A warning in advance that some of my thoughts (after DVR review) may be through the maroon and gold goggles and not appreciated by the "realists", but felt like much of the concerns and criticism was a tad over the top. A couple thoughts on some of the issues:

1. Early pre-snap issues. One of my biggest concerns watching the game live was how in the world do we see three pre-snap penalties after focusing on cleaning up the self-inflicted wounds after bad first game in this area. Still not acceptable, but noticed on review that at least the first one was clearly caused by linebacker clapping hands (illegally) and Calhoun jumped. You could tell Leidner was certain it would be called on the defense. Not a total excuse, but hopefully refs are a little more vigilant on that issue. What was strange on the next two is that you can't even see anyone move/jump on tape, nor see the defense moving in response so they must have been very subtle twitches right before the snap. I'm not sure what he refs saw on those, but ironic that one of the first plays when ISU is on offense, that there is a clear movement by the center and Poock and others are going crazy calling for the flag, but somehow the refs decided not to be as picky on the other side of the ball. Curious if anyone saw the movement on 2nd and 3rd penalties.

2. Leidner. Not sure what anyone saw that would lead to any conclusions other than he had a great game. 66% completion which should have been 80% with 3-4 clear drops. He had some really good pre-snap reads and made some clutch throws on 3rd and long. He missed a couple, but I'm still waiting for anyone to locate a college qb who doesn't.

3. Defense in General. There were many concerns raised about the defense and how many yards/points were given up against ISU. I had only one slight concern that I will mention below, but overall believe that most of the points were driven by the nature of a huge lead. Keep in mind that the Gophers went into half-time with a 38-7 lead, and the 7 wouldn't have likely occurred but for a real fluky deflected pass that fell perfectly into the arms of a 2nd receiver that probably had run the wrong route. The Gophers extended the lead to 41-7 early in the 2nd half. Very tough to keep the same focus, effort, and discipline when you have that big of a lead. Also keep in mind that we started the game down 2 defensive starters in addition to our biggest impact player from game 1, and were fairly dominated that half. When ISU scored most of their 2nd half points, we were playing a mix of mostly 2nd and 3rd team players, with a sprinkling of 1st team players, and again with a huge lead. I am not concerned about the defense.

4. The young defensive backs. I agree with Nine that there was a significant drop-off from Hardin to Shenault (jumping over Buford obviously) and that weakens our defense. That being said, I'm not sure Shenault as a young, true sophomore, and Craighton as a red shirt freshmen played as bad as is being concluded on here. They both had a couple plays where the cushions were too large especially Shenault on the two TDs. They both also had moments where they were blanketing the WR in the area, and simply got beat by a very good back shoulder throw by the qb. The one 6-5 WR, who was built and apparently had a 36 vert., was a tough match-up and a good receiver.
As some have mentioned, our memories are collectively real short when we identify these young guys as being real bad in coverage when you think about 10 years or so. Or how about when a young Brock Vereen started out as a CB with little experience. He made some big mistakes, and yet turned into an NFL player. Craighton is in his first year of playing, and first year at CB. Let's pump the brakes a little on the personal attacks of these young players who may turn out to be real good down the road. That being said, I'm still crossing my fingers that Hardin did nothing seriously wrong as I prefer Shenault and Craighton as depth guys at this point.

5. Merrick and Richardson. These guys weren't criticized for their efforts, but worth special mention as they were totally dominant and can't wait to see Merrick get additional experience and blow up some lines down the road. He was double-teamed every play it seemed and was constantly in the qb's face. You can also add in S. Ekpe and Stelter (before pulled for precautionary reasons) as having solid games.

6. QB hits. Speaking of qb's face, I can't remember a two game stretch where our front seven has hit the qb so much during the course of the game. Give the two opposing qb's credit, they both played pretty well despite numerous huge hits against them, even when they weren't being sacked.

Dissapointing, yeah but the sun will come up tomorrow.

i told y'all....it's hard out hea!

strib reports it's Marquette

Was just looking through the schedule. If the Gophers beat Penn State they'll go into Camp Randall undefeated.

That's all.

I hope that wrestling maintains its excellence with the coaching change and we could see a renaissance of dominant winter sports at the U. But gotta give some support for the volleyball team.. The Big Ten is one of the elite in this sport as 8 schools in the top 25 are from the Big Ten.. The girls are getting early season awards. Fell short against Stanford but apparently have been solid since that match.

We always seem to have that one roadblock in conference.. Normally, it has been Penn State.. This year, it is returning national champion Nebraska.....Nebraska is #1 in the nation followed by Texas.. We are #3 ranked. Wisconsin is not far behind us. Purdue, Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State are all supposed to be really tough matches.. I know a few people make fun of supporting women's athletics but this is an elite national program at the U. Plus, our ladies are relatively 'easy on the eyes.' Would love to see a national championship for them.. Joins the wrestling team, both hockey teams, men's golf, a college world series, mens and womens Final Four.. All things accomplished by the Gophers in my lifetime... The U is still a great place for sports programs.. I know everyone basically thinks men's basketball and football, which I do as well, but this program has been top notch for a long time and should be celebrated.

On a day when everyone in Gopher Nation is focused on the big Theo John decision (doesn't look good but I hope somehow he goes Minny)...Rutgers announces the next major outdoor College Wrestling event at Yankee Stadium in NYC on Nov. 4th, 2017.

The OK State vs IA outdoor match last November was a big success with good weather and they set a College Wrestling attendance record...somewhere over 40,000. I wonder if the match at Yankee Stadium can draw more??

Both Rutgers and Maryland teams are on the upswing, so by Nov. 2017, this may be more interesting.

Here's the article from Intermat:


Rutgers, Maryland to wrestle at Yankee Stadium in 2017

Rutgers University Sports Information
9/13/2016


"Big Ten Battle in the Bronx will take place at Yankee Stadium

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Rutgers University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics today announced it will host the "Big Ten Battle in the Bronx," a football and wrestling doubleheader between the Scarlet Knights and Maryland, at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017. The wrestling match, which will be the first in the history of the Stadium, will take place first, before head coach Chris Ash leads the football team into action later that day.

"Never before has a doubleheader such as this taken place at a venue so iconic," said Director of Athletics Patrick Hobbs. "We are thrilled to provide our fans this one-of-a-kind experience while enhancing the Big Ten brand in the world's media capital. This is certain to be a very special day. We are thankful to the New York Yankees, the Big Ten Conference and the University of Maryland for helping to make it possible."

Rutgers football is 2-1 in three games at the current Yankee Stadium, including two appearances in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Overall, RU has played 12 games at Yankee Stadium dating back to 1926 and 50 contests in venues that also serve as homes to Major League Baseball clubs. Maryland leads the all-time series dating back to 1920 on the gridiron, 6-5, but Rutgers has won two of the last three meetings. The teams have split a pair of Big Ten match-ups.

"We are excited to be a part of this event, bringing together college football and wrestling at one of the most iconic venues in sports," said Rutgers head football coach Chris Ash. "The Scarlet Knight fan base is passionate about both its football and wrestling programs and the opportunity to play at Yankee Stadium offers a unique platform."

Rutgers wrestling completed the best season in program history in 2015-16, placing two wrestlers on the All-America podium for a record 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. The Scarlet Knights return nine NCAA qualifiers and host Princeton in "Battle at the Birthplace," presented by Autoland, this Nov. 19 at High Point Solutions Stadium. The match-up will precede the football team's primetime showdown against Penn State that evening. The Scarlet Knights own a 7-5-1 series advantage against Maryland on the mat.

"It is an incredible opportunity for our program to be compete inside Yankee Stadium," said Rutgers head wrestling coach Scott Goodale. "We are absolutely honored to wrestle inside one of the greatest cathedrals in all of sport. I don't think we ever envisioned this when we started here 10 years ago. This is significant not only for the Rutgers and Maryland programs, but for the sport of wrestling. We sincerely thank Pat Hobbs, the University of Maryland and the New York Yankees for making this wrestling milestone a reality."

Ticket information for the "Big Ten Battle in the Bronx" is still to be announced. Season ticket holders will receive priority consideration for the exclusive event, which will be included in season ticket packages.

I hope that wrestling maintains its excellence with the coaching change and we could see a renaissance of dominant winter sports at the U. But gotta give some support for the volleyball team.. The Big Ten is one of the elite conferences in this sport as 8 schools in the top 25 are from the Big Ten.. The girls are getting early season awards. Fell short against Stanford but apparently have been solid since that match. The team has beaten 4 of the top 16 teams in the nation so far this year with 2 of the programs in the top 10(North Carolina and San Diego).

We always seem to have that one roadblock in conference.. Normally, it has been Penn State.. This year, it is returning national champion Nebraska.....Nebraska is #1 in the nation followed by Texas.. We are #3 ranked. Wisconsin is not far behind us. Purdue, Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State are all really tough matches.. I know a few people make fun of supporting women's athletics but this is an elite national program at the U. Plus, our ladies are relatively 'easy on the eyes.' Would love to see a national championship for them.. Would add to the national championships of the wrestling team, both hockey teams, men's golf, a college world series, mens and womens Final Four.. All things accomplished by the Gophers in my lifetime... The U is still a great place for sports programs.. I know everyone basically thinks men's basketball and football, which I do as well, but this program has been top notch for a long time and should be celebrated.

You went to most practices that were open to the public. Give us your scouting report on the 3 frosh db's and Shenault and ZO.


FWIW-MY thoughts

3 db's-- I have no idea and no thoughts. I heard "rumors" they looked good.. I thought AW JR was also a cb, was he shifted to S because he is so vertically challenged? Durr is also somewhat short and Thomas is skinny-right?

Shenault actually played some last year in key situations and started a game. I was at the game at the INDYST staff clearly decided to pass against him on every pass not in the middle of the field. I thought he looked marginal last year, plus I never heard the coaches say one word about him or brag him up.

ZO-Never heard one word about him. At least he is a giant in height in comparison to the other cb. I also thought he was brought in as a S, not a cb.

If Hardin and Buford are done, as far as players I would say the jury is out. Buford got a lot of praise, yet Shenault passed him up last year and Buford did not see the field against OSU. Hardin was/is good, however he is around 5' 9" which is a major concern against teams with tall wr.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) - Rutgers and Maryland will stage a wrestling-football doubleheader at Yankee Stadium next year.

The schools announced Tuesday the doubleheader being called the "Big Ten Battle in the Bronx," will be held Nov. 4, 2017.

The wrestling match, the first in the history of the Stadium, will be first. There will be a contingency plan for the wrestling in case of inclement weather.

Rutgers is 2-1 in three football games at the current Yankee Stadium, including two appearances in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. It has played 12 games at Yankee Stadium dating to 1926. Maryland leads the all-time series 6-5, but Rutgers has won two of the last three meetings. They have split two Big Ten contests.

Rutgers wrestling completed the best season in program history in 2015-16, placing two wrestlers on the All-America podium for a record 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

Link: Gophers in the Pros: Week 1

Let's hear them.

AFC:
East- Patriots
North- Steelers
South- Colts
West- Chiefs
Wildcards: Ravens, Raiders

WC Round: Ravens over Colts, Chiefs over Raiders
Div Round: Patriots over Ravens, Steelers over Chiefs
AFC Championship: Steelers over Patriots

NFC:
East- Giants
North- Packers
South- Saints
West- Cardinals
Wildcards: Panthers, Seahawks

WC Round: Panthers over Saints, Seahawks over Giants
Div Round: Packers over Seahawks, Panthers over Cardinals
NFC Championship: Packers over Panthers

SUPER BOWL LI: Packers over Steelers

MVP: Aaron Rodgers
OPOY: Antonio Brown
DPOY: Khalil Mack
OROY: Ezekiel Elliot
DROY: Jalen Ramsey

Four-star PG Wabissa Bede told me he's canceled his official visit to Minnesota. No surprise given the Washington commitment.

score
FCS Illinois State Redbirds 0
Northwestern Kittens 0

Pretty damn happy the Gophers throttled their inferior opponent today.


Even perpetual league overlord Ohio State is only up 6-3 in the 2nd quarter against Tulsa.

more bad news, even after they leave our program.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...an-charged-battery-cruelty-children/90259292/

Jermaine Johnson showed why he has the Gophers' interest with a solid night against a (normally) explosive offense.

https://minnesota.rivals.com/news/jermaine-johnson-shows-off-athleticism-against-edina

Some have asked so here is some info for you. Help if you can.

SIAP.

Login to view embedded media

I missed the first topic, I think. So feel free to post about it if you caught it.

Running backs have protected well. Running backs are important when the offensive line makes adjustments. Kobe Mcrary has really impressed as a pass blocker.

Jay Johnson has really helped limit drops with his drills.

The biggest improvement needed for the next game is third down defense and avoiding pre-snap penalties on offense. Also said "the biggest thing is getting everyone rested up and healthy." Coaches will get on the road to recruit on Monday other than Claeys and the coordinators.

Great to have Coach Kill back on the sidelines. Says they're best friends and still talk every few days.

Thought Tyler Johnson was a steal, but at the same time he thought he was 95% sure he'd have to redshirt him because he was so thin. "We're just seeing the beginning of someone who's going to be really special...Amazing how competitive he is."

Realizes it's difficult for fans to make it to 11am games, but as a coach he likes it because he's able to do things later in the day.

Recruiting is a constant commitment. Claeys tries to stay in touch with each recruit every three weeks. He likes to send messages to them on how they played, and stay caught up on their performances. Wants coaches to make 6-10 calls on their own before they leave their office.

Need to get the secondary more reps. They have the skill to perform well.

Probably not a bad time for a bye week with the injuries. Allows them to do fundamental work with the young guys and work on the kicking game. Staff will make some final decisions about who will redshirt, who won't, and certain packages.

Colorado State is a younger team and has struggled a little bit this year. They've always played well against Minnesota.

Wozniak and Beebe have played well, and tight end play will be fine.

These are 2 of the worst DBs I've ever seen.I really hope we have some better options than these 2.

I'm engaged in an ongoing "discussion" elsewhere about Lingen's injury. Some are blaming the coaches for it saying he shouldn't have played. I believe if he was medically cleared to play he should play. His new injury (broken collarbone) is not related to his old shoulder injury. Prior to his injury he was pretty dominate blocking so it did not appear to be an issue. I believe they are football players and if they are medically cleared to play (and mentally ready) they should play. Some appear to believe we should hold guys out to guard against them getting hurt, Thoughts?

Link: Theo John recaps Minnesota visit, previews decision

Wolitarski is terrible as a punt returner.

Didn't almost every single one of our DBs return punts in HS? We have to have a better candidate on the roster.

Ohio State at three, Michigan at four, Wisconsin at nine, Michigan State, 12, and Iowa at 13. Nebraska receiving votes.

TCU and Oklahoma State dropped out, Arkansas and Florida joined.

1. Alabama
2. Florida State
3. Ohio State
4. Michigan
5. Clemson
6. Houston
7. Stanford
8. Washington
9. Wisconsin
10. Louisville
11. Texas
12. Michigan State
13. Iowa
14.Oklahoma
15.Tennessee
16. Georgia
17. Texas A&M
18. Notre Dame
19. Ole Miss
20. LSU
21. Baylor
22. Oregon
23. Florida
24. Arkansas
25. Miami

He broke his clavicle. He previously broke his same clavicle so he needs surgery and a plate inserted, according to Joe C.

Tough blow for Brandon and the Gophers.