Starting out in the Swelter: Gophers @ Middle Tennesse State Preview

Gotta say it right off the bat.  I've been a big fan of the Middle Tennessee State logo and mascot for several years now.  How would I even know or care it existed you might ask?  A fair question.  And those who know me well, know that Gopher Bandanna Guy is a major sucker for all things blue and silver.  It's a superior color combo in any setting, and frankly had there been a Big Ten school that sported these colors I might be blogging for them right now, rather than about the beloved Gophers.  Then add the lightning breath onto the Pegasus, and you've made the a top ten collegiate logo in my humble opinion. I mean look at that horse - its ready to stomp your ass and then fly off into a thunderstorm.

But enough with the flattery of our first opponent of the 2010 Golden Gopher football season.  Our beloved Maroon and Gold are headed south to Murfreesboro, TN for a Thursday night tilt (televised on ESPN U, 7:30PM EST) to kick off the season.  Anecdotally speaking, this game perhaps more than any other on the 2010 schedule seems to be the one that Gopher fans (the casual and diehard) are the most split on.  The naysayers and Brewster Bashers say this game is the harbinger of the end for the Tim Brewster era - where we'll go into a hostile southern football stadium, in stifling heat that we can't handle, and allow a Sunbelt Conference Team give our Big Ten team a dose of comeuppance.  Then there are the overtly positive fans who are already claiming victory, in the name of the quality of Big Ten football.  Have the NDSU's and Appalachian State's of the world taught us nothing?

But of course, those teams (and several others of recent upset memory) have reminded most of us college football fans that small conference and even inferior division teams can occasionally rise up and knock off a BCS conference opponent, their own conference strength be damned.  The Blue Raiders dominated most of their opponents in the Sun Belt last year (7-1 in conference), were beat down by Clemson and Mississippi State, and beat a weak Memphis team at home and an equally hapless Maryland on the road. The Gophers and MTSU had no common opponents in 2009, but Maryland (who MTSU beat on a last second field goal) was removed by 1 degree of separation (Maryland was plowed under by Cal, 52-13 in their 2009 opener).  What's that all mean?  Most likely nothing.  The Gopher team that hung with Cal for 3 quarters is not this year's 2010 team, nor is the Blue Raider squad, who had dynamic QB Dwight Dasher racking up yardage on the 'Terps.

One year later, and Dwight Dasher is still the QB for MTSU.  Problem is he's been suspended by the NCAA, apparently for a $1,500 loan he got to play poker with.  There's more details to this story, but what matters is that MTSU is without their senior dual-threat QB.  That fact alone cause Vegas to move the line on this game substantially, pushing the Gophs from road dog to slight road favorites.  Obviously the oddsmakers think highly of Dasher.

At this point it appears highly likely that this suspension will stand, and the Gopher defense will not have to face the Sun Belt Conference's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.  Good for us.  Bad for the Murfreesboro Faithful.  But there are 20 other Blue Raiders too line up against and a JUCO backup QB in Logan Kilgore.  Apparently the sophomore Kilgore is getting the start over his upperclassman teammate Jeff Murphy, because he's gotten in more practice this preseason.

FBT (Fringe Bowl Team) did a nice initial eval of MTSU back in July, when Dasher was still expected to be the starting QB, and (I believe) accurately portrayed the Blue Raiders as a Northwestern-lite, as a team that runs the spread, and relies on their QB grabbing yards when the pocket breaks down.  With Kilgore at the helm its uncertain what we'll get, but we all know a quarterback doesn't need to be particularly fast to stack up yards on our defense historically, just somewhat elusive (Mike Kafka anybody?).  The buzz from some Blue Raiders fans is that he has been quite accurate in practices, but he's not the runner Dasher is.

So who steps up for MTSU on offense, if Kilgore is ineffective?  An experienced, smallish offensive line (both OTs on the depth chart listed at less than 275 lbs) and 3 talented running backs - Phillip Tanner, Ben Cunningham, and D.D. Kyles who are expected to share carries this season.  The matchup I'm most interested in watching this Thursday is going to be our less experienced front four matchup with this O-line.  Dominate up front and make Kilgore uncomfortable and we win this game.  I'm also curious to see if Cosgrove will keep it simple for this first game, or if he'll pick up where he left off last year, incorporating blitzes from all over the field.

When the Gophers have the ball, the MTSU defense is small, quick, and senior-laden.  For Weber and Co. to put the ball into the endzone, its going to take some consistent sustained drives, as I don't think we'll see a lot of big plays and broken coverage handed to us from this experienced defense.  We've heard all spring and summer camp that the Gophs are rededicated to running the ball.  And although, I believe they are under Horton, it may be frustrating to watch several drives grind to a halt early in the game because we're establishing the run, and predictably rushing the ball on 1st and 2nd downs. Patience is key - something Fisch did not have last year with the run, and I think Horton will display.

Ok - enough babbling and regurgitating what others have already written. Like last year, I'll provide my weekly prediction and players of the game for both teams.  This MTSU road game feels awfully like the Syracuse game last season to me (but without climate control and the Eric Decker and Mike Williams NFL-preview show).  Very winnable for Minnesota, but it will be nail-bitingly close, thanks to some stalled drives due to our commitment to run early, and some 2nd half brain cramps on defense.  Weber start out his senior season well, and look real sharp on some drives and make us feel good about having him under center for one more year.

Prediction: Minnesota 24, Middle Tennessee State 20

Gopher Player of the Game: Adam Weber - 14 for 20 for 195 yards and 2 TDs

Blue Raider Player of the Game: Phillip Tanner - 16 carries for 95 yards and 1 TD

Coach Brew - Boosting My Confidence Through Tremendous Surliness

I'm not sure if any of you have managed to make your way on over to the excellent Gopher Football blog 'Fringe Bowl Team', but if not, you're really missing out.  It's really the blog I wish this one could become, if I lived near campus and didn't have 2 little kids, a 50 hour a week job, and too many other sports interests to divert my attention.  But I digress - MV does a phenomenal job there and has daily updates on recruiting, training camp, and recently he's been catching video of post practice interviews with players and coaches. In particular, an interview with Coach Brew posted earlier this week (8/23) was a real gem.  And while I realize this was a topic batted about on Gopherhole the other day, I can't help but further reflect here.

First off, take the 10 minutes and watch it.  You'll be entertained by a Coach Brewster that maybe you haven't seen much of in the past.  This Brew is downright curmudgeonly with the media, and I like it.  I kinda wish he was like this all the time.

Or if you don't have the 10 minutes, zip ahead to 5:05 and listen to the question Brew receives about linebacker, Keenan Cooper.  His initial response is to incredulously repeat back the 8th grade level question, and then mid-way thru, shrug his shoulders and just go with it.  Then he looks at the camera and states that he wonders how much the interviewers think about the questions their asking, only to have the dolt (presumably Marcus Fuller) try and make the excuse that he 'just came from basketball practice and is, spaced out'.  Love it.

Shortly after, Brew gets snappy with Phil Miller (who's been more of a friend to the program than most writers in town).  Again, this exchange just brings a smile to my face.  And more importantly, it makes me feel more confident about this team's direction.

Why?  To me, Coach Brewster appears to be a guy on a mission, and he just wants to start playing football (he states as much later in the interview).  He's taken some lumps in the media for a good while, and he's no doubt fed up, and ready to lash out a bit.  And there's almost a hint of confidence (or even arrogance) in his demeanor that makes me think he knows something the rest of the Big Ten doesn't, and he can't wait to unleash it on them.  Maybe I'm just being my usual overly optimistic self, but I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach that might be the case.

What or who might be unleashed, I'm not sure - Is it MarQueis at WR (who Dave Mona proclaimed would be 1st Team All-Big Ten - talk about bold)?  Is it Donnell Kirkwood at RB, who's turned a lot of heads in this preseason?  Or is it scheme, in the form of Horton's simplified offense?

Maybe all - maybe none. Either way, go get 'em Coach Brew, and GO GOPHERS!

Calling our shots - 2010 Gopher Football Predictions

Are there more than 2 wins on this 2010 schedule?  Can we finish 'bowl eligible'?  Rose Bowl or bust for Pasadena Brew? These are the burning questions of this upcoming Golden Gopher football season. We've had all summer to mull over the Gophs list of opponents (not that we needed it), and here's what our brain trust came up with:

The breakdown of each set of predictions has some interesting wins/losses - here's the brief rationale:

• Omar likes us breaking out to a nice 3-1 start, and carrying that momentum into our Big Ten opener vs. Northwestern, and finds us road wins at Purdue and Illinois.
• JJ and KZ don't like our season opener on the road at MTSU, and both like the upset at Wisconsin (which I just don't see happening this year).  They differ only on where we'll get a road win in Weeks 10 and 11.
• Gopher Bandanna Guy calls for the upset of USC, followed by a letdown loss to NIU, and a rebound victory vs. Northwestern.  Then a 6 game losing streak is ended with the team rallying around the seemingly dead man walking, Coach Brew - taking down Illinois in Champaign and then shocking an over-confident Iowa squad to save his job a la Wayne Fontes.
• 2Mutch is the self-proclaimed 'Debbie Downer' of the group, giving the Gophs a more tempered 4-8 record, and basically has us winning only games where there's a chance of being favored in the line.
• NG also likes us to ruin Wisconsin's season by knocking them off in Camp Randall, and taking down Iowa at home.  Brew gets himself a couple of trinkets under this scenario, and that would certainly bode well for coaching Minnesota into his 5th year.

So what's it all mean?  Probably nothing more than confirming that all of us are crazy dreamers and/or hopeful optimists when it comes to Golden Gopher Football.  Virtually every publication and website prediction I've come across has us between 1 and 4 wins, and in last place.  The experts are expecting grim results.

Bodog.com has us as 50/1 odds to win the conference (worst odds in the conference, behind Indiana at 40/1).  Any Hoosier fans out there want to wager (beer?) that we'll finish above them in the standings?  Ok, maybe that's a bad idea. Our schedule is tougher, but we've got something going for us more than anybody else in the Big Ten - no one expects ANYTHING from the Gophers, and guess what?  There is some burgeoning talent on this team that will surpise some teams that don't scout closesly.  Underestimate the Gophers at your peril! (hey, if loyal members of Gopher Nation can't stay positive, who can?)

Here's some predictions on Minnesota's individual players -
GBG likes:
Offensive Player of the Year: Da'Jon McKnight, WR (680 yrd, 9 TDs)
Defensive Player of the Year: Keanon Cooper, LB  (65 tackles, 2 INTs, 4 FF)
Leading Rusher: D'uane Bennett (720 yds)
Leading Receiver: Da'Jon McKnight (680 yds)
Leading Tackler: Mike Rallis, LB (85 tackles)
Sack Leader: Ra'Shede Hegeman (8 sacks)
INT Leader: Michael Carter (4 INTs)

2Mutch likes:
Offensive Player of the Year: Adam Weber (in a nice bounceback season)
Defensive Player of the Year: Kim Royston (back from injury and a force)

And finally, Just Jake likes Brandon Kirksey to have a monster junior year at DT, big enough that he bolts for the NFL draft a year early.  Wow.  Now that's a bold prediction.

What's on tap for Give 'Em Hell Goldy?

Thanks to a spring and summer filled with a hectic work travel schedule, playoff Bucks basketball, MLB road trippin', and slow-pitch softball - this blog all but died over the warmer months.  But so what?  We didn't have that many readers anyways.

But what'd we miss?  All kinds of stuff.  The Gopher Baseball team won the Big Team Championship (outstanding),  Kyle Theret and Gary Tinsley got themselves suspended, Nebraska joined the Big Ten, and Royce White bolted for Iowa State, among other things.  

But with Gopher football on the horizon and hoops not far behind, there is now motivation to get back into the swing of posting more regularly.  So what's on tap here?  Again, all kinds of stuff.

We'll be putting together a set of Big Ten Football predictions, a quick look at some of the new faces we'll see on the gridiron this Fall, resuming the weekly Game Preview and 'What we learned' cycle, and more entries to 'Gopher Profiles in Courage'.  Gopher Bandanna Guy will be attending plenty of football games again this year, so expect more original photos and perhaps even some video footage.    

 So check in regularly, as we'll be attempting to pour on the content.

Looks like EA nailed it - The Bank immortalized in video gamedom

With the release of EA Sports NCAA Football 2011 a few weeks ago, The Bank is now officially part of the video game universe.  'Bout time.   

The game developers missed the deadline for last years 2010 game, and so its been finally included in this years edition.  Judging by the video though, it was worth the wait - they nailed it.  My only complaint is that it looks like they missed our Big Ten Titles and National Championships displayed proudly on the facade in front of the bottom of the upper deck.  In some ways this video game version is better though, as it is advertisement free.  Not a TCF, Arby's, Cenex, or Coca-Cola logo to be seen.  In other words, its the stadium as I wish it would have been.  Not that I'm complaining about the real stadium.  Corporate advertising aside, its nearly perfect in my biased opinion.

For you schlubs who haven't been to the new digs yet, here's a photo for comparison.