Gopher Wrestling has some of the best assistant coaches in D1 Wrestling. We had a thread on new Assistant Coach Dustin Schlatter a couple weeks ago, so here's another thread covering the other two main assistants: Head Assistant Coach Luke Becker and Volunteer Assistant Coach Zach Sanders.

These three assistants had quite a history with the Gophers as Becker was a 4x AA and a Natty Champ, Schlatter was a 3x AA and a Natty Champ, and Zach Sanders was a 4x AA. Not bad for three top assistants!! And this high level of achievement continues with the 3 Administrative Assistants on staff as Jayson Ness was a 4x AA, a Natty Champ and the Hodge Trophy winner (College Wrestler of the Year!), his younger brother Dylan Ness was a 4x AA, and Tony Nelson was a 4x AA and 2x Natty Champ!!

Show me another school that has 6 Assistant Coaches with this elite level of achievement. Not possible...as I don't think it exists!!!

Other news:

- Brett Pfarr is wrestling in the prestigious NWCA All Star Classic on Friday Nov. 5th at 6pm CT streamed live on TrackWrestling.com.

- Gopher Wrestling has its first action of the new season at the Daktronics Open in Brookings, SD on Sun. Nov. 6th. It's an all day tournament with SDSU, NE, ASU, MN and others and it will be streamed live on FloWrestling.com. I will do a thread on this tournament later this week as it's a really great event to start the year! Tune in, or drive on over to SDSU to help support our team.

Here are the articles on Zach Sanders and Luke Becker:


Get to Know Zach Sanders

One of just 10 four-time All-Americans in program history, Sanders brings a track record of consistent success to the Gophers' volunteer assistant position



Gophersports.com
Oct. 24, 2016

Minnesota has been a national wrestling powerhouse for essentially all of Zach Sanders' life. Growing up in Wabasha, Minn., about two hours southeast of the U of M along the Mississippi River, Sanders always dreamed of donning the Maroon singlet for his hometown school.

"As a kid growing up in Minnesota, wrestling for the Gophers was the goal. I wanted to be a part of it because this is something special," said Sanders. "I knew all the Gopher wrestlers. I watched them at the state high school tournament, all the Minnesota guys at least. I was just around wrestling and around Gopher wrestling constantly growing up."

As a junior wrestler, Sanders made frequent trips up Highway 61 from Wabasha to watch the Gopher dual meets or to train in the Minnesota wrestling room during the summer club season. He became friends with some of the state's other elite wrestlers when he was younger, multiple-time All-Americans like Jayson Ness and Mike Thorn. The three would later get the chance to wrestle together in Dinkytown, transforming from young wrestlers who idolized collegiate stars to the collegiate stars young wrestlers idolized.

"It was pretty special that we all had the chance to come here and wrestle on the same team," said Sanders.

Sanders' Gopher career remains one of the most-decorated in program history. While 17 different Gophers have won individual national championships, only 10 Gophers have earned All-America honors four times in their careers. Sanders is one of these rare four-timers.

"You can write that as a goal, be a four-time All-American, but it's not like you think about it," said Sanders. "Each year you're trying to be as good as you can. That's the goal. It's never a `I have to be a four-time All-American' thing. It's more like `Let's see how good we can be,' type of thing."

That genuine curiosity about his personal ceiling, and a willingness to invest the time and effort needed, helped Sanders accomplish all that he did as a Gopher.

"I was just so excited every single day walking down those stairs for practice. I enjoyed the process," said Sanders. "I wanted to get pushed every day. Even if I knew it was going to be a tough day, I looked forward to it. Practice was the best time of the day. I embraced it and tried to be my best every day."

Since graduating in 2012 following a third-place performance at the NCAA Championships, Sanders has stayed close to his alma mater by serving as a graduate assistant for the program while training and competing in freestyle on both the national and international level. His Minnesota pride and competitive spirit made him a natural fit for the volunteer assistant coach position on this year's staff, a spot vacated when Dustin Schlatter was promoted to assistant coach this year. Just as he did during his time as a Gopher wrestler, Sanders brings enthusiasm, effort and a competitive spirit to the wrestling room as a Gopher coach.

"I ready to go every day when I come here and work out with the guys. Get up early in the morning to work out? That's what I like to do. I'm up the night before planning what I want to show the guys or where they have been struggling because it's all about progress. I have been through it, so I feel like I can contribute a lot of things that I learned along the way and pass it on to them. I have a lot of pride for being a part of this program. I couldn't imagine doing anything else, or doing it anywhere else, honestly."


Get to Know Luke Becker

A national champion wrestler and coach, Becker sees potential to accomplish more at his home state school



Gophersports.com
Sept. 16, 2016

Luke Becker came to the Gopher program as one of the most prized high school recruits in the country. The three-time state champion amassed 210 career wins at Cambridge-Isanti (Minn.) High School were the most in Minnesota state history to that point and the Gopher staff expected him to compete for a starting position immediately after his redshirt season.

“Minnesota was on the rise. There were a lot of good things happening here when they began recruiting me,” said Becker. Though staying at home may have added pressure to perform, Becker embraced it. “Being able to stay home and wrestle for your home state and help build something great, that was exciting for me.”

Not only did Becker compete for and win that position, he quickly established himself as one of the best 157-pounders in the nation. Becker finished sixth as a redshirt freshman, earning All-America recognition. That podium finish, which would be the highlight of many collegiate careers, was just a starting point for Becker.

Becker added a fourth-place finish the following season before reaching the very top of his weight class in 2002, winning an individual Big Ten title before earning the national title to help Minnesota capture its second straight National Championship.

“Obviously 2001 was unbelievable, to win a national title and to win it the way we did with 10 All-Americans. In 2002, it wasn’t just about finding a way to win that first title anymore. It went from focusing on winning the title as a team to guys winning individuals titles. We had the talent and we knew the team thing would take care of itself. It’s pretty amazing what we were able to do, when you look back it,” said Becker.

After adding a second Big Ten title in 2003, Becker made it a perfect four-for-four at NCAAs, picking up his fourth All-America finish as a senior. Becker and teammate Jared Lawrence graduated as the first four-time All-Americans to win individual national titles in program history.

In addition to his celebrated individual resume, Becker contributed to some of the most legendary teams in the history of Gopher Wrestling. He wrestled for back-to-back-to-back Big Ten Championships teams (2001-03) and also played a major role in the program’s first two national titles (2001, 2002).

“I think some of our success can be attributed the class of Tim Hartung, Chad Kraft, Brandon Eggum, those guys. They built this thing and helped us realize that winning national titles was possible,” said Becker. “Things didn’t quite turn out for them as a team, but our success was because of them. They set the stage for us and we took it from there.”

Even today, more than a decade after his last match for the Gophers, several of Becker’s career marks remain among the best ever for a Minnesota wrestler, including his 126 wins, 60 dual wins and 29 pins.

Becker immediately joined the Gopher staff following graduation and has worked his way up to his current head assistant coach position over the course of the past 14 years. He began as the team’s marketing and promotions coordinator before becoming a volunteer head coach and then an assistant coach for the previous seven seasons.

“When I tell people about our program, I’m not just telling them what I’ve been told. I’ve lived through it,” said Becker. “From a freshman, to a senior, to a grad assistant, to a volunteer, to an assistant, I’ve worked through the ranks. I know this program and I know what it means to the state of Minnesota.”

Since taking on a coaching role with the program, Becker has coached 18 different All-Americans, a collective that has claimed 41 All-America finishes at the national tournament. That stable also won six individual conference titles and three National Championships.

As a wrestler, Becker was an integral piece on some of the greatest teams the Gophers have ever put on the mat. As a coach, he’s continued that legacy by helping train some of the latest Gopher legends. Looking ahead, he sees the opportunity to do so much more.

“I love the University of Minnesota. I love coaching, but I love coaching here. This is where I want to be,” said Becker. “There’s something special about this place. It’s exciting to spend every day in the room working with guys who want to get us back to the top again.”

just curious. Other than your family...what are the best things in life for you all?

Mine:

1) a good tap beer
2) a hot bowl of Pho'
3) Gopher Football
4) A secret brook trout stream
5) a good work out

Is it that the offense's are that awesome ?

Is it that no team but K State has a DC worth a crap ?

I don't have the answers. But living down here, it is so weird watching Nebraska vs. wisconsin and then watching texas vs. Baylor.

Why can't these teams, with all the great recruiting, play an ounce of defense.

Tight end target Jake Paulson of Louisville just decommitted from Western Kentucky. Cincinnati, Pitt, Purdue, and UCF are other notable offers of his.

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Did anyone else notice the run game was completely changed on Saturday. We were pulling Tyler Moore like he was Greg freaking Eslinger. I loved it, and it was quite effective!

Moore must have pulled on at least a dozen plays on Saturday.

Some updates from Gophers 2017 commits and targets.

https://minnesota.rivals.com/news/friday-night-lights-hawes-ryerse-judson-impress

Quietly having a monster day blocking. His strength combined with athleticism are an overmatch vs linebackers and others. He keeps lanes wide and solid without having to hold.

2017 WR Commit Javan Hawes had a big game Friday as he had six catches for 193 yards and a couple touchdowns. He sent me the link to his highlights from the game if you want to check it out. The Georgia native has had a big senior season and he seems to have the speed and athletic ability to really help Minnesota in the future.

I find these 2 Big Ten teams interesting to say the least.. I do have a lot of respect for Greg Gard and Tom Izzo, from a basketball standpoint, and this year these programs contrast each other as much as any in the Big Ten.

Gard's Wisconsin squad is probably the tallest team in the Big Ten and one of the most experienced.. He has 7 players(including walk ons) that are 6'8" or taller. People talk about Nigel Hayes, and rightfully so, but I think the key to their season will be their guard play.... They have to get production from the kid that redshirted last year, Brevin Pritzl. If he plays decent, Wisconsin will be a very tough 'out', all the way to the tournament. Bronson Koenig is a guard that can be a big game player. It is surprising that they did not rebound better with all that size last year but i would think they will try hard to get that fixed this year. I would anticipate they play mostly upper class kids the whole year.

Izzo's Spartans have a tough situation entering the season.. Transfer Ben Carter and senior Gavin Schilling were supposed to supply the experienced size and both are hurt.. The next 2 tallest players are both freshmen at 6-8(Nick Ward) and 6-7(Miles Bridges). They seriously lack height and need a strong contribution from their extremely talented freshman class. They have the Harris kid at guard and Ellis for the seniors(until Schilling comes back.) with Tum Tum Nairns at guard and Goins as a forward as the juniors.. The rest of the team is sophomores and freshmen. Sometimes, you can get away with the lack of height with great desire and skill, so coaching becomes even more important.. I wish I could attend the practices to watch this team develop as Izzo is notorious for being hard on his freshmen. He will need them to contribute in a huge way to make the tournament. Izzo can play the "underdog card" with his young team and keep the team hungry with the practice tempo high, which can work to his advantage. They will be an interesting team to watch this year, win or lose.

EJ can create almost the exact same "game wrap up" for every game so far this year.

There are some here that think we are a bad team. Well, they are wrong. There are some here that think we are a conference title contender, and they are wrong.

We are CONSISTENT and that is what is bugging or concerns many of us.

We consistently run the ball well as Brooks and Smith are All Conference type backs.

We consistently , maybe too close for comfort, beat teams we should due to us having better athletes.

We consistently force huge turnovers. We actually lead the conference in forced turnovers the last 5 weeks.

We consistently play not to lose as we get so conventional in our play calling before half's and in the 4th quarter with the lead.

We consistently have a QB that appears mentally rattled ( bad easy throws and incorrect reads in his progression) in his 5th year.

We consistently have more than 1 WR in the area on passing routes. We also consistently run pass plays that have no chance of working against cover 2 zone coverages. We also consistently drop passes.

We consistently get penalties more than any team I can remmeber.

We are so consistent. We consistently can't beat good teams yet consistently beat bad teams.

We are a model in how to win 6-7 games a year and divide a fan base between those that see hope and those that see the same old same old.

We are consistent.

Sunday Night OT with Tracy Claeys 10-30-2016





Coach Claeys said he was pleased with team after the win, noting whenever you lose at home you have to get two wins on the road to make up for it. He said the defense continues to limit scoring chances for opposing offenses.

He noted the consistency to get to bowls is important, although he said the goals they have for the team, that you’ll be bowl eligible if you accomplish those goals. It is important to win in October and be a contender in November, and that if you keep winning you keep controlling your own destiny.

In practice they spend a lot of time in the redzone against each other, and that that is paying off in terms of them scoring when they get in the redzone and taking care of the ball. He said they are spreading it out now a bit more in the redzone, which opens things up. He mentioned Mitch’s read option and Rodney Smith’s touchdown on a fake jet sweep. He also said that putting them both on the field at once helps keep the defense off balance, and when they go to a one back set and spread it out, it forces the defense to show their hand.

Illinois Game

Claeys said Merrick Jackson was an unsung hero in the game yesterday, and hopes he can turn the corner to being a playmaker for them. On offense, he mentioned Colton Beebe as an unsung hero as well doing lots of things in the run game. Claeys said that he doesn’t believe in “gamers”, and that he needs to see the kids making the plays in practice before they get in the game.

Claeys talked about the nine-game Big Ten schedule, he said he doesn’t like that the bye week was very early for them this year. He believes the winner of the Big Ten West will have two losses because they all have 5 road games this year. He thinks that if there are 10 conference games, then it adds a home game and that he thinks fans will enjoy it, and that it is expensive to bring in non-conference opponents to play.

Coach Jay Johnson is very detailed with his script in practice, Claeys said. If they keep practicing and getting more detailed, then offensively it will pay off in the game. He said that they did more jet sweeps this week because that was something they thought would give them troubles. They did a better job yesterday with the offensive line penalties, and did a good job taking care of the ball.

Looking forward to Purdue

Coach noted that they cannot overlook Purdue, and that you try to bring up examples and talk about it, always having respect for your opponent. He said Baylor for example lost last week to an opponent, and no longer controls their own destiny.

Claeys said that the wind yesterday bothered the passing game. He noted that there were a few balls that should’ve been caught, and that they need to catch the ball better. He said Mitch (Leidner) and the two running backs will carry the ball more down the stretch. Once they start making catches on the outside, then that will take the pressure off the run game.

He said they are very excited about the freshmen class. They have a lot of young guys making plays, and it bodes well for our team in the future. He said that it also speaks to the older guys, he named Damarius Travis, Jack Lynn, and Nick Rallis that coach those freshmen up.

Purdue said there is not a pass that Purdue doesn’t like. Lots of screens and draws. We will have to tackle well and going to have to get pressure up front on the quarterback. Offensively we need to keep scoring points and get in the red zone. “If we get in the low 30’s, we feel our defense is good enough to win it for us.”

Grant won with Joe Kapp at QB. Went to the Super Bowl with him. He was a terrible passer. They won with a great Defense and solid Special Teams play.Those Vikings also won because they got 6-8 wins a year against god-awful Central Division foes. Great QB play is usually necessary to win, but Billy Kilmer, Jeff Hostetler, Trent Dilfer(!) and Rex Grossman (!!!!) took teams to the Super Bowl. Some of them even got a ring out of it.

Wisconsin has been damn good for years now but you can't say that about their Quarterbacks. Same with tOSU, FLA and many other College teams. The 9-12 games winners among the teams without great QBs, were full of talent at other positions.

The Gophers aren't full of 4 and 5 star guys. The O-Line has been pretty bad. The Defense Line? They need to blitz to get any pressure on the QB, leaving acres of yardage available if the QB takes off. Receivers aren't getting much space and Mitch hasn't looked good in any game really, except for Indiana State.

That said they are 6-2 and people seem upset that they aren't 8-0! Play the "shoulda/woulda" game and Rutgers and Oregon State fans would say that they should be 4-4 as much as Gopher fans are screaming that Minnesota should be 8-0. The irony seems to be that for years, Gopher fans have demanded defense, to "run the ball down their throats" and to "beat the teams they should beat". They are getting all of that and many are still p.o'ed about it.

Like those Bud Grant Vikings, the Gopher's record up to now is based largely on schedule, defense, not turning the ball over and a good running game. The Gopher schedule is changing, but the defense looks pretty healthy, they are scoring in the Red Zone and they certainly can run the ball. One has to hope that the GOOD Mitch, which we've seen against, MO, MI, NE, Purdue, Iowa, Indiana State and even for a half against WI is going to show up sometime .

He has to. Right?

Many people think that Claeys is not the long term answer. A few secretly, sometimes overtly, hope that the Gophers lose 2-3 more times over the next 5 games. Then Coyle pulls the trigger on that minuscule buyout. Even they can't be too upset if the Gophers win 3-4 of those games, as long as they beat the Badgers. Correct?

Me? I'd like to see them win those 5 games no matter how lousy they look.

Glad I got all that off my chest. Sorry if you read it down to here.

This morning on Sports Huddle, Coach Claeys stated, "I don't believe in what they call "gamers."

He continued by explaining that players need to "show up" in practice, put in the work, if they want to see the field on game day.

Over the last few years on this site, there have been a variety of posters who have advocated for special treatment for "gamers," to allow them to get into games and show how "special" they really are. So, who knows better on "gamers?" Coach Claeys, or our internet coaches?

I'm leaning towards Coach Claeys.

Big Ten features 5 top 25 teams; Gophs ranking well.

Gophers #5 scoring offense...very close to #3 spot...best improvement from Jay J is points on board

Gophers #5 time of possession...goal/mandate from Claeys I believe

Gophs #4 rushing offense...Bart Miller has improved run game...two backs in top 9...interested to see Pirsig back in mix

Gophs #2 sacks allowed...again, kudos to Miller...Jay J philosophy with Tracy Claeys mandate is to avoid negative plays...I think Mitch has improved his pocket presence avoiding sacks

Gophs #5 red zone offense...loved punching in TDs yesterday untouched...big improvement

Gophs #1 turnover margin...Jay Johnson philosophy makes ball security big issue; Sawvel makes turnovers big issue...key improvement

Gophs #3 WR...Woli undervalued...drawing a lot of double teams now after Iowa showed respect

Gophs #5 3rd down conversions...Jay J has some nice plays for 5-15 yards

Gophs #4 rush defense...defensive tackles are very good...nice to see Merrick getting in rotation...linebackers Lynn, Celestin, safeties Travis, Winfield tackle very well when backs get through front four...

Gophs #5 yards defense

Gophs #6 scoring defense...Sawvel is fine tuning on the go with the injuries/suspensions/true frosh/new schemes...interested to see if his defense closes strong down the stretch...

Gophs #5 opponent first downs allowed

Gophs #4 in sacks...Sawvel has made this a point of effort...working

Gophs #5 pass def eff...Gophs willing to give up pass yards between the 20s...tighten up inn red zone...pass def with Winfield and Hardin and Buford is solid...

Gophs #3 ko coverage...lot of young talent on special teams...Claeys was questioned hard going with Carpenter...he has been very good

Gophs #4 ko returns...some nice plays this year...like Hardin on that unit...lot of youth

Gophs #4 fg and pat...Carpenter solid

MJH or others...who do you think we will get as commits? Let's hear some predictions.

Top targets seem to be

Offense- Ryan Glover, Bruce Judson, Michael Clemons, Josh Johnson, RB target?...Jakyle Holmes?
Defense- Boye Mafe, Kendrick Green, Kendric Haynes, Kendarian HandyHolly, Bryant Fitzgerald, Ellison Hubbard, Bryson Jackson, Quran Hafiz, Dewayne Terry

We all used to say, "what if Mason had a defense?"

Well, this team under Kill/Clayes/Sawvel plays pretty good defense. I think we have seen a big difference when we don't have Hardin...as in order to do what they want to they need to corners that can play press/man.

We have a very good running game.

We are building a very good OL and I think the future is very bright up front

We always have good TE's here

Our passing game probably isn't any worse than it was under Mason. Could our running game actually get better and better in the next two years???

That said, the passing game is the place where we have the most opportunity to grow the most with a top end QB and receivers. The MAC constantly has great quarterbacks...so they don't all go to helmet schools.

Think Mason's teams with a defense and a QB

We are closer than we think...

-The Gophers forced three fumbles in Illinois territory and scored after all three fumble recoveries.
-Defense consistently pressured Illinois quarterback Jeff George Jr. and forced him into difficult situations trying to throw the ball.
-How many times do you see a team put up 40 points and have under 300 total yards? Minnesota had 171 yards rushing on 48 carries (3.6 average) and Leidner had just 112 yards passing. The Gophers consistently started in great field position because the defense did their job and a couple nice punt returns by Shenault and Hardin put them in short field situations.
-Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks combined for 32 carries, which went for 159 yards and three touchdowns. Smith is now tied for lead the Big Ten with ten rushing touchdowns this season.
-The Minnesota run defense was really solid once again overall. On 34 Illini carries they gained just 89 yards on the ground. You take that any day of the week.
-After the three forced fumbled today, the Gophers have now forced 18 turnovers on the season, which leads the Big Ten. That is absolutely outstanding. They lead the conference in forced fumbles with 11. The next closest team has eight forced fumbles.
-The passing game was pretty nonexistent for the most part today. Leidner was erratic on a couple throws, so for the most part Jay Johnson and company stuck to the ground. Wolitarsky lead the team with three catches for 64 yards on the day.
-It will be interesting to see if the Gophers rotate in some more receivers in the next couple games. There really is just no explosive ability on the outside. Brian Smith had a tough day as he dropped two very catch-able passes. Separation at receiver has been an issue as well.
-The offensive line continues to play at a high level. They are second in the Big Ten in sacks allowed, with just seven on the season. Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks had some nice holes to run through as well.
-Penalties were an issue once again. Minnesota had 6 penalties for 56 yards today. They are now last in the Big Ten in that category. They average 65 yards given up in penalties per game.
-On defense, the coverage on the outside was excellent today. With star receiver Malik Turner leaving with an injury after being carted off on the Duke McGhee hit, Jeff George Jr. really had no one to throw to. Myrick, Hardin, and Buford all made nice plays in coverage.
-Winfield and Damarius Travis lead the team in tackles with seven and six, respectively.
-Merrick Jackson had a big sack today which led to a safety, and Hank Ekpe had a huge strip sack that led to Minnesota getting the ball back at the Illini 10 yard line.
-The defensive line may have played one of their best games of the season today, although it was against a pretty poor offensive line.

Going Forward:
-The Gophers have two clearly dangerous weapons in Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks, and it is evident how important both of them are to the success of the team. They need to be used heavily for Minnesota to consistently move the ball.
-Leidner's decision making and accuracy has been inconsistent. Next week's game against Purdue will be crucial for his confidence. After that they will face three tough defenses in Nebraska, Northwestern, and Wisconsin. No way Minnesota can be one dimensional against those teams.
-The decision this week will be made on whether or not the restraining orders will be upheld for Hardin, Buford, Djam, and the Johnson's. If it is upheld, the restraining order will keep them from playing in the Purdue and Northwestern games. The defense just plays so much better with Hardin and Buford in the game at corner.
-Minnesota is 6-2 (3-2) in the Big Ten and are entering November still technically in contention for the Big Ten West. A very important month of football ahead of them.
-They have arguably played better on the road this year than at home. Can Minnesota shut down Purdue's offense? David Blough is a really solid quarterback and receiver D'Angelo Yancey is a nice weapon. Purdue put up 38 points on the Gopher defense in 2014 at TCF Bank Stadium.

Calhoun got worked a couple of times with movement...but also does some very good things.

The silver lining in the Pirsig injury is that Green has started and received valuable reps. He is only a sophomore. Green, Weyler, Calhoun and Wright all first year Big Ten players and Moore is a true Sophomore...blocking for Smith and Brooks...also Sophomores. Does Pirsig play next week?

Lingen out hurts...Woz is getting better and what a block from our frosh FB/TE.

I wonder if they will play all 3 OT (Greene, Wright and Pirsig) like they have done with OG (Weyler, Calhoun and Mayes).

This line should be even better next year

We are bowl eligible after 8 games and I'm not super excited. This team can still do special things, but I'm still underwhelmed. We could easily be 8-0 and be ranked in the top 15.

I've been tough on the coaches as I really haven't been pumped with the offensive playcalling and some of the decision-making. However, I'm glad to hear TC not being satisfied with just being bowl eligible. If he's not gonna go with the Minnesota status quo of being happy to be a middling program, and wants to raise the bar, that's what I need to hear. My expectations match the coach's, which is a new nice reality and weird.

We will find out today you nitwits. Huge game for not only the program but for our perception of Claeys and the potential of the program.
Claeys/gophers need to step on illinois' throats. He would literally crush their laranx immediately.

en route to a blowout victory?

40-17. And it was somebody else's homecoming. Awesome.

Gophers were way better today than they've been in awhile.

The division title is still within reach.

Go Gophers
SKI-U-MAH
#GoldenGophers

Minnesota is playing well and can play much better. If we beat Purdue next week, we have win number 7. But I think if you can imagine not being a Gopher fan while analyzing our last 3 opponents, it is pretty easy to think what will be said by the so-called experts. Heck, a lot of Gopher fans will probably say the same things.

I can picture this being said, or at least thought, assuming a victory against Purdue..... "The 7-2 Gophers enter their toughest part of the schedule.... It will be easy to predict that Minnesota will slide into a 3 game losing streak to end the year.. Nebraska and Wisconsin are the top teams in the West and Northwestern has improved while giving Ohio State a great game... Hate to say it, Gopher fans, but you will end the season 7-5."

This is where we need to play ALL OF OUR GAMES with a chip on our shoulders. If we win one of those 3 last games, we will be respectable for sure.. We win 2 of the last 3 and the comments will be "Wow, the Gophers are really showing improvement in the program!!"..... We win all 3 games and we get respect nationally and assuredly a top 20 ranking. WE LOVE OUR GOPHERS but these are the games that have to be where we are competitive and win to make the next step in the program. THAT IS THE 'CARROT ON THE STICK'!! Go, Gophers!!!

This game against Illinois is like the 'poster child' of games to show how the Gophers will win most of their games.. Great running attack.. Good defense that is opportunistic with turnovers.. Maybe need to maintain a more solid kicking game. BUT GUYS, WE ARE BOWLING FOR THE 5TH STRAIGHT YEAR..... GREAT JOB GOPHERS!!!

I know the expectations were there, anyways.. But the guys focused and won a game that they were supposed to win and though the score was impressive, there was a lot of room to play much better. I would think we would be favored for win #7 next week against Purdue... GREAT JOB GUYS AND LETS KEEP IT GOING, GOPHERS!!!