BleedGopher
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per Randy:
Here are the six lessons upon which the Gophers players agreed:
Anybody can beat you: The Gophers opened the season at home against Buffalo, a team coming off 2-10 record. The Gophers beat the Bulls 17-7, but needed a field goal with 2 minutes, 5 seconds left to finally create separation. “We learned that anybody can beat us,” Fleck said. “I didn’t think we deserved to win that football game.”
Emotion, focus are critical: In their only nonconference game against a Power Five opponent, the Gophers traveled to Oregon State and steamrolled the Beavers 48-14 on the strength of 28 second-half points. Conor Rhoda seized control of the quarterback job by going 7-for-8 for 159 yards. “That was the most emotion I’ve ever seen this team play with, practice, scrimmage, game,” Fleck said. “… Every play, everybody was in it for each other.”
Dealing with adversity, trust: Before the nonconference finale against Middle Tennessee, Fleck suspended Demry Croft, the co-starter at QB, for disciplinary reasons. The Gophers won 34-3. “I had to make decisions in terms of not having people here that didn’t do the right thing,” Fleck said. “If I can’t trust you, then you’re going to have to pay a price.”
Gotta play hard: In the Big Ten opener, the Gophers fell 31-24 to Maryland, allowing the Terrapins to rush for 262 yards and drive 74 yards for the winning TD with 1:10 left. “When we get outplayed and outscrapped and somebody does that to us, we’re going to get beat,” Fleck said.
Focus on finishing: In the thunderstorm-delayed 31-17 loss at Purdue, the Gophers went ahead 17-16 with 2:26 left after a drive of 7:32 led to a field goal. But the Gophers couldn’t get the TD, and the Boilermakers shredded a secondary down three starters because of injuries and a suspension for the go-ahead TD with 1:17 left. A pick-six set the final score. “We learned how to finish games,” Fleck said of the go-ahead field goal, “and we learned how people finish us.”
Don’t stop believing: The Gophers’ latest loss saw a slow start and Michigan State’s run dominance lead to what looked like a blowout in the making when the Spartans led 23-6 following a 16-play, 73-yard TD drive that ate 9:13 off the clock in the third quarter. Croft, however, threw three fourth-quarter TD passes to make it competitive.
http://www.startribune.com/after-si...ll-team-identifies-six-key-lessons/451370743/
Go Gophers!!
Here are the six lessons upon which the Gophers players agreed:
Anybody can beat you: The Gophers opened the season at home against Buffalo, a team coming off 2-10 record. The Gophers beat the Bulls 17-7, but needed a field goal with 2 minutes, 5 seconds left to finally create separation. “We learned that anybody can beat us,” Fleck said. “I didn’t think we deserved to win that football game.”
Emotion, focus are critical: In their only nonconference game against a Power Five opponent, the Gophers traveled to Oregon State and steamrolled the Beavers 48-14 on the strength of 28 second-half points. Conor Rhoda seized control of the quarterback job by going 7-for-8 for 159 yards. “That was the most emotion I’ve ever seen this team play with, practice, scrimmage, game,” Fleck said. “… Every play, everybody was in it for each other.”
Dealing with adversity, trust: Before the nonconference finale against Middle Tennessee, Fleck suspended Demry Croft, the co-starter at QB, for disciplinary reasons. The Gophers won 34-3. “I had to make decisions in terms of not having people here that didn’t do the right thing,” Fleck said. “If I can’t trust you, then you’re going to have to pay a price.”
Gotta play hard: In the Big Ten opener, the Gophers fell 31-24 to Maryland, allowing the Terrapins to rush for 262 yards and drive 74 yards for the winning TD with 1:10 left. “When we get outplayed and outscrapped and somebody does that to us, we’re going to get beat,” Fleck said.
Focus on finishing: In the thunderstorm-delayed 31-17 loss at Purdue, the Gophers went ahead 17-16 with 2:26 left after a drive of 7:32 led to a field goal. But the Gophers couldn’t get the TD, and the Boilermakers shredded a secondary down three starters because of injuries and a suspension for the go-ahead TD with 1:17 left. A pick-six set the final score. “We learned how to finish games,” Fleck said of the go-ahead field goal, “and we learned how people finish us.”
Don’t stop believing: The Gophers’ latest loss saw a slow start and Michigan State’s run dominance lead to what looked like a blowout in the making when the Spartans led 23-6 following a 16-play, 73-yard TD drive that ate 9:13 off the clock in the third quarter. Croft, however, threw three fourth-quarter TD passes to make it competitive.
http://www.startribune.com/after-si...ll-team-identifies-six-key-lessons/451370743/
Go Gophers!!
