Media Prediction Thread: Minnesota at Fresno State

BleedGopher

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Mountain West Wire is the first out of the gate:

Early Prediction

Frankly, Minnesota was fortunate to steal the win from Fresno State last season. Even though both sides will miss a few stars in the rematch, it should be just as much of a back-and-forth endeavor as the original and, all things being equal, perhaps the home-field advantage will be what it takes to swing last year’s result. It may not be flashy, but it should be good enough. Fresno State 24, Minnesota 23

https://mwwire.com/2019/07/11/fresno-state-football-first-look-at-the-minnesota-golden-gophers/

Go Gophers!!
 

Mwwire.com is home to many known haters of the Constitution, freedom, and generally rude people.
 

Mountain West Wire is the first out of the gate:

Early Prediction

Frankly, Minnesota was fortunate to steal the win from Fresno State last season. Even though both sides will miss a few stars in the rematch, it should be just as much of a back-and-forth endeavor as the original and, all things being equal, perhaps the home-field advantage will be what it takes to swing last year’s result. It may not be flashy, but it should be good enough. Fresno State 24, Minnesota 23

https://mwwire.com/2019/07/11/fresno-state-football-first-look-at-the-minnesota-golden-gophers/

Go Gophers!!

MN returns basically their whole team. Fresno has to replace basically their whole team.

This analysis is lacking
 

Mwwire.com is home to many known haters of the Constitution, freedom, and generally rude people.

bunch of hack writers with no foot in reality. I think this is where star tribune writers go to retire.
 

Minnesota wins going away. FSU fans start leaving in the middle of the 3rd quarter.
 



several key things that FSU and the MW's writers forget
1) Rodney went down early in that game had he stayed healthy not even a close game
2) defensively we had a coaching change that from what was shown on the field will be a level better than what they expect
3) OL/DL will look a lot bigger and meaner than a year ago
4) replacing the few players form our team will be a lot easier than FSU "reloading" after their departures (what do they think they are the OSU of the WEst?)
 


I think that the FSU and Purdue games are early KEY games for the Gophers. I don't care how many starters FSU or PU has to replace, they are both well-coached teams, we play them both on the road, and they will be tough. If we should win both of these games, the table will be set for a nice run in the BIG10 West Division with home games vs. Illinois and Nebraska to follow. I'd LOVE us to be 5 and 0 when Big Red comes to town...THAT would be exciting. Being undefeated with Penn State in town on 11/9 would be over the top. Every year when I set up these scenarios in my mind, I end up being disappointed when we stub our toes during the season. Hopefully, this year will be different. It's our turn to catch lightening in a bottle.
 



Mountain West Wire is the first out of the gate:

Early Prediction

Frankly, Minnesota was fortunate to steal the win from Fresno State last season. Even though both sides will miss a few stars in the rematch, it should be just as much of a back-and-forth endeavor as the original and, all things being equal, perhaps the home-field advantage will be what it takes to swing last year’s result. It may not be flashy, but it should be good enough. Fresno State 24, Minnesota 23

https://mwwire.com/2019/07/11/fresno-state-football-first-look-at-the-minnesota-golden-gophers/

Go Gophers!!

It wasn't a bad article until that conclusion -- the one about both sides missing about an equal amount of "stars" from last year. "All things" are not equal in that regard.
 

MN returns basically their whole team. Fresno has to replace basically their whole team.

This analysis is lacking


That was my thought

Even though both sides will miss a few stars in the rematch

This statement is just plain wrong
 

It wasn't a bad article until that conclusion -- the one about both sides missing about an equal amount of "stars" from last year. "All things" are not equal in that regard.

You're right.

This has been posted before, but it's worth seeing again:

Minnesota 10th in the country (and first in the B1G) in Returning Production. Fresno State is 127th, and second to last in the country.

https://www.sbnation.com/college-fo...9-ncaa-football-returning-starters-experience
 

I'm sure Fresno fans are pretty confident about the game despite the turnover
 



I'm sure Fresno fans are pretty confident about the game despite the turnover

What I've learned from reading this thread:

People who have neck tattoos are far more confident than people who snow-blow their driveways in snorkel parkas.
 

It wasn't a bad article until that conclusion -- the one about both sides missing about an equal amount of "stars" from last year. "All things" are not equal in that regard.

Yeah, the overall writeup about us isn't all that far off. Basically the only knock on our offense he had was the QB situation but also fails to mention that both guys were freshmen last year so it is pretty reasonable to think they will be better in year 2.

The conclusion was stupid though. Clearly he has a lot of faith in the new faces for Fresno since they lost a ton of players off of last year's team while we come back about as fully intact as you can be in college football.

No idea how the game is going to play out but even being on the road I don't really see how we don't have a pretty significant edge heading into this one given what they have to replace. According to the other article that was linked most teams with the level of turnover that Fresno had really struggle the next year so they would need to be the exception in order to not take a big step back this season.
 

"Defense
Depending on how you examine things, the fact Minnesota finished 39th in Defensive S&P+ might seem right on the money or it might look a little wonky. On the one hand, they did hold six opponents to 15 points or fewer; on the other, they also coughed up more than 30 points in six games. They were 11th in Stuff Rate and 23rd in Defensive Opportunity Rate, but they were also 68th in Defensive Success Rate, 101st in IsoPPP (which measures explosive plays) and 105th in Sack Rate. What gives?"


Really?..."What gives"? Someone needs to do their research.

"The secondary might also feature three sophomores in Smith, Antoine Winfield Jr. (who only played in four games last fall due to injury), and Jordan Howden…

Ya, I think the guy whose spectacular play ended the game last year will be featured.
 

"Defense
Depending on how you examine things, the fact Minnesota finished 39th in Defensive S&P+ might seem right on the money or it might look a little wonky. On the one hand, they did hold six opponents to 15 points or fewer; on the other, they also coughed up more than 30 points in six games. They were 11th in Stuff Rate and 23rd in Defensive Opportunity Rate, but they were also 68th in Defensive Success Rate, 101st in IsoPPP (which measures explosive plays) and 105th in Sack Rate. What gives?"


Really?..."What gives"? Someone needs to do their research.

"The secondary might also feature three sophomores in Smith, Antoine Winfield Jr. (who only played in four games last fall due to injury), and Jordan Howden…

Ya, I think the guy whose spectacular play ended the game last year will be featured.

Probably not featured on the JumboTron at Fresno though... ;)
 


Nebraska is 93rd and Purdue is 103rd too. I think the love-fest for both of them might be a little premature also.

Purdue I agree.

The Neb love is a bit over the top but they SHOULD be (talent wise) better .... but who knows after last year.
 


Purdue I agree.

The Neb love is a bit over the top but they SHOULD be (talent wise) better .... but who knows after last year.

They should be better but there are people saying they are a Top 10 teams already. I don't see them making that big of a jump.
 

I get the idea that the fans have optimism for the upcoming season. Everyone is 0-0 and typically speaking interest is good before the season starts. However sportswriters need to do more homework before going to press. They don't seem to mind the back lash however with their poor journalism as evident by Pat Reusse with his shoddy work. They think it is creating more interest and enjoy getting people upset with their false narratives. I've given up reading his articles long ago. Once an alcoholic always a alcoholic, once a poor journalist, always a poor journalist.
 

They should be better but there are people saying they are a Top 10 teams already. I don't see them making that big of a jump.

Yeah I suspect that is just large fanbase clickbait ... like the "Is Harbaugh on the hot seat!?!?" stuff.
 

several key things that FSU and the MW's writers forget
1) Rodney went down early in that game had he stayed healthy not even a close game
2) defensively we had a coaching change that from what was shown on the field will be a level better than what they expect
3) OL/DL will look a lot bigger and meaner than a year ago
4) replacing the few players form our team will be a lot easier than FSU "reloading" after their departures (what do they think they are the OSU of the WEst?)

Point 2 doesn’t really apply to the Fresno game as the defense played great against Fresno last year
 

This game could be tough for the simple reason it's out west, probably going to be hotter than hades, and the time zone change.

Many big 10 teams have made a trip like this out west and gotten beat. The Big 10 team was the better team, too.
 

This game could be tough for the simple reason it's out west, probably going to be hotter than hades, and the time zone change.

Many big 10 teams have made a trip like this out west and gotten beat. The Big 10 team was the better team, too.
Good thing the gophers are experienced from playing in New Mexico a few years back
 


Some of that was on Fresno playing calling.

Yeah Fresno played themselves in that game a bit, they had some plays that were working ... they just stopped calling them.

They took it out on the next team after they got their head back on.
 

Point 2 doesn’t really apply to the Fresno game as the defense played great against Fresno last year

that is my point

it will be even better this year. But given that we did play OK defense(remember it took a great play at the end of the game to save it) and the defense played a whole lot better later in the year, is why I think this is an important aspect to think about this season.
 

We beat Fresno with the absence of a competent defensive coordinator.
That was quite an accomplishment.
 




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