Chip: Gophers have always found ways to lose to Iowa. Now they badly need a win.

[BleedGopher]

Per Chip:

P.J. Fleck's motivational slogans are sprinkled throughout the Gophers football complex. The messaging should be easy this week as Fleck takes his team south across the state line into what has become a house of horrors.

If not now, then when?

Seriously, if the Gophers don't win at Iowa on Saturday, will their losing streak to the Hawkeyes ever end?

Gophers have always found ways to lose to Iowa. Now they badly need a win.

The Gophers have not won at Iowa since the year P.J. Fleck, 42, graduated — <i>from high school</i>. And the drought feels even longer considering the excruciating nature of defeats in recent years.

www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[MplsGopher]

It feels like every year now over 2019, 2021-2023 has been like this. This is the year. If not now, then when?!? (Just like with winning the West for real, ie being the team in Indy)

Sure, we all really would love for it to be this year. And, just talking the random nature of our universe and statistics ... I think we all agree that we can't keep losing to them literally forever. Some year, we will beat them again.


I just wish this game wasn't in Iowa City this year. That to me, is a huge thing added thing to overcome, for this game having so much damn pressure on it.

 

[jonnyganas]

It feels like every year now over 2019, 2021-2023 has been like this. This is the year. If not now, then when?!? (Just like with winning the West for real, ie being the team in Indy)

Sure, we all really would love for it to be this year. And, just talking the random nature of our universe and statistics ... I think we all agree that we can't keep losing to them literally forever. Some year, we will beat them again.


I just wish this game wasn't in Iowa City this year. That to me, is a huge thing added thing to overcome, for this game having so much damn pressure on it.

We used to say the same about the Badgers. We got that monkey off our back in Camp Randall. No reason we can't do the same at Kinnick.

 

[SamSquatch]

We used to say the same about the Badgers. We got that monkey off our back in Camp Randall. No reason we can't do the same at Kinnick.

I get it but also the callout here is the insane losing streaks the Gophers manage to create vs their main rivals. Beating WI in WI, while great doesn’t negate losing 14 straight and the bonkers improbability of that futility. Because a lot of those WI teams were bad and we still lost.

With Iowa, it’s a similar deal. Many years they have had bad teams and we still find ways to lose. Statistics don’t seem to matter, the Gophs find a way to completely violate probabilities and find ways to lose against very beatable teams that are also our main rivals.

I hope this year is the year but it’s crazy that we’re clinging to winning one game every X number of years because we so consistently lose to our rivals, even during their down years.

 

[Bayfieldgopher]

This is a must win

 

[Spaulding!No!]

Chipper badger and Vols fan. Grayyyyyyyt.

 

[walrus]

It feels like every year now over 2019, 2021-2023 has been like this. This is the year. If not now, then when?!? (Just like with winning the West for real, ie being the team in Indy)

Sure, we all really would love for it to be this year. And, just talking the random nature of our universe and statistics ... I think we all agree that we can't keep losing to them literally forever. Some year, we will beat them again.


I just wish this game wasn't in Iowa City this year. That to me, is a huge thing added thing to overcome, for this game having so much damn pressure on it.

It is what it is. The game is where the game is. Be excited for the fact that today just might be the day.

My brother and I were in Iowa City in Kinnick for that fateful last win in Iowa City for the Gopher team. The team had trailed pretty much the entire game until Bruce caught that wheel route pass and took it to the house pretty late in the fourth quarter. The defense hung on and brought the win home.

This Gopher team has the chance to END this streak today.

Beat the stinking Hawkeye, Gopher!

 

[Jack jones]

This article was Chip at his best.

 

[BigTenGuy]

It feels like every year now over 2019, 2021-2023 has been like this. This is the year. If not now, then when?!? (Just like with winning the West for real, ie being the team in Indy) . . .

Make your kicks and win the game.

Gophers vs Iowa
2019 - 1 missed FG; 1 missed XP - final score 19-23
2021 - 1 missed/blocked FG (Iowa scores quick TD after long FG blocked) - final score 22-27
2022 - 1 missed FG - final score 10-13

Iowa made all its kicks in these games.

 

[TwistingMyMelon]

We got that monkey off our back in Camp Randall. No reason we can't do the same at Kinnick.

The thing that makes me hesitant to embrace much optimism about this game is that I don't have a lot of trust in this Gopher team (on either side of the ball) but then I remember that two of the last three teams to beat Iowa were 3-9 teams (2010 & 2011) so I guess stranger things have happened.

 

[btowngopher]

I get it but also the callout here is the insane losing streaks the Gophers manage to create vs their main rivals. Beating WI in WI, while great doesn’t negate losing 14 straight and the bonkers improbability of that futility. Because a lot of those WI teams were bad and we still lost.

With Iowa, it’s a similar deal. Many years they have had bad teams and we still find ways to lose. Statistics don’t seem to matter, the Gophs find a way to completely violate probabilities and find ways to lose against very beatable teams that are also our main rivals.

I hope this year is the year but it’s crazy that we’re clinging to winning one game every X number of years because we so consistently lose to our rivals, even during their down years.

What years during Wisconsin’s or Iowa’s streak were they bad teams? They both had 8+ win teams almost every year.

 

[jonnyganas]

The thing that makes me hesitant to embrace much optimism about this game is that I don't have a lot of trust in this Gopher team (on either side of the ball) but then I remember that two of the last three teams to beat Iowa were 3-9 teams (2010 & 2011) so I guess stranger things have happened.

Stranger things, indeed.

 

[RememberMurray]

I suppose Chip (and the rest of the local sports media) are sulking now.

They can't dial up the easy, go-to "losing streak" angle anymore. They'll have to come up with something new to write and/or talk about.

The "Kirk Cousins has a terrible record in prime time" chestnut is slipping away, too.

Hard times in Minnesota sports media.

 

[Cayman]

What years during Wisconsin’s or Iowa’s streak were they bad teams? They both had 8+ win teams almost every year.

Yup, Iowa and Wisconsin have been tough to beat precisely because they DON’T have down years. Iowa was 4-8 in 2012, and that’s probably the worst season either of them have had in 15 or 20 years. During their 14 game winning streak, I don’t think Wisconsin was ever worse than 7-5, and it wouldn’t shock me if they were favored against us in every single one of those games, but I’m not sure if there’s a way to look up betting lines historically. Even in our 3 recent wins against Wisconsin, we were underdogs in all of them. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s been 20+ years since we were favored against Wisconsin, although I think there’s a chance that happens this year.

Tony Liebert I think had a tweet showing 2022 was the only year in our 8 game losing streak that we were favored against Iowa, and we were like 1.5 point favorites, though Iowa was favored by less than a touchdown in most of them.

Our losing streaks to Iowa and Wisconsin were all against at least decent teams, with the exception of 2012 Iowa, and we were underdogs in probably 90% of them.

 

[RememberMurray]

Yup, Iowa and Wisconsin have been tough to beat precisely because they DON’T have down years. Iowa was 4-8 in 2012, and that’s probably the worst season either of them have had in 15 or 20 years. During their 14 game winning streak, I don’t think Wisconsin was ever worse than 7-5, and it wouldn’t shock me if they were favored against us in every single one of those games, but I’m not sure if there’s a way to look up betting lines historically. Even in our 3 recent wins against Wisconsin, we were underdogs in all of them. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s been 20+ years since we were favored against Wisconsin, although I think there’s a chance that happens this year.

Tony Liebert I think had a tweet showing 2022 was the only year in our 8 game losing streak that we were favored against Iowa, and we were like 1.5 point favorites, though Iowa was favored by less than a touchdown in most of them.

Our losing streaks to Iowa and Wisconsin were all against at least decent teams, with the exception of 2012 Iowa, and we were underdogs in probably 90% of them.

Very, very good points.

Many of us here have long said that a realistic benchmark for success at Minnesota would be to reach a level competitive with, and/or equal to, Iowa and Wisconsin. That's because Iowa and Wisconsin have both demonstrated sustained, long-term success at a decent level.

Well, I think the Gophers under Fleck may have achieved that benchmark... or are at least on the verge of it.