BleedGopher
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Tim Brewster was asked during fall camp if he felt the harsh criticism being directed at him was warranted going into his fourth season as the University of Minnesota's football coach.
Brewster's answer was that he didn't know how he was perceived.
But he can't plead ignorance now, especially when many fans have completely turned on him and the Gophers' football program after three straight losses.
For the second time this season, the crowd at TCF Bank Stadium chanted "Fire Brewster!" after Northern Illinois took a 20-13 halftime lead Saturday night by capitalizing on a blocked punt deep in Minnesota territory.
Minnesota's play worsened when a 61-yard touchdown run by Huskies running back Chad Spann in the fourth quarter sealed a 34-23 loss for the Gophers. But the student section at that point was empty, and the few scattered fans remaining didn't even seem to care to heckle the Gophers (1-3) anymore.
What would have been the point?
"Fans are fans and some of them are going to be disappointed, most certainly," Brewster said.
Glen Mason was fired as Gophers coach after a loss in the Insight Bowl to finish the 2006 season. Brewster hasn't even started the Big Ten season yet, which means there are still opportunities to win big games and regain some fan support.
But the Gophers don't appear to be capable of doing that right now.
Athletics director Joel Maturi has said he wouldn't make a decision on Brewster's job until after the season. But Maturi and university President Bob Bruininks might have to decide soon if they want to even wait until after a potential Big Ten collapse to make a move.
Brewster's response to a question about his job security was that "it's a process, what we're doing here."
"I think our athletic director understands that and our president understands that," he said. "We're doing things right. That's not on my mind."
Brewster said he has recruited better talent in his three years, even boosters and Maturi agreed. But if the talent is there, it's up to Brewster and his coaching staff to bring it out on a consistent basis.
"Effort has never been a question," said senior quarterback Adam Weber, who went 31 for 46 for 373 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. "It's going to turn for us."
The Huskies (2-2) are a solid Mid-American Conference team that nearly upset Illinois on the road in a 28-22 loss this season. But their talent wasn't supposed to look superior to a Big Ten team. And it did.
The Huskies (2-2) are a solid Mid-American Conference team that nearly upset Illinois on the road in a 28-22 loss this season. But their talent wasn't supposed to look superior to that of a Big Ten team. And it did Saturday.
Spann, who rushed for 223 yards and two touchdowns, was faster than Minnesota's defenders once he got to the second level. "There was nothing there that we weren't prepared for," Brewster said. "We just didn't do a good job of tackling."
"I thought Coach Brewster analyzed the game well," Maturi said in a postgame e-mail.
A 41-38 loss to lower level South Dakota on Sept. 11 was arguably the worst loss under Brewster, even worse than a loss to North Dakota State in 2007. But the Gophers actually improved the following week against then-No. 18 Southern California, even after squandering a second-half lead in a 32-21 loss.
That's what made how badly the Gophers played in all phases of the game against Northern Illinois so disappointing.
Last season, it was Minnesota's offense that kept it from winning most games. But the Gophers' defense has had to shoulder most of the blame in all three losses this season.
Minnesota gave up 297 yards rushing to Northern Illinois. The offense, which opened the season with a 281-yard performance on the ground in a win at Middle Tennessee State, had only 97 yards rushing Saturday. Even the special teams missed a field-goal attempt and gave up a blocked punt on Dan Orseske that led to Minnesota trailing 20-13 at halftime.
The loss continues Minnesota's downward spiral heading into this week's Big Ten opener against Northwestern. The Gophers were predicted by preseason publications to be the worst team in the conference. They've done nothing to prove otherwise.
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_16176965
Go Gophers!!
Tim Brewster was asked during fall camp if he felt the harsh criticism being directed at him was warranted going into his fourth season as the University of Minnesota's football coach.
Brewster's answer was that he didn't know how he was perceived.
But he can't plead ignorance now, especially when many fans have completely turned on him and the Gophers' football program after three straight losses.
For the second time this season, the crowd at TCF Bank Stadium chanted "Fire Brewster!" after Northern Illinois took a 20-13 halftime lead Saturday night by capitalizing on a blocked punt deep in Minnesota territory.
Minnesota's play worsened when a 61-yard touchdown run by Huskies running back Chad Spann in the fourth quarter sealed a 34-23 loss for the Gophers. But the student section at that point was empty, and the few scattered fans remaining didn't even seem to care to heckle the Gophers (1-3) anymore.
What would have been the point?
"Fans are fans and some of them are going to be disappointed, most certainly," Brewster said.
Glen Mason was fired as Gophers coach after a loss in the Insight Bowl to finish the 2006 season. Brewster hasn't even started the Big Ten season yet, which means there are still opportunities to win big games and regain some fan support.
But the Gophers don't appear to be capable of doing that right now.
Athletics director Joel Maturi has said he wouldn't make a decision on Brewster's job until after the season. But Maturi and university President Bob Bruininks might have to decide soon if they want to even wait until after a potential Big Ten collapse to make a move.
Brewster's response to a question about his job security was that "it's a process, what we're doing here."
"I think our athletic director understands that and our president understands that," he said. "We're doing things right. That's not on my mind."
Brewster said he has recruited better talent in his three years, even boosters and Maturi agreed. But if the talent is there, it's up to Brewster and his coaching staff to bring it out on a consistent basis.
"Effort has never been a question," said senior quarterback Adam Weber, who went 31 for 46 for 373 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. "It's going to turn for us."
The Huskies (2-2) are a solid Mid-American Conference team that nearly upset Illinois on the road in a 28-22 loss this season. But their talent wasn't supposed to look superior to a Big Ten team. And it did.
The Huskies (2-2) are a solid Mid-American Conference team that nearly upset Illinois on the road in a 28-22 loss this season. But their talent wasn't supposed to look superior to that of a Big Ten team. And it did Saturday.
Spann, who rushed for 223 yards and two touchdowns, was faster than Minnesota's defenders once he got to the second level. "There was nothing there that we weren't prepared for," Brewster said. "We just didn't do a good job of tackling."
"I thought Coach Brewster analyzed the game well," Maturi said in a postgame e-mail.
A 41-38 loss to lower level South Dakota on Sept. 11 was arguably the worst loss under Brewster, even worse than a loss to North Dakota State in 2007. But the Gophers actually improved the following week against then-No. 18 Southern California, even after squandering a second-half lead in a 32-21 loss.
That's what made how badly the Gophers played in all phases of the game against Northern Illinois so disappointing.
Last season, it was Minnesota's offense that kept it from winning most games. But the Gophers' defense has had to shoulder most of the blame in all three losses this season.
Minnesota gave up 297 yards rushing to Northern Illinois. The offense, which opened the season with a 281-yard performance on the ground in a win at Middle Tennessee State, had only 97 yards rushing Saturday. Even the special teams missed a field-goal attempt and gave up a blocked punt on Dan Orseske that led to Minnesota trailing 20-13 at halftime.
The loss continues Minnesota's downward spiral heading into this week's Big Ten opener against Northwestern. The Gophers were predicted by preseason publications to be the worst team in the conference. They've done nothing to prove otherwise.
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_16176965
Go Gophers!!