Hey Falcons....Gopher Fan here

[stpaulgoph]

Hey Guys

Just wanted to give you guys a little background on Minney, and hopefully get some good info on BG in return.
There is a lot swirling around on here about what Minney is/isnt etc etc. I can tell you some goods and some bads.

Offense
Top 3 Rb stable in the Big Ten (Pinnix had 1200 last year, Jay Thomas is solid and people are comparing Bennett to Maroney if you can believe that).

Our O-line will be very solid. We are going to a spread but will still use zone-blocking for the run game. This oline/backs isnt vintage 2003 Gophers, but we will be able to run the ball very well. I expect 200-250 yards on the ground. That doesnt mean we will WIN though. Pass protection should be OK...nothing really outstanding by any means, but nothing dreadful either. Run blocking should pancake though.

Our WR corp is embarassingly thin...exposed by three/four reciever sets. Two true frosh out of 6 possible in the two-deeps. Very inexperienced. Our new starting QB will have jitters as well. Dont expect anything spectacular there. He will run the option well though I suspect. All in all the star of the night passing wise should be our TE Jack Simmons--he will be top reciever with maybe 100 yards on 5-6 catches? Everyone else has 30 yards or less.

Defense
On defense our D-line is a strength--which is weird to say as a Gopher fan. Willie Van De Steeg had 10 sacks last year (second in the Big Ten) and we have had some solid takcles and other DE's emerge. Nothing lights out/Ohio State-esque, but not as disappointing as other years. Should be stout against the run. I know you guys have a great O-line so it should be fun to watch. The Gophers D faces one every week in practice so they should be prepared, but it will be a good match up and pretty even (maybe slight edge BG)

LB's are std/solid for a big ten corps. Starters are tackle machines. Depth is worrisome

Our secondary is brutal We have three true frosh in the two deeps out of a possile 8 in our backfield. That should say something. I read you guys were more of a running team last year, but your new QB is more of a pocket passer. He should have a field day if he isnt bothered by nerves/jitters. Expect at least 250 yards passing at a minimum...more if he finds a groove.

Special teams
These "special forces" are a mixed are a mixed bag. We were top 3 last year in punt returns, kick off returns, and punt coverage. We were last in FG accuracy and had 10 missed extra points So its the true cardiac crew. Watch for Harold Howell if he takes punts or kick offs. He is a tiny guy but class 4A state champ in the 100 meters in Florida last year...a legit 10.3 guy.

Conditioning
Normally I would never include this, but diehard Gopher fans are really curious to see how this plays out. Apparently Mason didnt work kids very hard. When Brewster got here only 4 players could Power Clean 300 lbs. When Fall Camp started over 40 could. The team cumulatively lost almost 500 lbs of fat. Brewster had lineman doing 100 yard sprints in sets of 8. If you did it half ass you ran them ALL again until you did them "right". All the players are saying it was tough but they are in the best shape they have ever been in, better than they ever could have imagined. At least our team shouldnt be tired at the end....

Coaching
You all know this is Brewster's first game...we are all pretty interested to see how it shakes out. I am not sure if I can put it as a negative..he seems very prepared, and has had some great guys to study under (Mike Shanahan, Marty Schottenheimer, Mack Brown) so that helps, but its an unknown still. Wouldnt put it as a positive thats for sure. Mike Dunbar is a wizard on offense so he should be a calming influence and good play called. Brewster is going to "manage" more than "coach" if that makes sense...or at least thats plan. The coordinators will do most of the play calling and he will pump people up and organize etc etc...we shall see how it works.

So thats the Gophers...basically. Can someone offer the same for BG? Any predictions on the game?

Looking forward to a wide open and injury free game![/b]

[mmisbg]

Howdy,

Thanks for chiming in, and thank you for giving us a balanced and non-arrogant perspective on your team. Not many of our Big 10 friends are that way.

Bottom line, there are a lot of different opinions on here, but if I may submit an observation of the general opinion, here goes. We are returning from a rebuilding season that was riddled with injury. Our team was very young last year, playing the 3rd most freshman in division I-A. We're optimistic that we will make dramatic improvements over last year, but I don't think too many people on here think that we are ready to give you a run for your money. If our ST's are cleaned up, and our QB play is respectable, it might be an interesting game to watch.

We have a new ST's coach, new kickers, and a true sophomore as our starting QB (who saw limited time playing last year). These are the reasons why we are skeptical, and I think you can understand.

We have good running backs, and our offensive line is stout. For as young as they were, I think we were impressed by the improvements in our defense; and there is reason to be optimistic. We have some new faces at WR that could be playmakers, to compliment a veteran WR in Partidge. Barnes will be a potent WR if he is healthy.

I think that pretty much wraps it up. Hope I haven't offended to many of the regulars on here. Like you said, I think we just would like to see a game that is fun to watch and injury free.

Enjoy the game.

[stpaulgoph]

thanks for the reply.

A few more notes to include. Could you provide a "three players to watch" list?

For Minney:
Willie Van DeSteeg -DE
Amir Pinnix -RB
Jack Simmons -TE

Turnovers are going to play a huge factor I think. Expect two from us at least...

[hammb]

Welcome to the board!

I'll try to give my analysis, but let it be known that I'm one of the more pessimistic fans on here. Moreover, I also think less of coach Brandon than almost everyone on this site. Still, I'll offer my opinions.

Offense

QB

We're starting a True Sophomore at QB. We've got a RS Junior that was a big time (by MAC standards) recruit and never really developed. This year he's been unseated by Tyler Sheehan. Sheehan played a few games last year showing a good arm, but erratic accuracy and a tendency to turn the ball over. Both last year & in this year's spring game the staff did show a tendency to let him throw the ball downfield more than our other QBs; obviously they have more confidence in Sheehan than the rest of the group. I wouldn't look for us to really try to put up 400 yards through the air though.

RB

We've got one of the best sets of RBs in the MAC. Chris Bullock was outstanding as a Freshman last year with over 750 yards. A true Freshman, Willie Geter, is actually going to be stealing the starting gig from Bullock. Anthony Turner (the Jr QB) can run, and run the option well. In all this team has a good set of backs, even though they don't have a ton of experience.

WRs

We're very thin and not that great at WR either. Corey Partridge has shown some playmaking ability and is our only proven commodity at the WR spot. Freddie Barnes is a converted QB (started the season opener last year). He showed flashes of good play at the WR spot last year, and I expect him to be pretty good there this year. Look for some running/trick plays with him coming from a WR spot as well. The #3 WR is probably going to be Zach Charles. He apparently has good speed, but all we saw of him as a FR last year was a bunch of 3 yard passes, but with our QB situation it was tough to grade WRs.

OL

I think we've got the absolute best OL in the MAC. This group can definitely play with the boys from the Big 10, and are the key to the entire offense. They are anchored by Kory Lichtensteiger playing the pivot; he'll play on Sundays in '08. The rest of the group is athletic & strong, they should be able to open holes for the run game and protect the passer quite well.

Defense

DL

This is probably one of our better DL groups we've had in the last 5 years. Diryal Briggs is the pass rushing threat at the one end. He's small, but very quick off the ball, and a playmaker. We've got a converted TE and a few quality DTs in what is supposed to be a 10 man rotation in this group this season. This unit is solid, if not spectacular.

LB

Our LBs are pretty athletic by MAC standards. Dozier is the best of the bunch, IMO, and the best tackler on the team. Unfortunately the group is, as a whole, undersized; especially when going against Big 10 competition.

Secondary

Our secondary struggled allowing too many big plays last year, but there is talent back there. These guys can cover (both starting CBs have started since their FR years). They can also lay the wood. Unfortunately as a whole the group gambles too much both going for big hits and jumping routes/going for INTs. The Safeties are pretty young, but the CBs are both Juniors now and hopefully they're gained some discipline to their game. As a whole this is a pretty solid unit.


Special Teams

What can you say? We had the worst STs in the nation last year, and they weren't much better than that the year before. This coaching staff has generally taken a nonchalant attitude in regards to this unit in past years. This year we have finally hired a dedicated STs coach, and we brought in 2 new Juco kickers. Hopefully we'll see some improvement, but it wouldn't be astonishing to see this group give games away yet again this year.


Coaching

The coaching on this team has been substandard for the past 4 seasons. As my sig will tell you we have gotten worse every year since Gregg Brandon's first as HMFIC. This year we're welcoming new assistants at almost every position (many internal promotions, some outside hires). A good portion of last year's assistants left town like rats off the Titanic.

Last year's playcalling on offense was horrendous. Everybody in the stands new what play we were going to run before the snap roughly 50% of the time. I can only imagine what professional coaches who did the scouting reports would've thought. The former QB coach was promoted to OC so we'll see what that does for us.

Defensively we've been fundamentally awful for the better portion of the last 4 years. We have way too many headhunters on defense who need to stop trying to get on sportscenter and just wrap up the ball carrier. In year's past we've been very vanilla with too few blitzes as well, but we've got a new DC this year so tough to call.

Overall Outlook

Overall this team will go as far as the new QB can take them. The defense should be pretty good, but unless they've gained some semblance of discipline they will still let off big plays. Offensively we need enough play out of the QB spot to keep defenses honest. The running game should be there, but only if we can scare defenses enough to not load up the box.

I'll believe the STs are improved when I see it, but if they aren't they are good for 1 TD/game for the opposition.

In the end this team is likely no better than mediocre. They may be good enough to win the MAC, but the MAC is just not any good. I think Minny will easily pound our undersized LBs and run the ball down our throats. At the same time I expect them to load the box against our run game and unless Sheehan can beat them we're cooked. I also expect multiple turnovers from our young QB. No clues what the final score will look like, but I don't think this BG team is good enough to hang with even the bottom of the Big 10 anymore. My money will be on Minnesota, giving the points.

[jpfalcon09]

Offensively, we'll have three running backs ready to go. True freshman Willie Geter will be getting the start, but returning RB Chris Bullock and JUCO transfer Eric Ransom will also likely get some touches.

At QB, Tyler Sheehan beat out incumbent Anthony Turner for the starting role. Neither player last year was overly impressive, but Sheehan seems better molded for our passing game this year. However, don't be shocked to see Turner in the game at some other capacity.

At WR, Corey Partridge is back for his 3rd year and is the #1 wideout. He finished 2006 with a strong game against Toledo, and also lit up Wisconsin in his first ever game in 2005. Freddie Barnes will be the #2 man, he split time last year at QB, RB and WR. Freddie has good hands and explosive speed. Other WR's will include Marques Parks, Keston Cheatem (if healthy), Tyrone Pronty, Zach Charles, Dan Macon and TE/DL Sean O'Drobniak.

The OL will arguably be the best in the MAC. Keep an eye out for C Kory Lichtensteiger, who will likely be a high NFL pick after this season. It is probably the strong point of the team.

Defensively, on the line will be returning DE Dyrall Briggs who had 66 tackles last year. He'll be helped by O'Drobniak, Jacob Hardwick, Orlando Brown and Joe Schaefer. Linebackers will include Loren Hargrove, John Haneline, Cody Basler and Erique Dozier. Secondary will feature Antonio Smith, Jahmal Brown, Kenny Lewis and Tarell Lewis.

Special teams last year were a disaster. 2 true freshmen were at kicker and punter, and coupled with poor schemes and blocking, there was much left to be desired. This year, 2 JUCOs have joined the team, kicker Sinisa Vrvilo and punter Nick Iovinelli.

Overall, we hope we have improved over last year. Many of the guys coming back have taken their licks from last year, gained some experience and we hope that it shows on the field. We look forward to Saturday in a good, clean game and hope to add you to the recent list of Big Ten foes defeated, joining Northwestern (twice) and Purdue.

[stpaulgoph]

Thanks guys this is great stuff!

[jpfalcon09]

Three players to watch: Partridge WR, Dozier MLB, Briggs DE

[Flipper]

By college football standards, I would not say that our LB's are undersized as a group.

I think our DL is going to be a strength. This is another unit that has been criticized for being undersized, but I don't think we're that small any longer. there's basically 5 DT's on the depth chart...three of them (Barrow, Young, Davis) are in that 285-290 lb range. Again, you can be very successful in college football with a DT's in that range. Briggs is a very disruptive guy, but hs counterpart on the other side, Schaefer, is going to make some noise this year as well.

Our secondary is young but VERY talented...particulalrly by MAC standards. I gaurentee that Safety Jahmal Brown will put someon's lights out by the third week of the season. He's right up there with the LB Dozier so far as tackling fundamentals and overall intensity go.

Our WR's and RB's are talented, but it isn't proven talent apart form WR's Barnes and Partridge and RB Bullock. JUCO transfer Eric Ransom is going to be a very nice speed back/slot reciever for us if he can stay healthy.

I'm a little concerned that the departure of OC Studrawa will effect the OL adversely. He wasn't the OL coach the last few years, but when he was he was the best in our conference....you have to think that will casue some problems.

It's interesting that you mentioned that only four kids could power clean 300 when coach Brewster took over. When Urban Meyer got here there were fewer kids than that capable of benching 400 lbs. Like Coach Brewster...urbie went about fixing that issue ASAP.

I think the Falcons can play with the Gophers...but I think we'll most likely come up a tad short. I won't be at all shocked if we win a tight one though. I do not think this team was as bad as it's record indicated last year and I think we'll be better than most people have anticipated us being thus far.

[BGGrad01]

3 guys to watch:

RB Geter - can't wait to see him play; he beat out a solid returner in Bullock and a hyped recruit in Ransom.

WR Partridge - tough as nails and ready for a breakout year

the punter - don't want to butcher his name - never a dull moment with the punt team over the last several years; hopefully this is improved with Coach Bird's efforts

[Jacobs4Heisman]

Thanks for stopping by, brother.

I don't have too much to add that hasn't been said. The only way we'd be able to overcome the talent gap here is with a significant scheme/coaching advantage. Since I have no doubt that Tim Brewster will wipe the floor with GB, I don't think this one will stay close for long.

I suppose if we had a supreme talent at QB or RB, we'd be able to keep it close, but that's not the case. Our QB corps is sub-par at best. Like other have said, we should have a very good group of RBs (although inexperienced), and a terrific OL. It likely won't be enough to hang with the goofs, though.


By the by, what do you make of our esteemed leader's assertion that he thinks the notion of your new spread offense is just a trick? He thinks you're going to come out in big sets all night and jam it down our throats. Is he as nuts as I think he is? The switch to the spread has been well documented, has it not?

[Flipper]

Why do people pay any attention to anything coaches say about a given opponent or what they're preparing for?

[stpaulgoph]

A note regarding your coaches comments.

I havent heard about this, but I guess wouldnt it be funny if an Urban Meyer disciple called someone's offense gimmicky?!?

I am not sure how the offense will play out this year for us overall to be honest, but I do know this.

Mike Dunbar was a great hire as OC. He was at Cal last year, and they lead the Pac 10 in offense (not USC).

Last time he was in the Big Ten, in 2005 at Northwestern, the team averaged 500 ypg for the SEASON.

Thats with Northwestern level talent which is year in year out the bottom of the Big Ten. People like Noah Herron and Tyrell Sutton have flourished in his spread as rbs so its not total Texas Tech gimmicky. I guess its based on creating mis matches and things?

So overall it looks promising for Gopher fans. The worst team in the conference had the best offense with Dunbar, and he helped a team perform better than USC.

We dont have all the horses to do that this year. Our WR corp is paper thin in experience. Skills may be there but its very raw. Also this offense lives and dies by the QB's decision making in a play. We had a RS Frosh QB starting Saturday. He was recruited by Michigan and Ohio State and Wisky etc, but he is still unproven. I dont think the Gophers will reach their offensive potential in this system this year, and definitely not in the first game.

I expect them to ride Pinnix and Bennett into the ground, and rush for over 200 yards. 250 yards might be reasonable. Dont take that as a boast though. The Gophers have rushed for 300 yards, hell even 400 yards and STILL lost. We run the ball well and I imagine we still will this season.

Our pass offense will regress until it finds its groove...hopefully the first few games but we shall see I guess.

[Flipper]

In the spread you run by stretching the defense horizontally and attacking the area where they're most vulnerable. You need to have an OL with some mobility and stamina as your will find your gaurds and tackles pulling and moving downfield alot to create some of those mismatches.

In our spread some of our passing attack serves the same purpose as runniung the ball...we drop off short passes to the backs and run a fair amount of WR screens...those are really nothing more than long hand offs to guys in areas where we may have created a numbers advantage.

[hammb]

A note regarding your coaches comments.

I havent heard about this, but I guess wouldnt it be funny if an Urban Meyer disciple called someone's offense gimmicky?!?

To call coach Brandon an Urban disciple is a stretch. He only worked under him for 2 years.


He's not even close to the same style of coach. The offensive scheme may be similar, but beyond that they're exact opposites.

[stpaulgoph]

Thanks for the clarification point.

I hope he appears less smug on TV than Meyer does these days 8)

But my point remains...a spread O guy calling another spread O guy gimmicky doesnt make any sense?!?!