Fleck going to Purdue.
Will come out next week.
You can take it to the bank!!
Damn!!

Coyle a tool of the Board of Regents??

Thursday is Dec.1st....two months later is Feb.1st which is national signing day. At this point, the Gophers have a verbal from one defensive tackle. Here's the recruiting of defensive tackles since the Kill/Claeys era:
2017 - Joshua Croslen (let's pray he signs)
2016 - Merrick Jackson (next year is his last year of eligibility)
2015 - Mose Hall (how's he worked out?)
2014 - Gary Moore (how's he worked out?)
2014 - Steven Richardson (hey, we got a good one, but, next year is his last year)
2013 - Jordan Hinojosa (how's he worked out?)
2013 - Demaris Peppers (how's he worked out?)
2012 - Yosoub Timms (he's gone)
2012 - Roland Johnson (he's gone)
2012 - Scott Ekpe (he's gone)
2011 - No one
Sure....Andrew Stelter is a defensive tackle, but he was recruited as a defensive end....anyway, he is gone after next year. Recruit defensive tackles....PLEASE!

Will we see this with this staff? At Minnesota? What needs to happen? Has it happened and I missed it? I'll hang up and listen.

Gophers MBB takes on Vanderbilt tonight at the Sanford Pentagon in South Dakota. The preview is here at: https://minnesota.rivals.com/news/vanderbilt-preview-51

I will save everyone the yawning of a long post of a historical diatribe (like I did with Leonard Hamilton) about Vandy coach Bryce Drew.. I have met the Drew family and Bryce's sister, Dana, attended University of Toledo where she was a All American basketball player and is a lawyer here in town after living in Europe. I had college classes with her husband, Casey, who played professional basketball overseas.

Anyways, Bryce Drew aside, this is a team that does have some shooters.... They have a 7 footer, Kornet that is just a big guy that adds inside/outside scoring..Another inside player , Jeff Roberson that plays a lot of minutes as a forward like Jordan Murphy is for us. Their guards are the strength of their team, though..They have a kid, Matthew Fisher-Davis that can flat shoot it but has been benched by Drew a few times this year.. They have another guard that Gopher fans may be familiar in Riley LaChance, who prepped in Wisconsin, as I remember Ryan James throwing his name around a few times with just a little Gopher interest out of high school. LaChance is another kid that can shoot it.

They are a team made up of mostly underclassman as they have Kornet and a kid that transferred in a couple years ago, that are their only seniors..They are 4-3 and the losses have been to Marquette, Bucknell, and Butler. No big name victories for them. They have a freshman PG, Willis, that is improving so they may get a little better. We gotta be disciplined and communicate off of ball screens and make sure we have a hand in the face of their shooters. I think we will win this but this is a team, if they get hot from the 3 ball area, that could present problems for the Gophers. Not sure how deep they are up front but they got some kids that can shoot it at the guard so this will be a good defensive test for our guys.

Year ?Team Gophers
2013 66th 61st
2014 64th 54th
2015 72nd 53rd
2016 66th 51st

Over the last four years what Top 10 CFP team do the Gophers have a higher ranked recruiting class?

The key to their success has been player development, a senior QB and a very Senior dominated team.

This should have been our year too except we didn't have enough Senior experience. If only we had a few players from last years team. The biggest problem is that Kill unnecessarily burned redshirts.

It would have been amazing to have had Tedric Thompson, Cedric's brother, lining up at safety this year next to Travis. Tedric picked CU Boulder over MN four years ago and is a senior leader for the Buffs, recognized as one of the best DB's in the PAC12, with 7 INTs this seadon. He's playing now in the PAC12 championship game vs. Washigton.

very funny. 2 years ago at TCF for the IOWA game I sat in front of you... I commented on your
stellar Stash ornaments. and of course the excellent slaughter of the pigs.. !!

Below is from an NBC Sports article posted this afternoon. The part in "bold" is my favorite part of the story.

Earlier in the week it was reported that Lane Kiffin was in the mix to fill the head coaching vacancy at Houston. Come Sunday, or shortly thereafter, the Alabama offensive coordinator may be taking the next step in returning to lead his own college football program.

Citing multiple unnamed sources, SBNation.com‘s Steven Godfrey is reporting that Kiffin will interview for the Houston job after Alabama’s SEC Championship game against Florida Saturday afternoon. Kiffin has also been mentioned as a possibility to take over the coordinator role at LSU, giving his current head coach motive to campaign for him to land the Cougars job.

From Godfrey’s report:

Multiple sources have also confirmed to SB Nation that Alabama head coach Nick Saban is actively promoting Kiffin to Houston, ostensibly to keep his OC from jumping to a division rival next season.

The Bracket has been set and the Volleyball team will open up play tonight against North Dakota. They are the #2 overall seed in the bracket of 64. They will then face the winner of Hawaii/USC tomorrow night at the Pav.

What needs to be said about this team that you don't already know? The Tapp twins killed it this year, Sarah Whilhite was glorious. Molly Lohman was a beast at blocks. Samantha Swenson is probably the best setter in the country, and Rosado is great at getting low with those digs. This team has a great chance at winning the national championship. They will always be #1 in my heart no matter what the outcome of the tournament.

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Round Rock (Texas) Cedar Ridge lineman Shea Baker tweeted out an offer this evening. He holds offers from Air Force, Central Arkansas, and Southeastern Louisiana.

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Transferring from Notre Dame for grad school. Why not chase this guy?

SUNDAY POST:

Biggest news to share is that Jay Johnson will watch Jordan Ta'amu (Hudl) throw tomorrow afternoon. Ole Miss has been in contact with him and will be there to watch as well. Johnson will eval him and make a decision about whether or not to offer. The Gophers would take both Ta'amu and Glover.

Tracy Claeys, Jay Johnson, Bart Miller, and Dan O'Brien all flew down to Marshall to have an in-home visit with Blaise Andries and his family tonight. Here's what Andries told me: "We had a great meeting and snack and overall good time. We talked about a lot of things, but the main message was that I needed to keep working hard and enjoy the rest of my senior year with my friends and sports."

Tracy Claeys and Jay Sawvel are visiting Jaquarius Landrews tomorrow. UPDATE: the Landrews visit has been rescheduled to Thursday. Sawvel will also visit Pensacola (Fla.) Pine Forest linebacker Chris Bell (Hudl).

Poore is visiting Joshua Croslen tomorrow.

Phelps will visit Kendrick Green (Hudl) tomorrow. Last I heard, Green is still a strong Iowa lean, but maybe things have changed or will change with in-home visits. I'll try to have an update on him after the visit.

Either O’Brien or Sherels will visit Grant Ryerse tomorrow or Tuesday.

Brian Anderson is visiting Javan Hawes on Wednesday.

Anderson will visit Trey Creamer on Tuesday, and Georgia Southern will visit Creamer at some point this week as well. The Gophers like Creamer a lot, so I'm not sure why Georgia Southern still thinks they have a chance.

The Gophers will visit Nate Bursch at Woodbury next week. I'm not sure when his in-home visit will happen. Bursch tells me his ankle's doing better and is about at 80%. He had sprained it and stretched tendons in his foot.

Decatur (Ga.) Cedar Grove running back Grant Walker (Hudl), a Georgia Southern commit, will receive a visit some time this week. He's heard from Anderson and Schaekel recently.

One target I haven't mentioned before that may get a visit is former Michigan commit Chase Lasater (Hudl), a fullback/linebacker from Jacksonville.

MONDAY UPDATE:

Ole Miss will watch Jordan Ta'amu this afternoon, too.

Sawvel met with Knoxville DE Isaac Buell (Hudl) today and watched him practice. I'd expect Buell to be a name you hear more about moving forward.

Landrews' visit was rescheduled to Thursday. Both Claeys and Sawvel are expected to be there.

Sherels offered 2019 lineman Quinn Carroll today.

Ta'amu, on Johnson coming to watch him throw: "Throwing with Coach Johnson went really well. He liked my throwing, and we sat down and talked about my background. He showed me videos of the school and told me a lot about Minnesota. But he told me he will try to schedule a visit if the coaching staff decides to offer me."

Sawvel will likely meet with Mississippi State linebacker commit Aaron Odom (Hudl) this week and is calling him tonight.

Sawvel will visit Jackson (Miss.) Callaway cornerback Emanuel Dabney on Wednesday.

Hoping to have more later today.

Great choices...congrats gentlemen!

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I have a theory. I really feel like the expectations of how this year set up and the thought that this was our "one big chance to have a magical season" . . . has really done wonders on the pscyhe of a large chunk of regular Gopher fans, and created what has been described as a malaise and lack of normal interest as has been described on this board and elsewhere.

The fact that we entered the season with a very manageable schedule (first time in a long time), returned a senior qb, and had a solid Defense returning, led to very heightened expectations including myself. Then football and life happened. Our senior qb not only didn't take a good step forward in progress, he took a step backward. The wide outs didn't help him with multiple drops and an inability to get regular separation. We lost one of the most significant players on offense coming into the year, with Lingen hardly playing. We lost our 2nd and 3rd CB's for significant stretches to off field issues. Both coordinators had non-football interruptions with the loss of both of their fathers. Team has to deal with Sherels life-threatening illness and his absence early.

Football also happens and we lose 4 close and winnable games that could have turned on a play or two. Penn St. loss in particular was very painful as they had to create a semi-miracle to get it to OT and win (I painfully re-watched the 3rd and 10 play where the obvious hold on Huff is not called and McSorley and WR connect on a desperation play to save the game). We have 4th quarter leads in all 4 losses, and somehow lose all of them. I am reminded of how much football can be a game of inches, and how quickly a change in momentum to alter the game, especially on the road. The could of beens will haunt the team, coaches, and fans for a long time.

I don't outline this as excuses as some will likely point out, but just to highlight how and why this season has been harder on the fans than normal. Because of the incredibly long drought of "magical" seasons, the fact that it didn't happen as many hoped and/or expected really hit hard IMO.

It has hit so hard, that I think we have lost some context with how this season played out. It has been repeated on here ad nauseam how we didn't beat anyone significant: But consider how long it has been since we have had a season where:

1) We swept the non-conference schedule;
2) We beat all the bottom half Big 10 teams without any slip-ups;
3) Every game was competitive with a reasonable chance to win and no blow-out losses (+ 2 TDs).

The last time the Gophers had a season where that occurred? 1999, almost 20 years ago. Before that? 1968, almost 50 years ago. We have transitioned as a fan base to where the Illinois, Purdue games are not only winnable, but where there is no way we should lose to those teams. I attribute that to the brick by brick development that has occurred with this staff. I certainly wanted more for this season and disappointed we didn't get there. I am getting tired of the "accepting mediocrity" straw man position that is becoming almost automatic if you didn't want Claeys and staff fired. However, ultimately I don't believe this was "our one chance" and think 8-4 is our ceiling, and have reasonable hopes that we should be in the mix of the west division every single year.

Just my theory, you don't have to buy in.

Per the Indianapolis Star. 6 pm announcement

I feel like something holding the Gopher football brand back is never winning a BIG game.

The general public could care less about 8-4, they want the Rival wins, or a win over a ranked opponent.

Here is the most depressing stats I looked up. Teams that FINISHED the season in the AP top 25. Since winning AT Penn St in 1999, if the current AP poll stayed the same for year end, the Gophers are 0-55 vs. teams that finished in the year end AP top 25.

The last time the Gophers BEAT an opponent ranked in the top 25 at year end was 1999 @ Penn St.

The last time they won a home game vs. a year end top 25 team was 1996 vs. Syracuse.

We literally have not had a solid home win in 2 decades. My GOODNESS!

instead of.......................

Sad to hear that 76 were killed in a plane crash overnight. Reminds me of the Marshall football team. Thank god this doesn't happen any more frequently

Now I know how hardcore liberal Hillary supporters felt on election night....only this is worse. As John Wayne said, "I try to see both sides. But there's no both sides anymore. They're trying to wreck our g-damn country."

That's how I feel with Coyle and the Regents in charge of Gopher football. Only worse.

The Star Tribune is in on it too. In all their analysis by different columnists, NOT ONCE does any of them mention recruiting. Well other than to quote Jawan Hawes and making him out to be a top recruit....or some other irrelevant analysis like that.

There's no both sides to this argument. Here's the updated team recruiting rankings:

Ohio State: #2
Michigan: #8
Maryland: #13
Penn State: #21
Nebraska: #24
Michigan State: #30
Northwestern: #33
Wisconsin: #34
Rutgers: #35
Iowa: #45
Indiana: #57
Illinois: #65
Purdue: #67
Minnesota: #74

The 2 teams closest to us, Illinois and Purdue, are trying to do something about their situation. We are NOT. We are perfectly satisfied with this.

'There's no me and no you there's just us'

http://www.wdaz.com/news/4169717-more-2000-veterans-expected-form-human-shield-nd-pipeline-protest

Landrews will end up visiting Mississippi State this weekend. This recruitment is going to be close up until the end.

My opinion:

I think we have some great, young defensive players like Carter Coughlin and Kamal Martin, and should be good on that side of the ball again next year. Special teams guys are back too. The missing piece to this puzzle is finding a competent quarterback who can extend plays with his feet, and make all of the easy throws and some of the tough ones. That brings me to....



From Sid's column:


As for replacing quarterback Mitch Leidner, Claeys said: “I’d like to get to where we go to more of a dual-threat quarterback and I think we have those kids in the system right now. Seth Green has done awfully well. Demry Croft, we were able to keep the redshirt on him. We have Mark Williams here, who can play several positions. We’re going to work to get one signed this year and move more in that direction, which is the direction I would like to go."

I wouldn't put this on the other board because it'd get spun into a bunch of bitching. But I was dinking around with some sports trivia tonight and one was a quiz to name the Power 5 schools that have not had GameDay. Anyway, there are no SEC teams that have not hosted GameDay (shocker.)

The Big ten has the most teams.

Minnesota
Indiana
Illinois
Rutgers
Maryland

ACC
Virginia
Wake Forest
Duke
Syracuse

Big 12
Kansas
Iowa St.

Pac 12
Washington St.
Cal

Pretty motley crew.

Current Mood



'You met me at a very strange time in my life'

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