With three straight Big Ten victories, the Gophers football
team is becoming the talk of the Twin Cities. Minnesota escaped with a win at
Indiana last weekend to improve to 7-2 on the season and now has a chance to
move to 8-2 this weekend with a home game against Penn State. It's clear that
this Gophers team is generating buzz as I received more mailbag questions this
week than I had during any other week this season. Thanks to all of those who
submitted questions, and be sure to do so again following Saturday's game
against the Nittany Lions.
Q: So did we underestimate the Gophers? Are they playing
above their heads or are they playing as expected??
--Jerry, Minneapolis
A: I'll admit that I underestimated this team. I
certainly thought that progress would be made from last year to this year, but
the Gophers have exceeded my expectations. Heading into the season I said six
wins was probably the limit, with an outside chance for seven victories. Well,
with three games to play, they've already reached that seven-win mark and have
a chance for No. 8 this weekend.
While those of us on the outside may be surprised by the
steps Minnesota has made, none of the Gophers players seem to feel that way.
They had high expectations for themselves before the season started and they've
believed in head coach Jerry Kill's system. When Minnesota started 0-2 in Big
Ten play, some people may have written the Gophers off following their 4-0
start. Yet Kill's team didn't panic and continued to stay the course en route
to three straight Big Ten wins. As for your question of whether they're playing
above their heads, I'm not so sure that's the case. Of their seven wins, the
only real surprise to me was not only beating Nebraska but also the way in
which Minnesota handled the Huskers.
So to answer your question, yes, I think many people did
underestimate the Gophers, who continue to play with an underdog mentality that
suits them well. In fact, safety Brock Vereen said Tuesday that he'd rather
that Minnesota doesn't earn a Top 25 ranking because he enjoys and embraces that
underdog mindset.
Q: The Indiana win is a big one. Their abilities are
clearly improving, but their attitude lapses, especially on defense, concern
me. After getting up on Nebraska by 14 last week in the third quarter, a
let down led to a dominating touchdown and a struggle to the finish. This
week against Indiana they got up 35-13 and again let up and were lucky to get
the win. What do you think it takes to get the Gophers to understand that
they have to apply their abilities and attitude throughout a game against every
opponent?
--James Nelson, Deerwood, Minn.
A: I think they're starting to understand that they
have to play strong for four quarters, although Saturday's game at Indiana was
a bit of a wakeup call. On Tuesday, safety Brock Vereen called it a
"learning lesson" for the Gophers to realize that the game is never
over until the clock hits 0:00. At the same time, it's important to remember
just how quick Indiana's offense can strike. They've done so against every team
they've faced this year, and Minnesota was no exception.
The thing to remember here is that games like Nebraska and
Indiana are probably games that the Gophers would have lost in recent years.
When the Huskers cut Minnesota's lead to four points in the fourth quarter, the
Gophers didn't panic and went on to score a touchdown in the final minute to
seal the win. When Indiana took a fourth-quarter lead with 5:33 to play after
trailing by 22 in the third quarter, Minnesota responded with a big-time
touchdown pass from Philip Nelson to tight end Maxx Williams. So while the
defensive lapses might be disappointing to see, the resiliency of this team
should be lauded.
Q: Is the timing of the Gophers winning ways with Kil's
absence from sideline any coincidence or is the "process" actually
coming to fruition?
--Jon Tatting, Cambridge, Minn.
A: I don't think Minnesota's three straight wins have
anything to do with Kill's absence from the sideline. It instead has to do with
the system Kill has put in place and his players continuing to buy into it.
Would this team have won these last three games if Kill were in charge? I
believe they would have.
Since Kill temporarily left the team to focus on his
epilepsy treatment, we've found out that his staff is a well-oiled machine.
Many of his assistant coaches have been with him for a decade or more -- 19 years,
in the case of defensive coordinator and acting head coach Tracy Claeys. They
all know each other so well and know what each other wants to do from a
coaching standpoint. So even though Kill may not have been on the sideline for
these past three wins, he was still very much a part of them.
With that said, Claeys deserves a good amount of credit for
how he's handled things in Kill's absence. The level-headed Claeys doesn't get
too high or too low, a change of pace from the fiery Kill. It's not an easy
transition to go from calling defensive plays up in the press box to doing so
on the sideline while also fulfilling the other head coaching duties.
It still remains to be seen when Kill will return to the
sideline. After the win against Nebraska, he admitted he's a bit superstitious
and wanted to remain in the press box for the Gophers' game at Indiana. That
seemed to work, so Kill will once again be up in the box this Saturday against
Penn State. He's still in communication with his coaches and sits right next to
offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover. While Claeys will be calling the shots
on the sideline Saturday, Kill has the final say in decisions, especially
during the week. And he's been active on the recruiting trail as well,
reassuring recruits that he plans to coach this team for a long time.
Q: With the Gophers sitting at 7-2 what would have to
happen for them to get to the Capital One Bowl or Outback Bowl?
--Jake, East Grand Forks, Minn.
A: I received a few questions about Minnesota's bowl
game situation and what might happen if they win a few more games. With three
games still on the schedule (and four games remaining for other teams) a lot
could change in the next few weeks in terms of the Big Ten's bowl outlook. As
of right now, most bowl projections have the Gophers playing in the Gator Bowl
on New Year's Day in Jacksonville, while the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 has also
been mentioned. Minnesota has two teams ahead of it -- Michigan State and
Nebraska -- in the Big Ten Legends division.
It would truly be a longshot to reach the Capital One Bowl
or Outback Bowl, the top two non-BCS bowls for Big Ten teams. Ohio State is
expected to reach a BCS bowl, while some experts have Wisconsin also sneaking
into a BCS bowl. That would likely leave Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl
as the top Big Ten school not in a BCS game. And if the Badgers don't indeed
make a BCS game, that pushes each Big Ten team down one notch in the bowl
standings. Current bowl projections then have either Michigan or Nebraska in
the Outback Bowl, ahead of the Gophers. The Huskers currently sit ahead of
Minnesota in the standings, while the Wolverines are behind the Gophers at 2-2
in conference play (but they have a chance to finish ahead of Minnesota). On
top of that, bowl committees will factor in how well a certain team's fan base
travels. With all due respect to Gophers fans, Nebraska and Michigan fans have
better reputations as fans more likely to travel than Minnesota.
There's still a scenario that could have the Gophers playing
in the Big Ten championship game, but it's highly unlikely. As it stands,
Minnesota should realistically be looking at a trip to either Jacksonville for
the Gator Bowl (the Big Ten's fifth-best bowl), or possibly sneaking up a spot
to earn a berth in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., on Dec. 28.
While that game wouldn't have the allure of a New Year's Day game, it is
actually a better bowl than the Gator Bowl as the Big Ten's No. 4 bowl game.
Q: How will Jon Christenson's injury affect O
line? Will Tommy Olson be able to handle the job?
--Thomas Kaphings, Minneapolis
A: Losing Christenson for the year with a leg injury
is certainly a big loss for the Gophers, who have remained relatively healthy
this season. But this offensive line is one that gained plenty of valuable
experience last year due to a plethora of injuries, meaning Olson should be
able to take over admirably at center. The junior from Mahtomedi has plenty of
experience as a starter, making six starts at right guard last year and three
starts as a freshman in 2011. Center is a new position for him, though, but he
worked hard in fall camp to make the adjustment. Minnesota's offensive line
didn't seem to miss a beat after Christenson was injured on Saturday and Olson
held his own. The depth at a number of positions, including along the offensive
line, is one of the many reasons for the Gophers' notable improvement. Kill and
his staff preach the "next man up" mentality, and now is Olson's turn
to be that next man up.
Q: Am I crazy to think that this team could be 9-3 at
seasons end? I think that they have the momentum to beat PSU and Wisconsin at
home but at Michigan State will stop the streak.
--Adam, Bloomington, Minn.
A: If you would have predicted 9-3 at the beginning
of the season, some people might have called you crazy. At this juncture in the
season, though, it's certainly not crazy to think about the possibility of
Minnesota winning nine games. The Gophers are favored this weekend against Penn
State, a more well-balanced team than Minnesota faced a week ago at Indiana. If
Minnesota can win this Saturday, it would be the first time reaching eight wins
since 2003. It would also give this team momentum heading into its meeting with
rival Wisconsin (although the Gophers do have a bye week first). Even though
the Badgers have been picked by some experts to play in a BCS bowl game, this
should be a much closer matchup between Wisconsin and Minnesota than we've seen
in years. The Badgers have dominated the rivalry recently, winning the last
nine games against the Gophers But this is the best Gophers squad that UW will
have seen in years. If Wisconsin can get by BYU and Indiana in the next two
weeks, and Minnesota beats Penn State this weekend, the two rivals would both
be 8-2 as they collide at TCF Bank Stadium on Nov. 23 to battle for Paul
Bunyan's Axe. The Gophers will have home-field advantage for a game that will
surely be sold out. Who's to say Minnesota can't finally snap its streak
against Wisconsin?
If the Gophers do happen to beat the Badgers and improve to
9-3, they'll be up against the stingiest defense they'll face all year in
Michigan State. Playing the Spartans anywhere is no easy task, but playing them
in East Lansing is even tougher.
Q: What position do you think is the most needed for the
Gophers to add some good recruits?
--Brad Vaught, Rochester, Minn.
A: There are always positions of need in recruiting,
but I think Minnesota could certainly stand to add a few linebackers. It's a position
that was a huge question marking entering this season. While players like Aaron
Hill, James Manuel and transfer Damien Wilson have held their own, two of them
(Hill and Manuel) are seniors and Wilson is a junior. I think adding a
playmaking defensive back would also be a good addition. Minnesota will lose
safety Brock Vereen and cornerback Martez Shabazz to graduation after this
year, while juniors Cedric Thompson, Derrick Wells and Briean Boddy-Calhoun all
have one year left. Given the injuries the Gophers have had in the secondary
this season, depth in that area is always key.
