Post Game Thread: Minnesota Loses Again to Iowa

Our kicking game delivered one turnover. Our qb took sacks and threw a ton of incompletions. We played well in areas but did not outplay Iowa.
We won both line battle for the most part. We outplayed them, but are too chickenshit go for it and actually beat them.
 


Our kicking game delivered one turnover. Our qb took sacks and threw a ton of incompletions. We played well in areas but did not outplay Iowa.
We absolutely outplayed Iowa the entire game. I don’t think a single Iowa fan would disagree with that.
 

Fleck’s decision making seems impulsive at times -long shottish in nature. TM was missing too many receivers to be of much use to the offense.
I’m too dispirited now to offer much more, so I’ll save my astute game analysis for tomorrow. Au revoir.
 



We took 3 sacks. They took none
We had a kicked blocked they didn’t.

the game script for us to win was destroyed when Morgan missed wide open cab on third down early second half.
 



We took 3 sacks. They took none
We had a kicked blocked they didn’t.

the game script for us to win was destroyed when Morgan missed wide open cab on third down early second half.
This too is when I thought the football game turned. If he hits that easy out throw, instead of Morgan crapping his pants that is a different football game. The head coach is too emotionally involved with Morgan to evaluate his game play. He Morgan be all the great things that Fleck says about, great leader all of those thing, what he is not is an accurate thrower of the football. Not good enough QB play has cost this team its best chance at a great season. Its a team game but Morgan's poor play has changed outcomes of games.
 



We took 3 sacks. They took none
We had a kicked blocked they didn’t.

the game script for us to win was destroyed when Morgan missed wide open cab on third down early second half.
They also hit a 50+ yard career long FG.
 

Going into the Iowa Game, the Gophers were 122nd of 130 teams in passing offense. There is no excuse for that in the fifth year of a program. Fry went to the Rose Bowl his third year after a total rebuild; Alvarez went to the Rose Bowl his fourth year. Both founded programs that have been successful for decades. We just don't seem able to do that.
Two years after going to the Rose Bowl, Alvarez’ team had a losing record. I’m sure he made some changes or developed some talent that resulted in his success in the following years. We’ll see if PJ can do the same.
 

At least Leidner could run. And once Nelson was gone, Kill didn't really have any better options. (That's his fault too obviously.) Fleck has better options and refuses to use them.
Kill replaced a reasonably competent Nelson with Leidner, which resulted in Nelson leaving (before the Mankato incident). Our coaches seem to do this to themselves.
 

4 abysmal plays
The field try
Morgan misssinf open crab on third down when we could have taken control.
the missed tackle td
Morgan taking a fumble sack on last play.
Morgan could have run in for a TD also
 



Fleck=Mason

Fleck -Winning percentage 58.

Mason-Winning percentage 54

The only difference in the two is Mason put something in the trophy case.

But Fleck is media savvy and has a bunch of jock sniffers that still support him.

And Coyle looks like an idiot for extending PJ until 2028.

Those that say Fleck is such a great recruiter... where's the beef?
 

We took 3 sacks. They took none
We had a kicked blocked they didn’t.

the game script for us to win was destroyed when Morgan missed wide open cab on third down early second half.
That was a major key play. Iowa scores just minutes later - they never would have even had the ball if Morgan just throws a decent ball to a wide open receiver. That one killed us.....
 


There's a lot of frustration with various things Fleck, Sanford, and Morgan did and have done the past couple games.

For me, the worst one of all has been going on for two years - the incessant checking with the sideline. It kills tempo and momentum and makes the Gophers even slower to catch up in games. They seem unable to adjust out of it, no matter the situation. It's led to many delay or near-delay penalties. There's no evidence it improves performance at all. Tanner did much better without it in 2019. It's ugly to watch as a fan.

I doubt it's Tanner's idea, and it started when Sanford got here, so I'm pinning it on him.
I’ve been saying this for a long time as well. Oddly enough, this offense is built to be a tempo offense and would be vastly better if they did run tempo. You have a mammoth line that will wear down every single opponent if you run enough plays at them. Instead we run this possession, slow bullshit to end up calling the same play or a slightly different run audible that lets the defense rest for 20-30 seconds as we never snap the ball before the play clock is under 5. Our offense isn’t hard to stop and even today when Iowa couldn’t do it, we still lost because we don’t have a single Iota of imagination when the field is compressed. I will always love this team, but with what PJ has here now we will not take the next step and based on what we see right now, the next step won’t happen unless he cans Sanford who clearly has broken Morgan just like he has to every quarterback he’s coached
 

Two years after going to the Rose Bowl, Alvarez’ team had a losing record. I’m sure he made some changes or developed some talent that resulted in his success in the following years. We’ll see if PJ can do the same.
I can already guarantee you Fleck will be saying next year he has to replace the whole offensive line and most of the defense (and this will be true.) Thing is -- HIS recruits have had enough time to develop and should be ready to go.
 


Fleck=Mason

Fleck -Winning percentage 58.

Mason-Winning percentage 54

The only difference in the two is Mason put something in the trophy case.

But Fleck is media savvy and has a bunch of jock sniffers that still support him.

And Coyle looks like an idiot for extending PJ until 2028.

Those that say Fleck is such a great recruiter... where's the beef?
What did mason put in the trophy case?
 

I’ve been saying this for a long time as well. Oddly enough, this offense is built to be a tempo offense and would be vastly better if they did run tempo. You have a mammoth line that will wear down every single opponent if you run enough plays at them. Instead we run this possession, slow bullshit to end up calling the same play or a slightly different run audible that lets the defense rest for 20-30 seconds as we never snap the ball before the play clock is under 5. Our offense isn’t hard to stop and even today when Iowa couldn’t do it, we still lost because we don’t have a single Iota of imagination when the field is compressed. I will always love this team, but with what PJ has here now we will not take the next step and based on what we see right now, the next step won’t happen unless he cans Sanford who clearly has broken Morgan just like he has to every quarterback he’s coached
All of this.
 

I can already guarantee you Fleck will be saying next year he has to replace the whole offensive line and most of the defense (and this will be true.) Thing is -- HIS recruits have had enough time to develop and should be ready to go.
I think the defense will be semi-good next year, but the offense could be yet another nightmare!
 

Only the Service teams run the ball more than the Gophers. That worked when Bierman, Warmath and Woody Hayes were coaching, but not today. In the half century in which passing has become big-time, Minnesota hasn't had one QB who could reliably hit 60% for a season and beyond - except Morgan in 2019. I thought we had finally made it, but we didn't.
 

Our kicking game delivered one turnover. Our qb took sacks and threw a ton of incompletions. We played well in areas but did not outplay Iowa.
We passed for 220 yards; Iowa passed for 206 yards. We rushed for 210 (189 yards after subtracting Tanner’s -21); Iowa rushed for 71 yards. Iowa turned the ball over; we didn’t. We had TOP of 40+ minutes. Somewhere in there, normally, would be a win. Iowa did get sacks and blocked an improvident FG attempt (improvident in a field position game). Tough loss to take.
 

We stand at the line and snap the ball at less than three seconds every time. Keep the momentum going… gain 7 yards, get to the line and snap the ball. Nope. Stand and wait. The time of possession is artificially inflated - who cares when we don’t score.
PJ might think TOP is an adequate substitute for attacking the end zone when you get in the red zone. It isn’t.
 

No doubt the biggest regression this year from 2019...not going to count 2020...is the passing game. Losing Tyler and Rashod is huge but it doesn't fully account for the overall drop-off.

I'm not a keen offensive eye but the other WR kids just not have been good enough to routinely free up CrAB to do his thing. Throw Tanner's issues into this mix and you get the troubles we see on the field.

What's a shame is this really takes our eyes off how good Ky Thomas actually is. Like Mo he is maturing before our eyes. That we don't have the moxie for a decent passing game to complement him and Marquise...who I think I heard today does not like being called Bucko...is just a gut puncher.

A really big test is up for next weekend against Indiana. If today's team shows up we should prevail. But that is the question...
 


The regression of our passing offense is astounding. It’s hard to fathom.

Gopher football can just never put it together. We dominated both lines all day. First time in how long? Deflating isn’t strong enough a word.

also I can’t even begin to say how much I hated the 2 point call. Tanner on a rollout with no play action? Yuck. Feels like there’s gotta be a better call w Kramer in.

I missed the 2014 game so that could have been but I can't remember a single game seeing Minnesota beat up Iowa on the LOS like this.
 


That attempt is OK if it's desperation at the end of the game or even the end of the half. But any other time is foolish.
In a close field position game, with lots of time on the clock and a defense that is playing very well, this was a weird call. Fairly low percentage of making the FG, especially with a kicker who missed his only other FG attempt of the year. Better in this type of game, with time, to pin the Hawkeyes deep. What is strange about PJ is that he won’t take reasonable chances, like throwing into the end zone when close, but he will take really low percentage chances, like a 55 yard FG attempt at a weird juncture in the game.
 




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