Minnesota game preview

[BJCrawford 1,568]

We just need a slogan ....we should come up with it here...

Just keep swimming (with a pic of Dory on the helmet)

We think we can, we think we can (with a pic of a train on the helmet)

Just Do it (with a pic of.....oh wait....never mind....lawsuit)

Keep the wheels on the bus turning (with a cartoon Gus bus on the helmet)

🤮🤮🤮

(Sorry.....should not make fun since he rowed their boat pretty well this year....I just hate schtick. We are already the champions of life anyway)

[McLoofus 35,182]

10 minutes ago, AU64 said:

"less talented than what/who" ?  than bama or UGa ?  .....that's true I guess....but Minn is ranked higher than AU (and bama) in total defense this year so who knows?  

Gotta be careful making assumptions 

No, I don't have to be careful. Refer back to their recruiting rankings the last 4 years. They've vastly less talented than us. Just like Purdue was. Actually, I think they might be less talented than Purdue, even if much better coached.

[aucanucktiger 1,791]

On one level it's nice just playing somebody we have never played. Could be the Hypeless Program Bowl - 24 undefeated seasons between the 2 teams but only 6 national titles between us (4 Minn, 2 AU). Fwiw I think this one will look like the Oregon game where we come out stinking up the place but get our act together and pull it out by about 1 score.

[AU64 10,122]

6 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

No, I don't have to be careful. Refer back to their recruiting rankings the last 4 years. They've vastly less talented than us. Just like Purdue was. Actually, I think they might be less talented than Purdue, even if much better coached.

Recruiting rankings.?    Sure that shows potential when the guy is 17 or 18... but you gotta look at what they are actually doing on the field against Big 10 competition. 

Attitude, motivation and coaching all figure in.   If you are looking to fill an important job, do you go back and look at a candidates grades from four or five years ago to make the decision? ...or do you look at what he or she is doing now.? ...and has done in the time since school?    Some of our better performers were 3* recruits. 

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

12 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Recruiting rankings.?    Sure that shows potential when the guy is 17 or 18... but you gotta look at what they are actually doing on the field against Big 10 competition. 

Attitude, motivation and coaching all figure in.   If you are looking to fill an important job, do you go back and look at a candidates grades from four or five years ago to make the decision? ...or do you look at what he or she is doing now.? ...and has done in the time since school?    Some of our better performers were 3* recruits. 

Not interested in this conversation. I am right about this and the overwhelming supporting evidence has already been presented on this site countless times.

[C'viewTiger 242]

9 hours ago, AUght2win said:

UCF had speed. You can play with anybody if you have speed. I doubt Minnesota has anything akin to that UCF team. Probably a better version of last season's Purdue. 

UCF played THAT game with more heart than our guys had on the field THAT DAY!  They just plain wanted that game more than we did.

[oracle79 3,569]

57 minutes ago, BJCrawford said:

We just need a slogan ....we should come up with it here...

Just keep swimming (with a pic of Dory on the helmet)

We think we can, we think we can (with a pic of a train on the helmet)

Just Do it (with a pic of.....oh wait....never mind....lawsuit)

Keep the wheels on the bus turning (with a cartoon Gus bus on the helmet)

🤮🤮🤮

(Sorry.....should not make fun since he rowed their boat pretty well this year....I just hate schtick. We are already the champions of life anyway)

Sorry man, it's not schtick.  Read the story if you haven't.

https://www.twincities.com/2017/01/06/what-does-row-the-boat-mean-gophers-football-coach-p-j-fleck-explains/

Excerpt:

But where did it come from?

On Feb. 9, 2011, Fleck lost his second son, Colt, to a heart condition. Row the Boat originated after his son passed away.

“As you hold your son as he passes away, your whole life changes. What you believe in, how you’ve believed in it, what you’ve done to that point, where you’re going to go and how you’re going to live your life all changes. But Row the Boat is really my second son’s life as I continue to live his life for him. It’s his life.

“It’s a never-give-up mantra that has to do strictly with life or adversity or handling success, never giving up, and it means a few things. When you row a boat, you’re rowing, don’t ever look at me and paddle. That’s completely different. We’re rowing. Your back is to the future, which is something you cannot control, nor can you see. You have to trust the person in front of you, that you’re looking at, that they’re doing their job and rowing at the same speed, same efficiency as you are. But that’s the future, you can’t control that. You don’t know if there’s rocks, water falls, stormy seas, you don’t know what’s ahead of you. You’re rowing in the present, which is the only thing you can actually control, and the only thing you can actually have an impact on. You either choose to take your oars and put them back in the boat and stop, or you put them back in the water and continue to go. But you’re looking at the past, which is the only thing you can actually learn from. But you can’t change....

[AUBourne 425]

12 minutes ago, C'viewTiger said:

UCF played THAT game with more heart than our guys had on the field THAT DAY!  They just plain wanted that game more than we did.

Every team wants to beat AU. That's why they play. AU lost because UCF had a better plan and made better adjustments. Auburn never got away from trying to run draws and RPO against a team built on speed. If anyone took the game off it was the coaches not the players. At the end of the first quarter it was tied 3-3. Then UCF took over. Not because our players quit. Because UCF adjusted. 

[BJCrawford 1,568]

3 minutes ago, oracle79 said:

Sorry man, it's not schtick.  Read the story if you haven't.

https://www.twincities.com/2017/01/06/what-does-row-the-boat-mean-gophers-football-coach-p-j-fleck-explains/

Excerpt:

But where did it come from?

On Feb. 9, 2011, Fleck lost his second son, Colt, to a heart condition. Row the Boat originated after his son passed away.

“As you hold your son as he passes away, your whole life changes. What you believe in, how you’ve believed in it, what you’ve done to that point, where you’re going to go and how you’re going to live your life all changes. But Row the Boat is really my second son’s life as I continue to live his life for him. It’s his life.

“It’s a never-give-up mantra that has to do strictly with life or adversity or handling success, never giving up, and it means a few things. When you row a boat, you’re rowing, don’t ever look at me and paddle. That’s completely different. We’re rowing. Your back is to the future, which is something you cannot control, nor can you see. You have to trust the person in front of you, that you’re looking at, that they’re doing their job and rowing at the same speed, same efficiency as you are. But that’s the future, you can’t control that. You don’t know if there’s rocks, water falls, stormy seas, you don’t know what’s ahead of you. You’re rowing in the present, which is the only thing you can actually control, and the only thing you can actually have an impact on. You either choose to take your oars and put them back in the boat and stop, or you put them back in the water and continue to go. But you’re looking at the past, which is the only thing you can actually learn from. But you can’t change....

Oh geez....had no idea. My apologies.

[msza 228]

AU should have plenty to play for. A top-10 finish and 10-win season are both on the line.

[Mims44 1,867]

2 hours ago, AUFriction said:

This was never more than an unsubstantiated internet rumor and thus shouldn’t be discussed on this forum. A rule reminder... It is okay to talk about player talent level, but it is against the rules to talk negatively about players in this way.

Pretty sure that rule doesn't apply to people in the NFL Friction.

IE: Tom Brady is a over-rated system QB who awkwardly forces his son into stomach churning filmed makeout sessions.

[AUFriction 1,179]

4 minutes ago, Mims44 said:

Pretty sure that rule doesn't apply to people in the NFL Friction.

IE: Tom Brady is a over-rated system QB who awkwardly forces his son into stomach churning filmed makeout sessions.

It applies to what Auburn players do while they are at Auburn. The comment went after Stidham's work ethic at Auburn with nothing but personal opinion to back it up. 

[AUBourne 425]

31 minutes ago, oracle79 said:

Sorry man, it's not schtick.  Read 

But where did it come from?

On Feb. 9, 2011, Fleck lost his second son, Colt, to a heart condition. Row the Boat originated after his son passed away.

First time I have seen that. Thank you for sharing.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

2 hours ago, AU64 said:

"less talented than what/who" ?  than bama or UGa ?  .....that's true I guess....but Minn is ranked higher than AU (and bama) in total defense this year so who knows?  

Gotta be careful making assumptions 

They don't have the near talent level we do.  Recruiting has been far superior for AU.  And total defense stats are really misleading.  The offenses they've played are largely awful.

 

2 hours ago, gravejd said:

I did a little read on them last night. Their strength is their offense. They have a big offensive line and a very good QB. And as you would expect with a good offensive line and QB they have a couple of 1000 yard receivers on the team. The receivers certainly won't be on the level of what we saw against LSU and bama but make no mistake they can and will hurt you. They have some good stats on the defensive side as well but I think that has a lot to do with playing in the big 10 and not a lot of great offensive teams in that league. I watched their game against Penn State and it was a good one. They had a safety that stood out to me...ball hawk kind of guy. If Nix gets careless he could cause some problems. 

Their 2 losses are to Iowa and Wisconsin and those are 2 ground and pound teams. In case your new to watching Auburn this season Auburn is not a team that has been able to ground out yards consistently on the ground. If we are able get some consistent yardage on the ground then we should handle them fine. There is no denying we have much more talent and speed then the gophers but you can bet they will be fired up to show what they can do against an SEC team. If our guys don't come in ready for a fight then we are going to lose the game. 

Go back and watch those Iowa and Wisconsin games.  The Minnesota O-Line got dominated in those contests.  Sorry, but if we're at all motivated, they are going to struggle to move the ball.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

2 hours ago, McLoofus said:

No, I don't have to be careful. Refer back to their recruiting rankings the last 4 years. They've vastly less talented than us. Just like Purdue was. Actually, I think they might be less talented than Purdue, even if much better coached.

Purdue averaged in the 60s for recruiting heading into the game last year.  Minnesota is slightly more talented, but its not by much.

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

18 hours ago, murpjf88 said:

Ucf if I remember correctly, was a double digit underdog though. Auburn should have beaten them handily. Minnesota beat Penn State so they have to have some talent. These underdog teams that aren't given much of a chance are sometimes the most dangerous. 

Exactly. We need to play our best not just because they are better than most think on here but because if Gus wants this team to be a CFP contender he needs them to show up for every game expecting the New England Patriots ( of the past few years not this year) to be playing is. That’s the mind set he needs to establish . By the way they have a starting OL that’s 6’9” and 400 lbs. and they use him at the goal line like the fridge used to play.

[3rdgeneration 6,469]

Minnesota is a team with lots of heart. I have enjoyed reading about them and seeing stories about them this year. I did not know the story of "Row the Boat", but the story of Casey O'Brien, their player who has battled cancer 3 or 4 times, is very inspirational. They have played for Casey, who is their 3rd string place kick holder, I believe. I think it will be a good game and we will need to play with focus and with good attitude to win, because they will play their best. PJ Fleck is a strong motivator.

[murpjf88 506]

17 hours ago, Brad_ATX said:

This is same logic people used last year with Purdue because they beat Ohio State without looking at the roster.  If you want a real idea of their talent level, look at the last five years of recruiting rankings.

2019 - 45th

2018 - 38th

2017 - 59th

2016 - 46th

2015 - 63rd

On average, they recruit about 25 spots lower than Mississippi State over that period. 

Also, the teams that Minnesota beat went a combined 51-70. 18 of those 51 wins were from Penn State and FCS SD State.  Essentially they beat one good team all year, just like Purdue did last year.

If Brown and Davidson play, we boat race the Gophers.  If those two sit out, we still probably win, but more like two touchdowns.  The Minnesota o-line is severely outmatched in this game.

Auburn should win. Having said that, I can give you a laundry list of teams that went into a bowl game with less recruiting power and talent and persevered through hard work and motivation. Games aren't played on paper and if Auburn gives the Gophers an inch they could be in for a dog fight. Auburn has a lot more to lose going into this game than Minnesota, who's basically playing with house money.  

[Schnauzer 15]

The Gophers struggled, but won early in the season against below average competition.  This has had a year-long effect on computer models where the team hasn't looked as good "on paper" as it has in person. Two disappointing results with one disappointingly played game.  Recovered nicely from stumbling early against Iowa and had the ball with a chance to win at the end but just didn't convert on last possession. Hats off to Iowa as they brought pressure perfectly on that last drive.  After beating Wisconsin soundly last season, this was the truly disappointing game this season.  The Gophers didn't react as well as Wisconsin to playing in a blizzard snow globe, lost a lead, and committed turnovers late to lose the opportunity to play in the B1G championship game and play in the Rose Bowl at worst.  This one will sting for a long time.

But, Gopher fans are generally happy to be playing Auburn in the Outback bowl.  Auburn will rank among the best teams the Gophers have played this season and there is a lot of respect for everything from Bo Jackson to "They're not gonna keep them off the field tonight" and beyond.    

The Gophers offense is based on a throwback focus on controlling the clock.  There is a balance that leads to a lot of 9 play, 75 yard drives.  Most every opponent comments on the proven ability to use the RPO to read linebackers and throw slants.  If good D line play can stuff the run and cause the Gopher passing game to look downfield more often, the Gophers are in trouble.  When the RPO is working, Morgan has been able to run up ridiculous stats - stuff like 20 for 22 or 23 for 24.  If the Gophers are doing well, even for a short time - I guarantee it will involve slant passes.  

I've seen a few comments comparing the Gophers to last year's Purdue team.  I disagree with any such comparisons.  The Gophers weren't nearly as good last year as they are this year and they blew out Purdue 41-10 last season.  Although MN has had improved recruiting under Fleck, it still hasn't been as good as the team has become this year, so the team has been able to develop players to be generally better than what they were expected to be.  Long story short, the team is better than its recruiting rankings. It is hoped this season will be a launching pad to marked recruiting success, especially for the 2021 class and beyond.

I feel like the spread is correct for this game.  Hoping for a good one.  Quite a challenge for the Gophers but on the other hand I doubt your team will get to cruise through a version of Purdue II.

Fun facts:  Ski-U-Mah (pronounced sky U ma) is a Gopher fan cheer/greeting that dates back to the 1870's.  It began when a MN Rugby player misidentified a local Native American calling out victory in a canoe race.  Despite the misidentification,  it has been held dearly with MN fans and alumni ever since and the saying finds its way into nearly all the traditional MN band marches, rouser, school songs, etc.  The concept of organized cheerleading with uniform cheerleading outfits was literally invented at the University of Minnesota.  The football program had long sunk to mediocre levels but there is a very strong tradition under the surface, stemming from both being one of the largest Universities in the world, sports histories that date back a long time, and even 7 football national championships (although the most recent one was waaaaay back in 1960).  MN has exactly a .500 record vs SEC teams over the years.  The two most recent games were a loss in the Citrus Bowl to Missouri in 2015 and a win over Alabama in the Music City Bowl in 2004.

I have been super-impressed with the Auburn fans that have visited and commented on our boards.  Knowledgeable and respectful.   

[bigbird 60,498]

29 minutes ago, Schnauzer said:

The Gophers struggled, but won early in the season against below average competition.  This has had a year-long effect on computer models where the team hasn't looked as good "on paper" as it has in person. Two disappointing results with one disappointingly played game.  Recovered nicely from stumbling early against Iowa and had the ball with a chance to win at the end but just didn't convert on last possession. Hats off to Iowa as they brought pressure perfectly on that last drive.  After beating Wisconsin soundly last season, this was the truly disappointing game this season.  The Gophers didn't react as well as Wisconsin to playing in a blizzard snow globe, lost a lead, and committed turnovers late to lose the opportunity to play in the B1G championship game and play in the Rose Bowl at worst.  This one will sting for a long time.

But, Gopher fans are generally happy to be playing Auburn in the Outback bowl.  Auburn will rank among the best teams the Gophers have played this season and there is a lot of respect for everything from Bo Jackson to "They're not gonna keep them off the field tonight" and beyond.    

The Gophers offense is based on a throwback focus on controlling the clock.  There is a balance that leads to a lot of 9 play, 75 yard drives.  Most every opponent comments on the proven ability to use the RPO to read linebackers and throw slants.  If good D line play can stuff the run and cause the Gopher passing game to look downfield more often, the Gophers are in trouble.  When the RPO is working, Morgan has been able to run up ridiculous stats - stuff like 20 for 22 or 23 for 24.  If the Gophers are doing well, even for a short time - I guarantee it will involve slant passes.  

I've seen a few comments comparing the Gophers to last year's Purdue team.  I disagree with any such comparisons.  The Gophers weren't nearly as good last year as they are this year and they blew out Purdue 41-10 last season.  Although MN has had improved recruiting under Fleck, it still hasn't been as good as the team has become this year, so the team has been able to develop players to be generally better than what they were expected to be.  Long story short, the team is better than its recruiting rankings. It is hoped this season will be a launching pad to marked recruiting success, especially for the 2021 class and beyond.

I feel like the spread is correct for this game.  Hoping for a good one.  Quite a challenge for the Gophers but on the other hand I doubt your team will get to cruise through a version of Purdue II.

Fun facts:  Ski-U-Mah (pronounced sky U ma) is a Gopher fan cheer/greeting that dates back to the 1870's.  It began when a MN Rugby player misidentified a local Native American calling out victory in a canoe race.  Despite the misidentification,  it has been held dearly with MN fans and alumni ever since and the saying finds its way into nearly all the traditional MN band marches, rouser, school songs, etc.  The concept of organized cheerleading with uniform cheerleading outfits was literally invented at the University of Minnesota.  The football program had long sunk to mediocre levels but there is a very strong tradition under the surface, stemming from both being one of the largest Universities in the world, sports histories that date back a long time, and even 7 football national championships (although the most recent one was waaaaay back in 1960).  MN has exactly a .500 record vs SEC teams over the years.  The two most recent games were a loss in the Citrus Bowl to Missouri in 2015 and a win over Alabama in the Music City Bowl in 2004.

I have been super-impressed with the Auburn fans that have visited and commented on our boards.  Knowledgeable and respectful.   

Thanks for sharing. Hope we continue to impress with our respect.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Great post, @Schnauzer. Please stick around as it is clear you are good people here for good conversation.

I am one who has talked a lot about what I perceive to be a lack of talent at Minnesota. Your guys are clearly well coached and they play above the recruiting rankings. No question. Teams like yours come together at the right time and beautiful things happen. It is possible that the Gophers can out-scheme, out-execute, out-experience and out-discipline Auburn and make things very interesting or even ugly for our Tigers. We shall see.

Thanks for the Ski-U-Mah story! That's the kind of stuff that makes the sport so much more rich and such a great shared experience for competing teams and fans. 

Welcome, WDE and Ski-U-Mah. Oh, and thanks for cheerleaders. @augolf1716 will buy you all the PBRs.

[AURealist 2,185]

2 hours ago, Schnauzer said:

* 1st post *

Welcome to AUFamily, @Schnauzer. 

[oracle79 3,569]

52 minutes ago, Schnauzer said:

Although MN has had improved recruiting under Fleck, it still hasn't been as good as the team has become this year, so the team has been able to develop players to be generally better than what they were expected to be.  Long story short, the team is better than its recruiting rankings.

 

53 minutes ago, Schnauzer said:

The football program had long sunk to mediocre levels but there is a very strong tradition under the surface, stemming from both being one of the largest Universities in the world, sports histories that date back a long time, and even 7 football national championships (although the most recent one was waaaaay back in 1960).

P.J. Fleck may be in exactly the right head coaching position. Interested to see how Minnesota shakes out over his time as head coach there.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

License to kill gophers by the government of the United Nations. In this case our enemy is a varmint. Varmint Cong. 

[I_M4_AU 7,799]

@Schnauzer, Love your coach, he looks and acts like a strength and conditioning coach with the personality of Coach Orgeron at LSU.  I will be following him through his career.