How important is the Minnesota game? | Page 2 | Syracusefan.com

How important is the Minnesota game?

This game right now is the most important of the season. Had we beaten Northwestern, it wouldn't mean quite as much. This team needs this win, to start to build confidence that they are winners. Somewhere in every resurgence of a program, there needs to be a defining moment where things clicked. Usually its not realized until later, but this needs to be a start.
 
I think it is pretty close to a must win if the objective is a bowl. That said, I do not think this team will implode. I think we will get better as the season progresses.
 
If we want to go to a bowl we need to win this game. Need to go into the break on a win
 
Shenexon said:
This is a big game for us.

  1. We need to get back to even on the season to start BE play without a feeling of desperation.
  2. Minnesota is a team we can beat and we need to win the games we should and a few we shouldn't.
  3. We need to make a statement that we are a good fb program as we start our final BE season. The players need it, the coaches need it, the school needs it, and the fans need it. The time for SU to be a national bottom dweller needs to be over. If not now, then when?
  4. This is the best offense we've had in many years. If we can't win with this offense, the future is indeed bleak.
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Couldn't agree more, across the board. Good post.
 
RF2044 said:
It is huge for bowl eligibility. I get that we could run the table [or close] in the BE, but we need wins in order to ensure ourselves a postseason berth.

Before the season, I thought that 8-4 was very possible. That included a win over NW. 7-5 is still very much attainable, but we need to win against a team like Minnesota. Have to win all the winnable games.

I'd hate to head into the last game or two of the schedule with 5 wins and a postseason berth in the balance like last year.

So in short, I think this game is HUGE. Win, and we've come out of the OOC portion of the schedule in reasonably solid shape. Lose, and we're 1-3, with a lot of pressure on the players / coaches the rest of the way.
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No Marion Barber or Eric Decker this time. Or was it Laurence Maroney? One of those RB ran all over us that one game years back. What's the scouting report on these guys?
 
I think it's big because we need to start beating middle of pack teams from other conferences on a consistent basis if we are to claim we've progressed. If we lose, it doesn't mean we won't make a bowl game or that we can't win the league, but it means we haven't taken as much of a step as we hoped for.
 
We need 6 of the next 7 . So we win the big east and go 9-3 before a BCS bowl game
 
MikeSU02 said:
Before the year started, I thought the NW game was a must-win for us. I thought that if we lost that game (did happen) and then got blown out against USC (did not happen), we would be playing in front of a sparse crowd against SB (did happen) and that the rest of the year would be an uphill battle; looking at something like a 4 win season.

I don't feel that way anymore. Hindsight is obviously 20/20.

However, how important is the Minnesota game? For our fanbase's psyche, it seems like a must win. For me personally, to have faith in our ability to get to a bowl, it is a must-win.

But it doesn't impact our BE standings and I guess our high-end goal should be to win the conference.

I can't help but feel that if we lose this game, it will be the start of an unraveling of the team. Maybe that is a bit doom and gloom, but that is what it feels like will happen if we lose.
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I feel you. This game is the fork in the road. We must get a win.
 
It is HUGE for Minnesota. This is their biggest OOC game and a chance to show the nation they are for real. Let's face it, they are the 4th best AQ team we play OOC and SU has to show up emotionally charged for this one.
 
SoBeCuse said:
No Marion Barber or Eric Decker this time. Or was it Laurence Maroney? One of those RB ran all over us that one game years back. What's the scouting report on these guys?
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Scouting report is ... they suck ... if we don't beat these guys I'll lose my religion. They were taken to triple OT by UNLV who is awful ... taken to the wire by Western Michigan and although they beat up on UNH, UNH gave them 14 points on turnovers ... and Minny had a 1 play drive of 75 yards that was a broken play on a Gray scramble ... SU should handle Minny, the B1G looks really bad this year ... not sure how else I can sum this up.
 
wfschrec said:
Scouting report is ... they suck ... if we don't beat these guys I'll lose my religion. They were taken to triple OT by UNLV who is awful ... taken to the wire by Western Michigan and although they beat up on UNH, UNH gave them 14 points on turnovers ... and Minny had a 1 play drive of 75 yards that was a broken play on a Gray scramble ... SU should handle Minny, the B1G looks really bad this year ... not sure how else I can sum this up.
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And I'm sure WV felt the same way after looking at SU's Rhode Island game. Number 2, SU isn't playing the Big 10, they are playing Minnesota at Minnesota and USC struggled there last year and that too was a Gopher team that struggled and lost to North Dakota St.
 
To correct something, SmilinBob, Minnesota's game versus USC in 2011 was at the Coliseum. The Gophers lost, 19-17. In 2010, USC played at TCF Bank Stadium, and the Trojans won, 32-21.

It would be a mistake by Syracuse fans to compare this Minnesota team with those of the past couple years. Minnesota is playing with lots of confidence right now, and this is a young team with much more speed and athleticism than they had even last year. The coaching staff has done a great job of recruiting. The game will also probably be close to a sellout (50,805), as it's the first home night game for the Gophers and they have been marketing it as "Fill Our House."

One thing that could help Syracuse is that Minnesota plays its big rivalry game at Iowa next week, so I suppose it's possible that some of the Gophers will be thinking ahead to that game.
 
Sid_Apollo said:
To correct something, SmilinBob, Minnesota's game versus USC in 2011 was at the Coliseum. The Gophers lost, 19-17. In 2010, USC played at TCF Bank Stadium, and the Trojans won, 32-21.

It would be a mistake by Syracuse fans to compare this Minnesota team with those of the past couple years. Minnesota is playing with lots of confidence right now, and this is a young team with much more speed and athleticism than they had even last year. The coaching staff has done a great job of recruiting. The game will also probably be close to a sellout (50,805), as it's the first home night game for the Gophers and they have been marketing it as "Fill Our House."

One thing that could help Syracuse is that Minnesota plays its big rivalry game at Iowa next week, so I suppose it's possible that some of the Gophers will be thinking ahead to that game.
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You're right sid, thanks for the correction.

My point is going out there and thinking it's an easy game which it seems you and I both agree, it will not be.
 
SmilinBob said:
And I'm sure WV felt the same way after looking at SU's Rhode Island game. Number 2, SU isn't playing the Big 10, they are playing Minnesota at Minnesota and USC struggled there last year and that too was a Gopher team that struggled and lost to North Dakota St.
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Have you actually watched Minny? They are awful ... we stuck with a better USC squad this season without USC making a ton of mistakes ... if you watched the USC/Minny games you would know that USC did everything humanly possible to cough those games up ... they couldn't run the ball on Minny and even though Barkley was completing passes left and right USC for some reason abandoned the passing game and decided to run the ball backwards ... look at the numbers, if they had Redd for either of those seasons USC wins by 3 scores each time.

As for WV feeling the same way about us ... well we did choke and blow 5 in a row after beating them did we not ... we were a bad matchup for them as we all came to know. I don't care if the game is at Minny or at the Dome ... they are not a good football team ... They were manhandled by a NW team last season that is much better this season and we for all intents and purposes dominated that game sans the special teams ... they are a 3-9 team (last season) hanging their hats on a 3 game win streak of UNLV, W Mich and NH ... and I really don't care if SU is playing in the B1G, ACC or BE .. the fact is you are playing a cellar dwellar from a conference that is performing rather poorly thus far in OOC ... sorry but if you feel this is a middle of the pack or potentially top quarter of the BE squad ... (as I feel they are top half) they better take care of business against these guys ... I feel they will.

Frankly for 3 quarters we hung tough with USC last season ... the rest of our schedule proved that game was probably an abberation as was Minny's game against them. Minny beat Illinois, Iowa and Miami of Ohio and was either manhandled by a better program or lost to an FCS school for the rest of their schedule ... they were 3-9 ... 3-9 ... they are not a good football team sorry ... I wasn't paraphrasing when I said they suck. I have higher expectations for SU this year than last ... I am confident they will come out and sock Minny right in the mouth and get the W ... And now with SU getting bigger upfront on the DLine I like their chances ... had we been trotting out last season's DLine I wouldn't feel nearly as good about our chances.

One of the biggest thing that hurt Minny is their secondary ... I expect us to exploit that since the running game is not our strength this season ... IMHO (and maybe I am going out on a limb with this squad) but I feel we are a bad matchup for them. Last season they gave up over 400 yds/game in a conference not exactly known for slinging it ... honestly I feel much better about our game with them than I did with NW for a bevy of reasons ...
 
wfschrec said:
Have you actually watched Minny? They are awful ... we stuck with a better USC squad this season without USC making a ton of mistakes ... if you watched the USC/Minny games you would know that USC did everything humanly possible to cough those games up ... they couldn't run the ball on Minny and even though Barkley was completing passes left and right USC for some reason abandoned the passing game and decided to run the ball backwards ... look at the numbers, if they had Redd for either of those seasons USC wins by 3 scores each time.

As for WV feeling the same way about us ... well we did choke and blow 5 in a row after beating them did we not ... we were a bad matchup for them as we all came to know. I don't care if the game is at Minny or at the Dome ... they are not a good football team ... They were manhandled by a NW team last season that is much better this season and we for all intents and purposes dominated that game sans the special teams ... they are a 3-9 team (last season) hanging their hats on a 3 game win streak of UNLV, W Mich and NH ... and I really don't care if SU is playing in the B1G, ACC or BE .. the fact is you are playing a cellar dwellar from a conference that is performing rather poorly thus far in OOC ... sorry but if you feel this is a middle of the pack or potentially top quarter of the BE squad ... (as I feel they are top half) they better take care of business against these guys ... I feel they will.

Frankly for 3 quarters we hung tough with USC last season ... the rest of our schedule proved that game was probably an abberation as was Minny's game against them. Minny beat Illinois, Iowa and Miami of Ohio and was either manhandled by a better program or lost to an FCS school for the rest of their schedule ... they were 3-9 ... 3-9 ... they are not a good football team sorry ... I wasn't paraphrasing when I said they suck. I have higher expectations for SU this year than last ... I am confident they will come out and sock Minny right in the mouth and get the W ... And now with SU getting bigger upfront on the DLine I like their chances ... had we been trotting out last season's DLine I wouldn't feel nearly as good about our chances.

One of the biggest thing that hurt Minny is their secondary ... I expect us to exploit that since the running game is not our strength this season ... IMHO (and maybe I am going out on a limb with this squad) but I feel we are a bad matchup for them. Last season they gave up over 400 yds/game in a conference not exactly known for slinging it ... honestly I feel much better about our game with them than I did with NW for a bevy of reasons ...
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Why on earth would you make any reference at all to last year when it is THIS year? Last year has nothing remotely to do with anything.
 
I hope you're right. Kill's first year was last year and it may have taken time to get acclimated into his system and it is a road game, outside on grass. I think SU will do fine but they are not at the level of just turning it on and crushing teams...yet. I love your enthusiasm though and I wish more felt this way about the team, I just think Minny is better than people think...not great by any means but young and understanding what is being expected off them from the coaching staff.
 
OrangeinBoston said:
Why on earth would you make any reference at all to last year when it is THIS year? Last year has nothing remotely to do with anything.
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It was in reponse to another post for starters ... or 2 unless they have undergone wholesale roster changes (which doesn't appear to be the case) or changed their system (which they haven't) and as a biproduct seen a significant change in their performance ... like better defensive stats or in our case much better offensive production then why should I sit here and have any reason to feel they are so vastly different? The only saving grace they have right now is that the rest of their conference is performing poorly which might allow them to garner a couple extra Ws but honestly where are they expected to finish in a mediocre conference this season? What gives you the feel that they are so much different than last season? Right now I can at least say we have played a pretty damn good OOC thus far and have vastly improved on offense and can score with anyone on our schedule ... Minny doesn't seem to be all that dramatically different this year other than obviously a much weaker OOC if we are their big OOC contest ... honestly why even ask?
 
It's not a grass surface, SmilinBob, it's Field Turf.

And, just my gut instinct, but any Syracuse fans who think this will be a cakewalk victory for the Orange are in for a rude awakening. Especially after struggling through three quarters against Stony Brook. The Seawolves are no UNH, which has been to the FCS playoffs eight straight years and has been ranked something like 116 straight weeks, and Minnesota trounced the Wildcats, 44-7. Sure, I realize the Gophers also struggled to pull out a triple overtime win at an awful UNLV team, but this game will be tight IMO.
 
Sid_Apollo said:
It's not a grass surface, SmilinBob, it's Field Turf.

And, just my gut instinct, but any Syracuse fans who think this will be a cakewalk victory for the Orange are in for a rude awakening. Especially after struggling through three quarters against Stony Brook. The Seawolves are no UNH, which has been to the FCS playoffs eight straight years and has been ranked something like 116 straight weeks, and Minnesota trounced the Wildcats, 44-7. Sure, I realize the Gophers also struggled to pull out a triple overtime win at an awful UNLV team, but this game will be tight IMO.
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Is it really field turf? I thought they just built a beautiful new stadium and it was real grass...thanks for letting me know otherwise.
 
wfschrec said:
It was in reponse to another post for starters ... or 2 unless they have undergone wholesale roster changes (which doesn't appear to be the case) or changed their system (which they haven't) and as a biproduct seen a significant change in their performance ... like better defensive stats or in our case much better offensive production then why should I sit here and have any reason to feel they are so vastly different? The only saving grace they have right now is that the rest of their conference is performing poorly which might allow them to garner a couple extra Ws but honestly where are they expected to finish in a mediocre conference this season? What gives you the feel that they are so much different than last season? Right now I can at least say we have played a pretty damn good OOC thus far and have vastly improved on offense and can score with anyone on our schedule ... Minny doesn't seem to be all that dramatically different this year other than obviously a much weaker OOC if we are their big OOC contest ... honestly why even ask?
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I have no clue how good Minnesota is. But, however good they are will have had nothing to do with last year. It would be the same as saying the SU flat out sucks because they flat out sucked last year. While it may be true that SU flat out sucked last year, that suckiness has had no bearing on this year when, I think we can all agree, they are pretty decent.
 
OrangeinBoston said:
I have no clue how good Minnesota is. But, however good they are will have had nothing to do with last year. It would be the same as saying the SU flat out sucks because they flat out sucked last year. While it may be true that SU flat out sucked last year, that suckiness has had no bearing on this year when, I think we can all agree, they are pretty decent.
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Whoa...was that a positive, albeit back-handed, comment? You ok?
 
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