All things TCU

Donate To GopherHole
vagopher said:
I think one of the biggest advantages we have going into this game is how poorly we played last year. It may have been our worst game. We simply under estimated them. That's not going to happen this year and I suspect they will have a problem taking us seriously. The Dallas Morning paper's prediction doesn't hurt in that regard. We also will have the advantage of playing at home. I thought we played much better late last season including a our very competitive game versus Ohio State.
Click to expand...

With all due respect here. I've never been able to see or determine whether a football team is under estimating their opponent while executing a play on the field so I think it comes down to on-field performance and assignments (ie. execution). We were out performed and, as a result, weren't competitive in that game. I would find it extremely difficult to notice or say that a Coach Patterson team isn't taking their opponent seriously.

They will be well-prepared and focused on their task at hand. I will say the same for Coach Kill and his players.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
It's hard to overstate how disastrous the first two/three series were last year. Hardly a play went by where a block was missed, a pass was dropped, or a throw was errant. The first punt was returned to our red zone. That set the tone of the game, and Mitch got his yips trying to get us back into it. Props to TCU, they beat us in all phases last year. But its a new year and we're at home. It should be a much better game.
Click to expand...

Play-by-Play details
 

Last year at this time, many were talking about playing a middle-of-the-pack Big XII team. Now that same school has the preseason #2 team so some are talking like a win would be like the miracle on ice without the ice.

I do think TCU that early in the season last year was quite a surprise. Their offensive changes were obviously spot on. Wearing my Gopher goggles, I hope this has conspired to strip the surprises off of this year's match up for our Gophers. A whole year to prep for the "new look" TCU and the game being at home should raise the probability of an upset. Play without turnovers, get the crowd involved, and see what happens. I'm excited to watch, and it sucks to have to wait another two weeks to do so...
 

I went to GopherSports and counted tickets available in each section of the stadium (not counting the student section). I came up with a total of 909. In the lower deck, I counted 65, mostly single seats. In the outdoor club, I counted 21. In the upper deck, I counted 823, mostly between sections 230-235.

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk
 



wait!what? said:
Tommy Olson on KFAN this AM was not optimistic on MN beating TCU. I was surprised at his candor. thought for sure hed be all 'heck ya we'll beat em' but instead he thinks a close game will be a positive for MN.
Click to expand...
He and other Gophers have said previously TCU was the best team they played last year so I'm not surprised.
 

JoeDirt said:
Ugh, That game was frickin' depressing. Reading through your link just made me throw up in my mouth a little.
Click to expand...

First five drives: Punt, Punt, Interception, Punt, Interception...
 


BarnBoy said:
Reddit: TCU stepping up recruiting with custom video-game covers for recruits.

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Click to expand...

That is an interesting and slippery slope they've gone down.

Using corporate images to attract players (EA Sports, Nike, and Big XII logo)

Once you're there though, your image will not be on said products.

Good luck with that one TCU. Maybe it's pure genius and maybe quite common. My prediction is that this is shut down.
 



Offensively, I believe we will actually have a solid game. As others have noted, TCU lost a significant portion of their defense from last year, and they were no defensive juggernaut to begin with. As last season progressed, I noticed a trend towards bringing KJ Maye in motion pre-snap then handing him the ball, running with Cobb, or using play action. I don't recall the Gophs employing it much in the TCU game (off the top of my head), so I think it could be a dangerous weapon. I think Jeff Jones will be the new KJ Maye, taking over as the jet sweep/pre-snap motion specialist. Adds a huge dimension to our offense that we did not utilize much or at all against TCU. Granted, once the game got out of hand, we were forced to pass more but still....
 


Consensus #2 team in the country is starting 2 true freshman LB's who were 3 star recruits? I don't put a lot into those rankings but their measurables aren't such that they would demand playing time right away.


That sounds like a really unstable program. When a homer predicts them to be top 5 (so 5th) in defense in the Big 12 (which isn't a defensive powerhouse conference) it's hard to believe they are ranked so high and i can see how a 61-58 game with Baylor can happen last year. Occasionally you will get one kid who is ready to jump into that situation, likely hood that both or either are ready seems low.

We are a run first offense and they have those guys at LB? I'm feeling better and better about this game.
 




GopherWeatherGuy said:
Montrel Wilson and Mike Freeze are the two likely to start at LB for TCU.

http://www.scout.com/college/tcu/story/1575571-tcu-s-freshmen-linebackers-could-start

They're fast, but you have to think the Gophers will try to take advantage of that inexperience.
Click to expand...

Any chance in practice the gophers are just having Wozniak do a slant route and stand in the middle of the field and take a beating? The dude is 6'10" just have him put his arms up and ML7 sling short passes at him.
 

Hey Gophers! Looking forward to visiting the Twin Cities in a couple weeks. Ready to get this season underway.

ForecastingAWin said:
Offensively, I believe we will actually have a solid game. As others have noted, TCU lost a significant portion of their defense from last year, and they were no defensive juggernaut to begin with. As last season progressed, I noticed a trend towards bringing KJ Maye in motion pre-snap then handing him the ball, running with Cobb, or using play action. I don't recall the Gophs employing it much in the TCU game (off the top of my head), so I think it could be a dangerous weapon. I think Jeff Jones will be the new KJ Maye, taking over as the jet sweep/pre-snap motion specialist. Adds a huge dimension to our offense that we did not utilize much or at all against TCU. Granted, once the game got out of hand, we were forced to pass more but still....
Click to expand...

I am well aware of the Big 12's defensive reputation, but TCU has been 1st or 2nd in total defense in the Big 12 each of its 3 years in the league (yes, TCU was #1 last year even with that debacle at Baylor). Patterson's teams are built around speed on defense (bend, don't break) and reloading on defense year after year---they have been for 15 years now, and I wouldn't expect there to be a drastic fall off this year. There's a reason Patterson's name comes up in every list of the best defensive coaches in CFB, and he's done it with 2 and 3-star recruits. No doubt they will likely surrender more points than last year's team, but the biggest losses were in the secondary and the line should be stout. My biggest concern for the defense early on in the season is penalties and bone-headed mistakes by the young guys. In short, I don't think youth at LB and safety alone is going to be a difference-maker in this game.

The Gophers' secondary is going to have to slow the game down and force TCU to run the ball. Even if TCU's defense struggles early in the season, no one wants to get into a shootout with Boykin, especially if Gray and Doctson are available and playing at full speed. The offense the Gophers saw in Fort Worth last year was inexperienced and sloppy. That offense had only played FCS Samford and eventual 1-11 SMU. After a tight game against OU and the fourth-quarter meltdown at Baylor, the Frogs' offensive coordinators decided to slow the offense down a notch. The defense got gassed against Baylor because the offense was playing too fast and coming off the field too quickly. It had been an emotional game, and the wheels came off. What was an absolute nightmare (and the risk of the up-tempo, no-huddle) was tempered later in the season by slowing down a bit. The offense got better and helped the defense by going a bit slower; meanwhile, the defense got better conditioned and after Baylor we never saw them get gassed late in a game.

I think Minnesota's opening relies on strong secondary play, forcing the TCU offense to run the ball and run the clock, exploiting mistakes made by TCU's young secondary and out-performing expectations on offense (it will take more than 30 points to win this game). I think the lines are about fair (TCU by 14) only because of Boykin. But if you look at last season's results and stats, TCUs struggles mostly came on the road (Baylor, West Virginia, Kansas). So, a Thursday night game in Minneapolis is no small factor in this one. I think it's going to be a fun game and can't wait to get up there. Really enjoyed all the Gophers fans that came down to Fort Worth last year. And no matter what happens 2 weeks from tonight, I wish y'all all the best the rest of the season.
 

LakerFan said:
That sounds like a really unstable program. When a homer predicts them to be top 5 (so 5th) in defense in the Big 12 (which isn't a defensive powerhouse conference) it's hard to believe they are ranked so high and i can see how a 61-58 game with Baylor can happen last year. Occasionally you will get one kid who is ready to jump into that situation, likely hood that both or either are ready seems low.
Click to expand...

I'd say I agree, but under Patterson TCU's defense has almost always ranked pretty highly in total defense (the '04 season being the exception). Each year is different, and we're catching them at the right time (before they potentially have a chance to gel) but given the track record I'd be mildly surprised if TCU ends up outside the top 40 in defense at the end of the season.

Big XII----
2014: 34th total defense
2013: 24th
2012: 16th

MWC----
2011: 32nd
2010: 1st
2009: 1st
2008: 2nd
2007: 16th
2006: 4th
2005: 29th
2004: 99th
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
Montrel Wilson and Mike Freeze are the two likely to start at LB for TCU.

http://www.scout.com/college/tcu/story/1575571-tcu-s-freshmen-linebackers-could-start

They're fast, but you have to think the Gophers will try to take advantage of that inexperience.
Click to expand...

Per Patterson yesterday, the LB race is "wide open" with Freeze (Fr.) and Sammy Douglas (Jr.) leading with Wilson (Fr.) right there close. It seems to change every couple days, though. A quick note: I'd be wary of anything on TCU from Scout. All their TCU writers bailed in January for 247, and they're down to almost no content and no connections to the program.
 

frog86 said:
Hey Gophers! Looking forward to visiting the Twin Cities in a couple weeks. Ready to get this season underway.



I am well aware of the Big 12's defensive reputation, but TCU has been 1st or 2nd in total defense in the Big 12 each of its 3 years in the league (yes, TCU was #1 last year even with that debacle at Baylor). Patterson's teams are built around speed on defense (bend, don't break) and reloading on defense year after year---they have been for 15 years now, and I wouldn't expect there to be a drastic fall off this year. There's a reason Patterson's name comes up in every list of the best defensive coaches in CFB, and he's done it with 2 and 3-star recruits. No doubt they will likely surrender more points than last year's team, but the biggest losses were in the secondary and the line should be stout. My biggest concern for the defense early on in the season is penalties and bone-headed mistakes by the young guys. In short, I don't think youth at LB and safety alone is going to be a difference-maker in this game.

The Gophers' secondary is going to have to slow the game down and force TCU to run the ball. Even if TCU's defense struggles early in the season, no one wants to get into a shootout with Boykin, especially if Gray and Doctson are available and playing at full speed. The offense the Gophers saw in Fort Worth last year was inexperienced and sloppy. That offense had only played FCS Samford and eventual 1-11 SMU. After a tight game against OU and the fourth-quarter meltdown at Baylor, the Frogs' offensive coordinators decided to slow the offense down a notch. The defense got gassed against Baylor because the offense was playing too fast and coming off the field too quickly. It had been an emotional game, and the wheels came off. What was an absolute nightmare (and the risk of the up-tempo, no-huddle) was tempered later in the season by slowing down a bit. The offense got better and helped the defense by going a bit slower; meanwhile, the defense got better conditioned and after Baylor we never saw them get gassed late in a game.

I think Minnesota's opening relies on strong secondary play, forcing the TCU offense to run the ball and run the clock, exploiting mistakes made by TCU's young secondary and out-performing expectations on offense (it will take more than 30 points to win this game). I think the lines are about fair (TCU by 14) only because of Boykin. But if you look at last season's results and stats, TCUs struggles mostly came on the road (Baylor, West Virginia, Kansas). So, a Thursday night game in Minneapolis is no small factor in this one. I think it's going to be a fun game and can't wait to get up there. Really enjoyed all the Gophers fans that came down to Fort Worth last year. And no matter what happens 2 weeks from tonight, I wish y'all all the best the rest of the season.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the insight! Feel free to post as much as you want the next two weeks regarding the game, it's always good to get some perspective from the opponent's side!
 

jaymil said:
Thanks for the insight! Feel free to post as much as you want the next two weeks regarding the game, it's always good to get some perspective from the opponent's side!
Click to expand...

Finally getting around to reading up on this year's Minnesota squad. I'll be sure to pop back in once I have. I admit I know next to nothing on what to expect from the offense.
 

frog86 said:
Finally getting around to reading up on this year's Minnesota squad. I'll be sure to pop back in once I have. I admit I know next to nothing on what to expect from the offense.
Click to expand...

Other than the desire to run the ball, either do we Gopher fans. My guess is we will still be run first. Now that there are more receivers in camp, maybe some more passing plays...
 

Watched a fair amount of last years game last night, and I think that we are going to be in this one. I noticed Myrick got beat quite a few times by Doctson, and I look for BBC and Murray to play up on him and Listenbee. This leaves Gray to Myrick which I think will definitely be more manageable. On offense we were flat out terrible but with 6 defensive starters leaving, including there top 3 linebackers, I think we will be able to move the ball and get our young athletic guys some good touches. Honestly the way we match up is perfect for us. Power run vs. a speedy defense. Speed is great but against more of a power run it is not as important. Great corners against a great passing offense. Losing Ced and Damien Wilson hurts but I think we will be able to manage. If we can get some stops on defense and somewhat contain Boykin while not turning the ball over a ton, we should be in the mix to get a win.
 

vagopher said:
I think one of the biggest advantages we have going into this game is how poorly we played last year. It may have been our worst game. We simply under estimated them. That's not going to happen this year and I suspect they will have a problem taking us seriously. The Dallas Morning paper's prediction doesn't hurt in that regard. We also will have the advantage of playing at home. I thought we played much better late last season including a our very competitive game versus Ohio State.
Click to expand...

A 17pt road underdog under estimated their opponent. That is quite the interesting take.
 

scools12 said:
A 17pt road underdog under estimated their opponent. That is quite the interesting take.
Click to expand...

To be fair, at the time we played TCU last year folks didn't realize they were as good as they were. We knew they were good, but no one outside of Fort Worth knew how good. Even I didn't, and I am an elite football mind.
 

Spoofin said:
To be fair, at the time we played TCU last year folks didn't realize they were as good as they were. We knew they were good, but no one outside of Fort Worth knew how good. Even I didn't, and I am an elite football mind.
Click to expand...

I have no doubt that you're a elite football mind.

The folks that made TCU a 17pt favorite knew how good they were.

If anyone under estimated TCU it was the Gopher's fan base not the football team.
 

scools12 said:
I have no doubt that you're a elite football mind.

<b>The folks that made TCU a 17pt favorite knew how good they were.</b>

If anyone under estimated TCU it was the Gopher's fan base not the football team.
Click to expand...

That's actually not how a betting line is set at all.
 


I just hope Kill and staff has them prepared to come out jacked up and with confidence! Last year TCU came out of the locker room jumpin around and getting the crowd into it. The players were hyped and talking to the Gophers big time. We looked like we had no idea what to expect or how to match that intensity. That's something that really stood out to me last year. I definitely think it was a learning lesson. Let's hope this year the Gophers come out with some big time confidence and hype. A little bit of swag as BBC says. And match or exceed TCU's enthusiasm.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Spoofin said:
To be fair, at the time we played TCU last year folks didn't realize they were as good as they were. We knew they were good, but no one outside of Fort Worth knew how good.
Click to expand...

Yea, I do remember you saying before the game last that we should win the game easily. You went on to point out how poor TCU record was from the previous year before. I then suggested to you maybe they weren't that poor since they had lost five(?) games by just a few points. I also suggested that Patterson was a very good coach and that they were a lot better than you were giving them credit. Being a GopherHole expert you said nah, this game is in the bag. So maybe a few of us non-GopherHole experts did.:rolleyes:
 

Killjoy said:
Yea, I do remember you saying before the game last that we should win the game easily. You went on to point out how poor TCU record was from the previous year before. I then suggested to you maybe they weren't that poor since they had lost five(?) games by just a few points. I also suggested that Patterson was a very good coach and that they were a lot better than you were giving them credit. Being a GopherHole expert you said nah, this game is in the bag.
Click to expand...

Yes, I did predict a win last year. Should I feel ashamed? If you paid better attention Killjoy you might realize that I pick us to win 99% of the time. See I pay attention, and your above post where you puff your chest, tell everyone how smart you are, and 'educate' everyone on just how much you know/knew is the norm for you. It is to all BS, but oh so predictable, and tiresome.
 

Spoofin said:
Yes, I did predict a win last year. Should I feel ashamed? If you paid better attention Killjoy you might realize that I pick us to win 99% of the time. See I pay attention, and your above post where you puff your chest, tell everyone how smart you are, and 'educate' everyone on just how much you know/knew is the norm for you. It is to all BS, but oh so predictable, and tiresome.
Click to expand...

LOL - Speaking of being predictable, picking us to win 99% of the time is pretty close to being predictable. Keep up the good work. By the way, as far as I know, doing research on the other other team before you make a prediction is not prohibited here, at least not yet. But I must admit, by predicting the Gophers to win 99% of the time must save you a lot of time.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom