Ask a Gopher Fan (and receive legit responses)

[OmahaCuse]

I would say that Minny from of national perspective is much lower profile than CUSE (History, NFL players, BCS games, HOF, TV )...Went to the Minny/ SU game last year and loved the stadium, fans were extremely nice but definitely a NFL city and very laid back about the Gophers almost like a "minor league" cottage industry attitude. When Nebraska played at MN they had 20k fans...

This will be a close low scoring game, we have a really solid run defense. Both teams have a very solid DT (NFL player) and decent run games. This will be the normal, turnovers and special teams decides the game. Yes, we lost to PSU and NW but both were essentially road games which we threw 4 picks in each. Against PSU had a punter drop a ball at our own 20... So from a talent perspective, we were clearly on par if not better than both of those teams.

 

[Trueblue25]

How should Minnesota fair against/adjust to our pass rush?

Syracuse has a top 20 pass rush, we sack the opposing QB nearly every 11 plays. This could really hamper Minnesota rushing threat and ability to sustain drives. Minnesota gives up a sack nearly every 10 plays.

http://www.teamrankings.com/ncf/stats/

I expect that our solid rush defense coupled with our above average pass rush should be a major threat, if not the biggest threat to the Gophers ability to score.

 

[PeteCalvin]

We can feel your pain about being "jumped" in the fake bowl pecking order. Happened to us twice in the old BE days with VaTech. Sucks. Glad we're playing you guys and not some scrub MAC team. Should be a great match-up. Hopefully the weather cooperates.

Welcome to the board!

 

[TheCusian]

So in review: Minny got a better bowl than they deserved last season, thanks to bowl bans on better B1G teams. Minny scheduled light this year, got two extra wins OOC, had a few decent wins only to collapse back to their normal mediocrity - and then with their self-inflated view of themselves decided they were above a team that looks eerily similar to themselves statistically? I've seen this movie before, WVU North.

 

[All4SU]

That actually might be a compliment of your QB. A bunch of us were gaga over BC's QB, fast and good quick decision maker.

My guess is we all want a good showing by our teams and, most importantly, no injuries. Good lord, we're no Maryland but we have had our share of injuries this year.

BCs a reminded me of someone like Hostetler.

 

[FAL]

We can feel your pain about being "jumped" in the fake bowl pecking order. Happened to us twice in the old BE days with VaTech. Sucks. Glad we're playing you guys and not some scrub MAC team. Should be a great match-up. Hopefully the weather cooperates.

Welcome to the board!

Shouldn't be a problem in a dome stadium, I would think.

 

[Cadillac]

Explain hotdish.

 

[Oleboy41]

How should Minnesota fair against/adjust to our pass rush?

Syracuse has a top 20 pass rush, we sack the opposing QB nearly every 11 plays. This could really hamper Minnesota rushing threat and ability to sustain drives. Minnesota gives up a sack nearly every 10 plays.

http://www.teamrankings.com/ncf/stats/

I expect that our solid rush defense coupled with our above average pass rush should be a major threat, if not the biggest threat to the Gophers ability to score.

I think our sack numbers are a bit skewed. First remember that CFB counts negative yard QB runs as sacks. Second as we're a run then play action passing team we haven't really had a large issue with pass protection this year on normal, ahead of the chains downs. However in clear passing situations we will definitely be susceptible to a strong pass rush not so much because our OL struggles but because our receivers can struggle to get open in those situations and our passing game isn't built to move the ball against teams playing the pass so we've had some coverage sacks this year.

 

[Oleboy41]

We can feel your pain about being "jumped" in the fake bowl pecking order. Happened to us twice in the old BE days with VaTech. Sucks. Glad we're playing you guys and not some scrub MAC team. Should be a great match-up. Hopefully the weather cooperates.

Welcome to the board!

Preciate it. That was my fear as well (ending up playing a Sun Belt school or something)

 

[Oleboy41]

So in review: Minny got a better bowl than they deserved last season, thanks to bowl bans on better B1G teams. Minny scheduled light this year, got two extra wins OOC, had a few decent wins only to collapse back to their normal mediocrity - and then with their self-inflated view of themselves decided they were above a team that looks eerily similar to themselves statistically? I've seen this movie before, WVU North.

I'd say that's a pretty inaccurate review. First our schedule wasn't brutal but we did play UNLV and SJSU who aren't worldbeaters but both went 5-3 in the MW and are bowl eligible. I've already rebutted the 'self-inflated' argument as well so its fairly clear you're either trolling or not reading, either of which means I'll stop responding to your post now

 

[Oleboy41]

Explain hotdish.

Lazy house wives mixing random ingredients in a casserole dish, adding either cheese or cream of mushroom soup and calling it a meal

 

[FAL]

Lazy house wives mixing random ingredients in a casserole dish, adding either cheese or cream of mushroom soup and calling it a meal

Don't they have a concession at the Dome that serves that? If not, maybe they should consider it--certainly would be an improvement over some of the "food" served there.

 

[Oleboy41]

I would say that Minny from of national perspective is much lower profile than CUSE (History, NFL players, BCS games, HOF, TV )...Went to the Minny/ SU game last year and loved the stadium, fans were extremely nice but definitely a NFL city and very laid back about the Gophers almost like a "minor league" cottage industry attitude. When Nebraska played at MN they had 20k fans...

This will be a close low scoring game, we have a really solid run defense. Both teams have a very solid DT (NFL player) and decent run games. This will be the normal, turnovers and special teams decides the game. Yes, we lost to PSU and NW but both were essentially road games which we threw 4 picks in each. Against PSU had a punter drop a ball at our own 20... So from a talent perspective, we were clearly on par if not better than both of those teams.

Gophers have a passionate but fairly small fan base which is due to the fact that we've sucked for a long time. For instance this year Wisconsin came to town and the crowd was still 90% MN. In the past we've had games against Iowa and WI where they've been 30-40% of the stadium. Pathetic but true. On the flip side WI had half filled stadiums galore before Alvarez turned the program around. Nebraska always travels well but 20k is a large over exaggeration. On a national scale like I said we've either sucked or been mediocre for decades so nobody cares. Respect and attention is earned both in your town and nationally. And honestly I hear you regarding 'profile' comparisons to the 2 but like I said as a CFB fan in the Midwest Cuse doesn't really have a national profile either. I know of McNabb and Marvin Harrison but I can't really think of any other big time Cuse players nor remember seasons where Cuse was a big deal or a big story nationally other than when Paulus came around.

 

[Oleboy41]

Don't they have a concession at the Dome that serves that? If not, maybe they should consider it--certainly would be an improvement over some of the "food" served there.

I've been to one game at the Dome in like 7 or 8 years (moved out of state) so I can't really comment on any of that

 

[FuzzyRump]

I don't think any of the arenas/stadiums have hotdish, but the Xcel Center (Wild) comes close with the Uff Da Nachos.
http://www.hockeywilderness.com/201...-nachos-may-be-the-most-minnesotan-thing-ever

 

[TheCusian]

I'd say that's a pretty inaccurate review. First our schedule wasn't brutal but we did play UNLV and SJSU who aren't worldbeaters but both went 5-3 in the MW and are bowl eligible. I've already rebutted the 'self-inflated' argument as well so its fairly clear you're either trolling or not reading, either of which means I'll stop responding to your post now

Just so we're up front about it: We played Penn State and NW out of conference, while you played UNLV and SJSU. Now, I realize you guys beat those B1G teams - but I think we can agree that if you added two BCS level schools in place of those two - there'd be a chance you'd end up with two more losses. 6-6.

I'm sorry, I did read your post and forgot that you tried to put the "self-inflated" argument to bed by stating that you'd rather play "someone more challenging" and that it was nothing personal. As we've unpacked here and elsewhere on this board - if you don't think this will be a challenging game, you'll be mistaken. I really hope your team has a similar approach to the game. Ask WVU how that worked out for them last season.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

Thanks for stopping by Oleboy. As you can see, some on this board still view our team as a national contender instead of a teaming trying to pull itself out of the abyss. With a 6-6 record, I'm just glad SU got a bowl. I'm also happy that its a team from a major conference. While I wish it wasn't a team we played last year, it beats staying at home for the holidays. Good luck in the bowl, but I hope SU plays much better than their dreadful showing last year. I also pray for different announcers. Those Big X announcers were horrible!

 

[SgtCuse]

Did Oswald act alone?

 

[Trueblue25]

How's your red zone offense? I see a lot of running TDs from your QBs.. and I see your one QB is pretty much an ogre.

 

[PeteCalvin]

Shouldn't be a problem in a dome stadium, I would think.

I meant for tailgating. . Screw the game.

Hoping to use some miles I've saved to go down. I want Hoffman's in Tejas!

 

[Oleboy41]

Just so we're up front about it: We played Penn State and NW out of conference, while you played UNLV and SJSU. Now, I realize you guys beat those B1G teams - but I think we can agree that if you added two BCS level schools in place of those two - there'd be a chance you'd end up with two more losses. 6-6.

I'm sorry, I did read your post and forgot that you tried to put the "self-inflated" argument to bed by stating that you'd rather play "someone more challenging" and that it was nothing personal. As we've unpacked here and elsewhere on this board - if you don't think this will be a challenging game, you'll be mistaken. I really hope your team has a similar approach to the game. Ask WVU how that worked out for them last season.

Well yes of course if we played better teams there'd be a better chance that we'd lose those games. There's also a chance that we'd win those games especially if they were of the same quality of teams as PSU and NW. Who knows. Also for as much as some have tried to call MN 'self inflated' it seems that some (not all) Cuse fans are really getting offended by a fan saying they were hoping to play a tougher team. That's not disrespect to Cuse, its a mere reflection on the record and wishing our favorite team would get an opponent that would bring more national attention as well as getting a chance to 'play up' a level to earn respect. I don't think any rational fan thinks this game is a push over as Cuse is a bowl eligible team from a major conference and that's never easy. Not to mention that we've played 2 tough games with you in the last 5 years already. That's part of the reason for the 'meh' as we've already played you twice and wanted someone different which is part of the fun of bowl games. Shoot the same could be said for you guys. If MN fans got the bowl they wanted and you guys got matched with Iowa, Nebraska or Michigan I doubt many of you would be upset you didn't get to play MN. Shoot I'd bet most of you would take those matchups in a heartbeat over us. Why? Because those are higher profile programs that would give you more of a 'boost' by beating. If you beat MN you'll feel good but who will care nationally? Who will say 'man we better look out for Cuse since they beat MN'? Probably nobody. Same for us. It would've been more of a 'boost' for us to play and beat an SEC team or a BC team with a Heisman candidate and that's all folks are saying. Don't take it so personal.

 

[Oleboy41]

Thanks for stopping by Oleboy. As you can see, some on this board still view our team as a national contender instead of a teaming trying to pull itself out of the abyss. With a 6-6 record, I'm just glad SU got a bowl. I'm also happy that its a team from a major conference. While I wish it wasn't a team we played last year, it beats staying at home for the holidays. Good luck in the bowl, but I hope SU plays much better than their dreadful showing last year. I also pray for different announcers. Those Big X announcers were horrible!

Same here. And the BTN announcers can suck but nobody's worse than the Pam Ward/Joey Galloway grouping

 

[OmahaCuse]

In 2003 MN had their first 10 win season since 1903...Understand we have not been very good since 2003 (not 1903) (Dwight Freeney) and the mid 90's (McNabb, Harrison, Kevin Johnson, Konrad, etc.) But you have to know about John Mackey, Jim Brown, Art Monk, Ernie Davis, Floyd Little, Joe Morris, Larry Csonka, Moose Johnston, Gary Anderson, Rob Moore, Quadry Ismael, Don McPherson, Marvin Graves?

The move to the ACC will help us return to a top 25 program in time, the Big East killed us for years (good luck with Rutgers and Maryland). Everything is cyclical look how long Bama was down as was Miami as is Nebraska, etc...

 

[xc84]

I know of McNabb and Marvin Harrison but I can't really think of any other big time Cuse players nor remember seasons where Cuse was a big deal or a big story nationally other than when Paulus came around.

Add Dwight Freeney to your list. He will be in the Hall of Fame someday.

 

[Oleboy41]

How's your red zone offense? I see a lot of running TDs from your QBs.. and I see your one QB is pretty much an ogre.

Its mediocre honestly. Once we're inside the 2 our coaches love the QB sneak which is why we have so many rushing TDs with our QBs. We don't have a real redzone target WR right now and none that can get open consistently right now and our best receiving threat is our RS frosh TE. So we generally try to pound it in when we get in the redzone with mixed results. Cobb has a tendency to dance a little bit in the hole as he's a patient, find the hole type of back but on the goal line that's led to some negative plays. If we played well in the RZ we'd have beaten MSU but it's been a struggle.