The Daily. Russo also looks at the road swing and drops this little nugget:
With one more win, coach Don Lucia, in his 26th year of coaching, will become the 10th college hockey coach in history to win 600 games, the ninth to do so exclusively with Division I schools (Alaska-Fairbanks, Colorado College and the U).
- College Hockey Inc talks with Russo on their podcast.
- The women's hockey team faces off against their first ranked opponent this weekend, as #6 Ohio State comes to town.
Volleyball
- HATE WEEK SWEEP! The volleyball team beat the Badgers in straight sets last night and improved to 7-2 in the B1G.
Wrestling
- Here's the preseason video for wrestling:
B1G
- Land Grant Holy Land delivers an interesting take on the concept of a "Fake Ass Buckeye." I've always thought the "fake fan" attack was a lamer one, especially when delivered against media members who have rules to follow. Worth a read IMO.
College Football
- MGoBrian delivers another edition of "This Week in Schadenfreude." Meager Reader, you show up in the deranged Purdue fan section. Yes, I'm serious.
NCAA
- In shocking news, the NCAA is STUPID:
What recruiting advantage is possibly gained with sepia tones or a fake old timey frame on a photo? And what cost savings or competitive equity is achieved by restricting the use of free or 99 cent iPhone apps?
Uniforms
- Under Armour delivers new Northwestern BB uniforms.
- A look at all the uniform changes in B1G mens bball. Also includes changes to bball courts and such.
The Smorgasbord
- The space shuttle Endeavour was moved from the LA airport,through Inglewood, to the California Science Center in Exposition Park. Here's a time lapse of that process:
- Dartmouth forgot a kicking tee last weekend and had to improvise:
Willenbrock improvised and made a kicking tee out of a water bottle.
According to the paper, Willenbrock and Dartmouth had to figure out something after not just forgetting their tee at home, but after Yale took back a tee it had initially said Dartmouth could borrow.
Willenbrock had to get creative.
"I saw a water bottle, and I was like, 'this will work perfectly,'" Willenbrock told USA Today.