Same Standard

[bailee88]

You can't claim a moral loss and call for Brewster's job after the SDSU victory and not apply the same standard to the Iowa game and call it a moral victory. We lost a very close game and it was a great improvement over last year.(obviously)
Same thing with the defense vs offense. The offense has taken a step backwards but I believe the defense has taken a step forward. Brewsters recruits have developed and played well and Mason's guys have really developed under Brewster this year.(campbell, collado, brown, moen, triplett, sherels etc)

 

[Large]

You are correct...spot on logic. But the naysayers want it both ways.

 

[chi-town gopher]

You can't claim a moral loss and call for Brewster's job after the SDSU victory and not apply the same standard to the Iowa game and call it a moral victory. We lost a very close game and it was a great improvement over last year.(obviously)
Same thing with the defense vs offense. The offense has taken a step backwards but I believe the defense has taken a step forward. Brewsters recruits have developed and played well and Mason's guys have really developed under Brewster this year.(campbell, collado, brown, moen, triplett, sherels etc)

I think it is hard to make that case if you actually watched the game. The offense couldn't have played worse, and while the defense played well, it was against a second string qb and a 4th/5th string RB. No moral victory in this game.

 

[minngg]

I think it is hard to make that case if you actually watched the game. The offense couldn't have played worse, and while the defense played well, it was against a second string qb and a 4th/5th string RB. No moral victory in this game.

What???????? MN was missing their top three receivers after McKnight got hurt. MN was missing their starting LB when he got hurt early in the game. Iowa had the same lineup vs. tOSU that they had against MN. Wegher is not their 4th or 5th string RB. All I can say is those that looked at the schedule like I did and predicted 5-7 wins have no complaints.

 

[chi-town gopher]

Iowa's RB depth Chart was:
Hampton
Brinson
Robinson
Wegher
O'Meara

I'd argue that Stoudemire was the #3 WR for the Gophers as well, not McKnight. McKnight's role increased with Decker out because he is bigger and can fit in that role easier. I predicted the team would have 7 wins and I have plenty of complaints because at the end of the year I'm not sure the gophers were capable of beating any team in the Big Ten.

 

[RedPoo]

I predicted the team would have 7 wins and I have plenty of complaints because at the end of the year I'm not sure the gophers were capable of beating any team in the Big Ten.

Regardless of what you think, they demonstrated they were capable of beating at least 3 Big 10 teams. And with the same team that ended the season (minus their best player), they beat one. Not saying I'm thrilled with their performance, but at the end of the year, the record is what matters.

 

[jovs]

What???????? MN was missing their top three receivers after McKnight got hurt. MN was missing their starting LB when he got hurt early in the game. Iowa had the same lineup vs. tOSU that they had against MN. Wegher is not their 4th or 5th string RB. All I can say is those that looked at the schedule like I did and predicted 5-7 wins have no complaints.

If you base it purely on W/L then I agree with you. It is how it came about that is distressing. In anything, especially sports, there should be gradual improvement. That has to be how the situation should be evaluated and clearly did not happen this year. At times this offense was probably the worst in D1 football and deteriated as the season progressed. If you compete and improve you have a definate direction you are heading. Without improvement you will never get anywhere. With the exception of the Michigan State game I did not see any improvement in the last six games.

 

[craw0092]

If you base it purely on W/L then I agree with you. It is how it came about that is distressing. In anything, especially sports, there should be gradual improvement. That has to be how the situation should be evaluated and clearly did not happen this year. At times this offense was probably the worst in D1 football and deteriated as the season progressed. If you compete and improve you have a definate direction you are heading. Without improvement you will never get anywhere. With the exception of the Michigan State game I did not see any improvement in the last six games.

Say what you want, but our defense kept us in the game. Like much of the season, our defense has kept the offense in the game, while the offense keeps putting them in poor field position and situations. IMO our defense has been lights out this year. 3rd downs could be a bit better, but with our crappy offense, they played great.

I am not sure I would say our offense took a step back, I would say they were looking the wrong way, possibly turned around from last season.

 

[MGGopher]

Brewsters recruits have developed and played well and Mason's guys have really developed under Brewster this year.(campbell, collado, brown, moen, triplett, sherels etc)

+1. Man, this whole, "Brewster can't coach. His staff can't develop talent" argument is so worn out! Brewster and company can coach! Players have gotten better from year to year AND in-season. Looking at only one player's performance (Adam Weber) and then casting judgment on an entire staff's ability to develop talent is bad policy.

Bailee, you mentioned SIX great examples of players who have REALLY improved under Brewster. Ryan Collado, for example, was our WORST player for a time...there were posters here calling for him to give up football! Saturday, he was one of the our best players on defense. Garrett Brown and Eric Small have become GREAT defensive tackles. Not just good, but great! Cedric McKinley has been a very good DE. Who would have thought at any point in the last two years that either Lee Campbell or Nate Triplett would be winning BT player of the week honors?! Troy Stoudermire is one of the top return men in the conference. Marcus Sherels was a walk-in receiver. The staff has made him into a solid corner. Now, he's not spectacular, but taking a walk-on, moving him to a new position on another side of the ball, AND making him into a solid player is not easy.

 

[tjgopher]

Iowa's RB depth Chart was:
Hampton
Brinson
Robinson
Wegher
O'Meara

Brinson was never No. 2 on their depth chart. But, O'Meara started the year as the No. 1, but was beaten out by Robinson and Wegher a week later. Of course, Hampton was slotted their No. 1 until he hurt his knee in preseason drills. So, Wegher was No. 4 during preseason drills, No. 3 after Hampton went down, No. 1 while Robinson was injured, and No. 2 last week.

 

[Great Plains Gopher]

I, for one, don't claim a moral victory at Iowa - it was a game we could have won with any kind of offense (14 of 40 in passing). Offense was terrible in both games - that's the main point.

 

[bankonit]

I may get reamed for this, but...

People need to realize that without Weber's crappy performances against Illinois and Iowa we would have won both games and been 8-3 and I believe if Weber did not play crappy at PSU our Defense gave us a shot in that game too. We are 6-5 but very well could have been 9-2. I hate to play the coulda game but we need to realize that with a little more time we are close to competing for conference titles.