Iceland12
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http://collegefootballnews.com/2015/tcu-at-minnesota-week-1-fearless-prediction-preview
Why TCU Will Win: Minnesota doesn’t have the pop or the firepower whatsoever to keep up any sort of pace. Mitch Leidner is a veteran quarterback, but he doesn’t have tight end Maxx Williams to throw to anymore and the leading returning receiver has just 13 catches.
Yeah, ha ha, TCU can win by outscoring Minnesota, obviously, but that might happen in the first quarter. This isn’t a Gopher team built on winging the ball around the yard, and while it proved last year it could find ways to make comebacks and battle in shootouts, it was almost always on its terms – at least when the results turned out positive.
It’s all about ball control for the Gophers, and while the O line is good, and Leidner can channel his inner Tebow at times when he has to take off, there’s no David Cobb to pound away with anymore. If TCU can come up with 14 points on its first two drives, consider the tone more than set – consider that the foundation for a possible blowout for the second straight season.
Why Minnesota Will Win: If you wanted to try to put together all the right parts for a decent Power 5 team to beat TCU, Minnesota has most of them. The corner combination of Briean Boddy-Calhoun and Eric Murray should be among the best the Horned Frogs will face all year, getting helped by Theiren Cockran and a pass rush with the potential to bother Trevone Boykin all game long. Minnesota didn’t sack Boykin last season. Expect that to change.
No, David Cobb and his 1,629 yards might not be around anymore, but the Gophers should have a good rotation of backs to go along with Leidner to control the game, control the clock, and keep the high-powered TCU offense on the sidelines.
Throw in the rust factor with the first game of the season – with no preseason, it’s always easier to come out and slam the ball with the ground game rather than get the high-powered passing game revved up – and there’s a formula for Minnesota to pull this off.
Player Who Matters: Minnesota junior quarterback Mitch Leidner, this is your moment. While all the pregame hype and attention will be on Boykin, Leidner is a seasoned veteran now with a whole bunch to prove after last year’s loss. It wasn’t all his fault the Gophers were blown away, but he completed just 12-of-26 passes for 151 yards with no touchdowns and three picks, while being held to just four yards on the ground. Third down conversions will mean everything, hitting on just 3-of-16 chances for a season-low 19% against the Horned Frogs. To win, Leidner has to own third downs.
What’s Going To Happen? Be very, very careful here. Minnesota has the right makeup, the right setting, and the right team you’d want to put together to handle what’s coming, but TCU really is good. The offense will get frustrated, but the defense will erase the Gopher receivers while the new starting linebackers will shine picking up the slack. Minnesota will play well, but the dam will break late in the third quarter on one big Boykin touchdown pass to take control.
Prediction: TCU 34, Minnesota 24, Line: TCU -14.5, o/u: 57.5
Must See Rating: 5: True Detective, Season 1 – 1: True Detective, Season 2 … 4
Why TCU Will Win: Minnesota doesn’t have the pop or the firepower whatsoever to keep up any sort of pace. Mitch Leidner is a veteran quarterback, but he doesn’t have tight end Maxx Williams to throw to anymore and the leading returning receiver has just 13 catches.
Yeah, ha ha, TCU can win by outscoring Minnesota, obviously, but that might happen in the first quarter. This isn’t a Gopher team built on winging the ball around the yard, and while it proved last year it could find ways to make comebacks and battle in shootouts, it was almost always on its terms – at least when the results turned out positive.
It’s all about ball control for the Gophers, and while the O line is good, and Leidner can channel his inner Tebow at times when he has to take off, there’s no David Cobb to pound away with anymore. If TCU can come up with 14 points on its first two drives, consider the tone more than set – consider that the foundation for a possible blowout for the second straight season.
Why Minnesota Will Win: If you wanted to try to put together all the right parts for a decent Power 5 team to beat TCU, Minnesota has most of them. The corner combination of Briean Boddy-Calhoun and Eric Murray should be among the best the Horned Frogs will face all year, getting helped by Theiren Cockran and a pass rush with the potential to bother Trevone Boykin all game long. Minnesota didn’t sack Boykin last season. Expect that to change.
No, David Cobb and his 1,629 yards might not be around anymore, but the Gophers should have a good rotation of backs to go along with Leidner to control the game, control the clock, and keep the high-powered TCU offense on the sidelines.
Throw in the rust factor with the first game of the season – with no preseason, it’s always easier to come out and slam the ball with the ground game rather than get the high-powered passing game revved up – and there’s a formula for Minnesota to pull this off.
Player Who Matters: Minnesota junior quarterback Mitch Leidner, this is your moment. While all the pregame hype and attention will be on Boykin, Leidner is a seasoned veteran now with a whole bunch to prove after last year’s loss. It wasn’t all his fault the Gophers were blown away, but he completed just 12-of-26 passes for 151 yards with no touchdowns and three picks, while being held to just four yards on the ground. Third down conversions will mean everything, hitting on just 3-of-16 chances for a season-low 19% against the Horned Frogs. To win, Leidner has to own third downs.
What’s Going To Happen? Be very, very careful here. Minnesota has the right makeup, the right setting, and the right team you’d want to put together to handle what’s coming, but TCU really is good. The offense will get frustrated, but the defense will erase the Gopher receivers while the new starting linebackers will shine picking up the slack. Minnesota will play well, but the dam will break late in the third quarter on one big Boykin touchdown pass to take control.
Prediction: TCU 34, Minnesota 24, Line: TCU -14.5, o/u: 57.5
Must See Rating: 5: True Detective, Season 1 – 1: True Detective, Season 2 … 4