How We Beat NIU Matters

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Tater

Tater

f.k.a. "Tubtastic"
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Before the USD game I posted a thread entitled something like "How We Beat USD Matters, Right?" At the time, I wasn't so sure whether a simply win was enough and that a big win meant something more for the future success of Brewster's program.

Now I absolutely believe that the Gophers must win convincingly. Brew needs to show that he can not only beat, but dominate so-called lesser teams; that he can put together a great or impressive game plan; and that his team can shut down the opposing offense.

Otherwise one of two things will happen:
(1) Brew's Gophers barely beat another minor conference/below average team; or
(2) Brew's Gophers lose again to another minor conference/below average team.

Option (1) provides no hope or encouragement for the future (let alone this season) at a time when Brewster's future is in question. Option (2) may turn even more people against Brew and force Maturi's hand.

For me, Brewster needs to win big this week and I will cut him some major slack.
 

Only thing that matters is winning while playing good football. Sometimes game plans aren't conducive to "winning big." I thought the MTSU game was a solid win, despite the one-score margin. We did what we planned to do, for the most part. NIU has fielded a couple of surprisingly strong teams over the last several years and has shown flashes of competitive acumen this season. It ain't like the lads line up against statistics and on-paper matchups; there's another team out there that wants to win just as badly, has practiced as hard and plans to give nothing away for free. After the last few seasons it should by now be abundantly clear that mid-majors and FCS schools are capable of playing good football, no matter whom the opponent.

I hope your line of thinking was not present during practice this week nor in the locker room tomorrow. It's just the kind of thing that moves a football team's focus from where it should be to where it can hurt them.
 

This week I think a win is a win, get past the week and move onto the Big Ten schedule 2-2. After that we can start fresh 0-0 in conf play.
 


At the end of the day, regardless of where anyone THINKS the Gophers should be as a program or how BAD anybody thinks NIU is or how severely some people may think the Gophers should trounce them, one thing still remains;

The Gophers are STILL going to trot out a defense full of sophomores and freshmen and this week it will be against an experienced 3-yr starter at QB. Nothing any of us thinks or hopes or wishes is going to change this fact.


That being said, I think the Gophers will be able to score whenever they want against the Huskies so I'm hoping/guessing that will be enough to come away with the win.

The success of this season will be based SOLELY and COMPLETELY on one thing and one thing only; how quickly do these young guys on defense get things figured out and play up to their potential.

Hopefully this week we see another step forward in that progression.
 


NIU

Its very simple - JUST WIN BABY! Nothing else matters. Leave style for the ice capades or stars on ice. NIU will be a tough opponent.
 

This team is in such dire need of a win that how it wins is not important. The only thing that matters is getting another notch in the win column.
 

GO4INLALALAND said:
This team is in such dire need of a win that how it wins is not important. The only thing that matters is getting another notch in the win column.
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Exactly. NIU is better than people think. Getting a W will likely show the Gophers played well and continue to progress. I expect the D to continue to be better, and the Offense to mix in more play action passes on 1st and 2nd down.
 




There's a Jim Mora quote here somewhere... like a paraphrase? Oh yeah, "'How we beat'? Don't talk about 'how we beat'! 'How we beat'? You kiddin' me? I'm just hoping we can win a game!"
 

At this point I don't think this week matters much at all. It's pretty much accepted that they suck at the moment. They'll only be judged by decision makers by the progress they make. In other words how they're playing at the end of the year. This games importance really only matters for the locker room morale.

It's hard to imagine that a poor performance will not have negative lingering effects. A good performance can go along way.

But as far as the "hot seat" view it's probably not as important as people want to make it out to be.
 

For myself an overtime win by a safety will satisfy me. I'm not counting on a field goal. 2-2 and I am OK considering I am disappointed with where we are at this year. Got to make a Bowl Game. Any Bowl Game.
 

Schnoodler said:
At this point I don't think this week matters much at all. It's pretty much accepted that they suck at the moment. They'll only be judged by decision makers by the progress they make. In other words how they're playing at the end of the year. This games importance really only matters for the locker room morale.

It's hard to imagine that a poor performance will not have negative lingering effects. A good performance can go along way.

But as far as the "hot seat" view it's probably not as important as people want to make it out to be.
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Yeah I think this is often lost amid the rage and sensationalism. People were saying that after the South Dakota game Brewster was as good as gone by the end of the season. But what if he had lost to USD and then managed to beat USC and rattle off 5 or so wins in the Big Ten? Maybe nab a trophy? Would people still be calling for his firing?

I mean, I'm not saying that this scenario is at all realistic. But the season is the sum of its parts.

But as I said above. I'm just hoping we can win another game. Being able to appreciate things one game at a time is a key talent to learn when you support a losing team going through a success drought.
 



Why does it matter how you win? Last year Iowa became the Darling of America by blocking 2 field goals against Northern Iowa, and basically scoring slightly more points then the other team every game. Just win and let's move to next week. Absolutely stupid at this point to say how we win matters. Each game is a life of its own. Just win and let's win ugly the next 3 weeks. Who cares? At this point if we won a 7 overtime game against USD we would care?
 

How you win matters. But winning itself matters 1000 times more.
 


You're making the assumption...

...that we're the better football team. We should be, but from what I've observed so far this season that is pretty shaky. If it weren't for MTSU's QB running a floating craps game we'd be 0-3. NIU is 1-2, but they've played a couple of teams tough. I wouldn't bet on beating IL in Champaign.

In theory, a good BT team should be able to beat ANY MAC team handily in their own house. But we are not a good BT team. Heck, I'm not sure if we'd even be a mediocre MAC team. I agree that Brewster needs a convincing win to turn down the heat. Privately, I think he'd take a win in 4OT.
 

now who's making assumptions. Really? that came out of your brain. come on.
 

A win tonight would be the true definition of moral victory. I'm not sure it would do anything for Brewster's job security as he's in a pretty big hole already. Conference wins, trophy wins, bowls, are the only thing that can prolong his career here at this point. Prez B is already hinting at this so I have to believe it is the case.
 


If a team is going to meet the goal of Big 10 Champs, then the non-conference should be about steamrolling teams. 35-7, 44-10, 38-14. It gives the team, fans, and opponents the idea the goal is at hand. Struggle through the non conference, and you send another message to the fans and the team that the goal is all talk.

That having been said, we are not going to win the Big 10 Championship so it matters little how we win. The goal now is how close to .500 can we get?
 

Not falling for this again.

NIU nearly beat Illinois last week. We just have to win. The Gophers at this point are not good enough at this point to expect anything at all. The Gophers need to win this game and then look to beat Northwestern to open the Big Ten season. If they win both games and get to 3-2 they will be halfway to a bad bowl. I will take that after the USD game. The Gophers youth and inexperience and lack of a quality O-line means they are not good enough to dominate anyone so winning by any amount is great.

If the Gophers can win tonight I will be happy if its by 1 point or 20.
 

AhliBobwa said:
Exactly. NIU is better than people think. Getting a W will likely show the Gophers played well and continue to progress. I expect the D to continue to be better, and the Offense to mix in more play action passes on 1st and 2nd down.
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How'd that work out for you? This team is brutal.
 


I'm sad to say it, but fire Brewster please.
 

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