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What does BIG RED think of Minnesota football?

hawkit3113

Walk On
Apr 14, 2011
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Presently, past, future, do you like playing them, where will they finish, etc,..........basically anything you guys want to say about Minnesota football.
 
Hmmm, well I would say in the past I didn't have a ton of respect for them...but I think Jerry Kill has been great for their program and they are definitely a legitimate program within our division. That said, I am curious to see how their program fares over time under Kill if they fail to secure better recruiting classes. Either Kill and his staff will continue to show they can develop players well or they will have more bad seasons than good. His teams seem to always play hard for him, just hope Coach Kill can stay healthy though, shame if he can't coach ultimately due to the issues he's had.
 
I am also curious to see if they can maintain success. They arent sneaking up on people anymore and wil be the hunted.


Kill has been good for them. They play hard.
 
I feel like I owe them some gratitude. If Bo could have somehow managed to beat that powerhouse known as Gopherball he might still be employed here, so for that I thank them.
 
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The talent is in the area; thought a lot was being drained off to other programs. There is real opportunity if momentum can be maintained.
 
Always felt historically they had more upside than Iowa and Michigan State....they always had the potential to be a sleeping giant.

Now that Kill is there they will be contenders in the B1G West.
 
Always felt historically they had more upside than Iowa and Michigan State....they always had the potential to be a sleeping giant.

Now that Kill is there they will be contenders in the B1G West.


I think the key pieces are in place, but have they ruined their fanbase? All those years of medicore football and moving to the dome seems to have made their numbers dissapear. Now they are pathetic. They had a really fun team to watch and their best in a long time and they cant even sell out a stadium for 50K people weekly.


To make some serious nosie, they will need to get the fans back, IMO.
 
I like 'em. Good kids, good coaches, and they play hard. They nailed the coffin to get Bo-Bo and his not-so-amazing circus clowns out of town, so that's praiseworthy.
 
Impressed with Jerry Kill. Given his health issues, I wondered why he continued coaching (his seizures must be traumatic for his players and those around him--but he's proven that he's a top-flight coach, regardless of his health issues.

We attended the NU/Minn. game in Minneapolis a couple of years ago. Gophers mauled us on the ground. But the fan support seemed mediocre, and the fans relatively unenthusiastic. Tailgating section was typical corporate on asphalt. The stadium was just ok (even after the renovations) but lots of empty seats. Not a big fan of selling beer in a college football stadium. So, it's ok--but there appears to be lots of room for improvement.
 
Have a lot of respect for Coach Jerry Kill and the Gopher program. See the potential to follow in the footsteps of two great coaches, Coach Devaney at Nebraska and Coach Synder at K-State. Both took down trodden programs and rose them back from the ashes. Nebraska's formula, good coaching and the long term development of talent (redshirting) including a strong walk-on program accompanied with a great strength and conditioning program. K-State's receipe, JC transfers along with good coaching and an attractive (though soft) non-conference schedule that built team confidence. Minnesota, good coaching, building on team toughness while perfecting the plays they are best at executing utilizing their top talent. The Gophers do have some tradition to build on (unlike K-State) although a ways back. Still in the early stages but looking good. Really would love to see the West Division build it's reputation on knocking off the top dogs in the East, put it to the BTN. We need a top tier, the Gophers, Badgers, Huskers, Hawkeyes but strong performances, from the Wildcats, Boilermakers and Illni as well. I am in the minority but I could actually see this getting done. The only dominating team in the east, the Buckeyes. The Spartans have been good.
 
I think Kill is a great coach, but I don't see him taking Minnesota to an elite level. He's amazing as a program builder and his teams will play well, but rarely do I see them winning the division.
 
I feel like I owe them some gratitude. If Bo could have somehow managed to beat that powerhouse known as Gopherball he might still be employed here, so for that I thank them.
Nebraska should never lose two years in a row to Minnesota.
 
The are maximizing their talent. Not a team loaded with future Pro-Bowlers, but they bring their best effort and they put their kids in a position to succeed. Hopefully we will be able to say the same of Nebraska soon.
 
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Not fond of football coach's eating Dove ice cream bars on the sidelines during a game. But, you beat us and there isn't much room to criticize.

Kill's done a great job turning around the GOphers fball program. He's has out coached us in our recent match-ups. Best of luck this next season

GBR
 
Can they get over the 8 win hump and possibly get to double digit wins is what I'm wondering. Have only won 9 or more games once in the programs history (2003), but Jerry Kill turned that program around pretty fast which is impressive.

Offense last season had some NFL playmakers, much like that 2003 team.
 
Presently, past, future, do you like playing them, where will they finish, etc,..........basically anything you guys want to say about Minnesota football.
I think Missouri football is pretty respectable at the moment. Will Nebraska football ever regain it's old glory? tick...tick...tick...Have more empathy for Cubs fans with each passing year, and I'm a White Sox fan.
 
Not when we have considerably more talent on our roster than they do, which is basically every year.

Did you see the past 2 Minnesota/Nebraska games? I don't think there was any question about which team was more talented.

How many players did Nebraska put in the NFL this year? Minnesota just put 7 guys in the league. This isn't the old world. College football is different than it used to be. A school like Nebraska, with little to no in-state recruiting, is at a major disadvantage compared to other programs.
 
Did you see the past 2 Minnesota/Nebraska games? I don't think there was any question about which team was more talented.

How many players did Nebraska put in the NFL this year? Minnesota just put 7 guys in the league. This isn't the old world. College football is different than it used to be. A school like Nebraska, with little to no in-state recruiting, is at a major disadvantage compared to other programs.

Don't know how many we put in this year... I think the number is comparable when you talk about UDFAs... But I think you will find that, under Riley, we aren't dependent on the in-state recruiting. Nebraska has proven over the years to be able to recruit talent rich areas such as California, Texas, Florida, etc. Can Riley improve on Bo's performance recruiting? I think many in Huskerland are optimistic that he can.
 
Did you see the past 2 Minnesota/Nebraska games? I don't think there was any question about which team was more talented.

How many players did Nebraska put in the NFL this year? Minnesota just put 7 guys in the league. This isn't the old world. College football is different than it used to be. A school like Nebraska, with little to no in-state recruiting, is at a major disadvantage compared to other programs.
if you're talking about draft picks, MN had 4 this year, 8 total since the 2009 draft. NU triples that amount plus 1.
 
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Did you see the past 2 Minnesota/Nebraska games? I don't think there was any question about which team was more talented.

How many players did Nebraska put in the NFL this year? Minnesota just put 7 guys in the league. This isn't the old world. College football is different than it used to be. A school like Nebraska, with little to no in-state recruiting, is at a major disadvantage compared to other programs.

If Minnie ever out-recruits Nebraska on a consistent basis, then Nebraska is in deep trouble!
It won't happen. Maybe one year, here and there (big maybe)... but not over any four year period.
 
Did you see the past 2 Minnesota/Nebraska games? I don't think there was any question about which team was more talented.

How many players did Nebraska put in the NFL this year? Minnesota just put 7 guys in the league. This isn't the old world. College football is different than it used to be. A school like Nebraska, with little to no in-state recruiting, is at a major disadvantage compared to other programs.



You clearly no little about the game of football. Minnesota did not and does not have more talent than Nebraska.

You know how many games Bo Pelini lost to inferior talented teams?

Iowa State, Virginia Tech, and Texas Tech in 2009.

Texas, Texas A&M, and Washington in 2010.

Northwestern in 2011

Wisconsin in 2012
Iowa and Minnesota in 2013

Minny and losing by 50 to Wisconsin in 2014.

It was a trend, not an example of talent. If Nebraska had less talent than Minnesota in 2013, there is no way they beat Georgia.

If they have less talent than Minnesota in 2014, They don't go put up 530 yards and 40+ points on USC.

Jerry Kill, and more importantly, Matt Limegrover, dominated Bo Pelini and Papuchis the last 2 seasons. As a product of small college football in Kansas, it's almost laughable how much they outsmarted Bo.

I feel bad for Mitch Leidner, I hope he invites Bo to his wedding.
 
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You clearly no little about the game of football. Minnesota did not and does not have more talent than Nebraska.

You know how many games Bo Pelini lost to inferior talented teams?


Wisconsin in 2012
Iowa and Minnesota in 2013

Minny and losing by 50 to Wisconsin in 2014.

It was a trend, not an example of talent.

Jerry Kill, and more importantly, Matt Limegrover, dominated Bo Pelini and Papuchis the last 2 seasons. As a product of small college football in Kansas, it's almost laughable how much they outsmarted Bo.

I feel bad for Mitch Leidner, I hope he invites Bo to his wedding.

I've played a lot of football, coached, read a ton of strategy books and blogs, and watched countless hours of college football. I certainly do not claim to be an expert, but I do know a few things about the game.

Nebraska and Minnesota currently have similar talent levels.

In 2014 Nebraska had better Receivers, Linebackers, and Quarterbacks.

Minnesota had better Offensive Linemen, Defensive Lineman, TEs, and a better secondary (although this was close. Nebraska's secondary is solid, but Minnesota had 4 mid to high level NFL draft picks back there).

I might give Nebraska a slight edge at RB due to depth, but the truth is that Cobb is nearly as good as Ameer.

Now, before you start telling me I'm crazy, consider this.

Minnesota had 4 players drafted this year, and another 3 that signed as UFAs. Nebraska had 3 guys drafted this year.

In the past 2 years, Minnesota and Nebraska have each had 6 players drafted. Are you still absolutely certain that the Huskers have better talent than the Golden Gophers?

Also, I wanna just say that I'm really happy that Nebraska joined the league. Nebraska has played Minnesota more than any other Big Ten school (over 50 times), and it has been really fun to renew that matchup. Plus, you guys have brought a lot of cred by turning the Minnesota/Iowa/Wisconsin from a triangle of hate to a quadrangle of hate.

Nebraska always recruits well and always gets respect from analysts and talking heads. Good luck this year! (except, of course, when you play my beloved Golden Gophers).
 
One more thing, about the 'inferior teams' line.

When you consistently lose to the same teams, at a certain point you have to acknowledge that those teams are not inferior (although that is always painful. It wasn't long ago that Minnesota went through a period of many years where we routinely got beaten (or nearly beaten) by MAC and FCS teams. Admitting that those teams were equal to or better than the Gophers always stung).

**Bo Pellini won 9 or 10 games every year, but since 2012 he's just 1-5 against Wisconsin and Minnesota
 
I almost stopped reading after I saw the part where you read "books about football strategy."

Nebraska has 13 players who will be drafted the next 2 seasons, including 3 defensive Linemen, and 2 offensive linemen. That's substantially more than the Gophers, and illustrates my point about a more talented roster.

However, in 2013, guys like Maliek Collins, Vince, and McMullen were freshman, while players like Chongo and Alex Lewis weren't eligible. All 5 of them will be drafted.

To make a blanket statement about total talent because of one draft class is ignorant. Nebraska is deeper across the board with the exception of Linebacker. And that's only going to take one draft class to overcome.

Talent had nothing to do with Mitch Fricken Leidner, and his 4.8 forty running for 122 yards on pretty much the same 3 plays. That's the result of a blue print how to run the Football on a Bo Pelini defense. You should whip out your Football Strategy books, and right this stuff down:

1. You use a boundary receiver, and a flanker as a decoy. Bo will cover those guys all game, even if they only get the ball thrown their way twice. That eliminates 2 defenders constantly. 2 down, 10 to go.

2. You then utilize your all world tight end at the LOS, or out in the slot. That will eliminate either the Weak Side linebacker or the Nickel/PESO back on every play. 4 down, 7 to go.

3. Then take your running back on passing downs and send him into the flat, even if you have zero desire to throw him the Football. That will take the MIKE and the Free Safety out of every play. That is 6 down 5 to go.

- Minnesota did this 7 times, 5 of which saw Leidner bootleg or flow the opposite direction. They gained a 1st down each time.

Or then there was this one:

I call it the "I'm Bo Pelini and John Papuchis, and we've been coaching college football for 5 years, but have never seen the zone read before defense."

1. Teams rarely ran right at Nebraska's interior Dline. Why? Because Maliek and Vince are damn good. So in many ways, teams just eliminated those 2 by running away from them. Bo also instituted a 2 gap system, and it was predictable. Teams picked up on the gap tendencies and it allowed them to counter the hell out of Nebraska. They could get through the Empty gap, but freeze the linebackers or safeties upon 1st movement.

2. Nobody exploited this scheme better than Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Badgers were able to use one amazing player in Gordon. The Gophers were able to expose the scheme to get Leidner out in space where no defenders were available.

3. Minnesota, understanding the gap tendencies hit Nebraska up with a lot of inside zone runs in the 1st half. This forced the linebackers and safeties to flow in support of stopping Cobb. All the while, Minnesota was well aware of the Pelini scheme, 4 to 5 DBs were NEVER going to help in run support. You could run the Triple Option vs Bo and he was ALWAYS going to keep your receiving options blanketed 50 yards downfield.

So let's think about this:

- get rid of DBs - check
- Isolate the DTs through gap exploitation- check
- get the safeties and LBs to prematurely flow- check.

So... Now, Leidner can then run the Zone Read. He shows inside zone handoff to Cobb. The backers and safeties, even strong side DE flow to Cobb. Mitch Leidner then goes ham, with his 4.8 forty.


That had nothing to do with talent. It was a beautiful display of superior coaching skill by Coach Kill and his offensive staff.
 
One more thing, about the 'inferior teams' line.

When you consistently lose to the same teams, at a certain point you have to acknowledge that those teams are not inferior (although that is always painful. It wasn't long ago that Minnesota went through a period of many years where we routinely got beaten (or nearly beaten) by MAC and FCS teams. Admitting that those teams were equal to or better than the Gophers always stung).

**Bo Pellini won 9 or 10 games every year, but since 2012 he's just 1-5 against Wisconsin and Minnesota

Consistently? We are 16-2 over the last 18 against the Gophers. You have won the last 2. I guess we can agree to disagree on what constitutes consistency.
 
That was easily POTY Cornicator!
I just became your number one groupie. :)

And this post is exactly why I'm so confident Coach Riley will get the ship righted very quickly.
 
Look, I very much agree that Kill is a better coach than Pellini. Jerry Kill is a fantastic football coach.

But Minnesota dominated the line of scrimmage the past 2 years. You rely think that's all due to strategy? Pellini did some pretty good, tough to defend stuff on offense as well (your whole option and play action game under Pellini was brilliant).

As for the '13 NFL draft picks in the next 2 years'. You might be right. But I would bet that Minnesota will have at least 10 picks the next 2 years.

And again, both teams had 6 draft picks and roughly the same number of all-conference guys the past couple years.

Remember, if you guys don't bloxk a FG and return it for a TD to end the first half, Minnesota wins that game going away. Goohers still won despite that, and despite losing Cobb right after halftime .

Minnesota has won 2 in a row against Nebraska. If they make it 3 in a row, will you admit that the talent differential doesn't exist?
 
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