The Truth Lies Somewhere in the Middle

[everybody knows my name]

Horned Frogs fans are saying they controlled the game. They say they got conservative at the end to avoid running up the score and embarrassing Gary Patterson's good friend Jerry.

Gophers fans are saying our offense was a disgrace and our QB performed horribly.

Here's the truth, for those who have already forgotten what happened last night.

-At the end of the game the Gophers had scored to get within 6, got a defensive stop, and ran out of time while on offense.

-The margin of the game was 6 points. That's one touchdown w/o extra point. We missed out on one TD when Roderick fumbled while crossing the goal line. That's the game right there.

-Our quarterback completed more than half of his passes and would have been at or over 60% if dropped passes had been catches instead. He also didn't throw any INTs, although there was at least one close call.

-TCU was a 16 pt favorite the last I heard. Lines are mostly meaningless, except that they give us a hint about perceptions of the matchup.

 

[cjbfbp]

Horned Frogs fans are saying they controlled the game......

-At the end of the game the Gophers had scored to get within 6, got a defensive stop, and ran out of time while on offense.

If that's what TCU fans are saying, then I think they are mostly right. Our defense played about as good as can be expected against such a highly rated offense (although it still showed some familiar vulnerabilities like being susceptible to giving up sizable runs). Very hard to keep an offense like that in check most of the game. If our defense can play at this level throughout the season, we should indeed be a primary Western Division contender.

While our offense showed some bright spots it couldn't get going very often. We had some nice drives but not many. Having the offensive line healthier should help a lot.

Despite the score, by the eye test the Gophers are not in the same class as last night's opponent. I don't know what ranking TCU will have by the end of the season but if they finish outside the top 10 I will be very surprised. The Gophers ceiling would appear to be top 25 or maybe top 20 at best. That should be good enough for most of us right now. Our offense looks like it could be more diversified than last year but it simply lacks enough elite talent to challenge teams in the highest tier of college football.

 

[killme]

Despite several individuals performing less than they are capable, we had three snaps at the end of the game to make one play to win. Given the odds, that seems like an option many would have taken before the start of the game...or when we were down 14. We certainly missed a big opportunity, but there will be more, I'm certain.

 

[oleboy41]

TCU controlled the game in the sense that our offense didn't threaten much. The only time they got conservative was on their last drive when they ran it into the line and that had nothing to do with 'not running it up', that was the best strategic move

 

[RodentRampage]

It Patterson really went conservative to avoid running up the score, it would have been truly stupid thing to do - and he's not stupid. The Gophers had the ball in their hands with a chance to win. Perhaps they could have been less conservative at the end and put the game away, but that's risky. If they had been more aggressive and there was a pick-6, TCU fans would have been asking why he wasn't more conservative.

 

[monk10]

I was impressed on how TCU went from a quick pass attack to an outside option to a pulling linemen (trap) inside game. (Haven't re-watched the game so could be a bit off).

 

[tinyarch]

Horned Frog fans have also said that the Gophers defense may be the best they face all year. They point out that Boykins missed two guys who were wide open for touchdowns and they state that Patterson went back to being conservative like he did with Baylor last year.

I see no fault in their thinking. TCU is a better football team and we stayed within 6 points. We never lead in the game and we never really threatened...even when we had an on-side kick opportunity near the end.

Leidner is our Joe Kapp when we could really use a Fran Tarkenton. He's serviceable and will give us his best effort, but he won't make teams have to game plan around him.

We have a slightly above average football team, but we are not a top 10 squad. We will be a tough out for any team that faces us and we should win more than we lose. If we can get another New Years Day bowl game, after everything shakes out, that would be wonderful. Onward and upward to Fort Collins!

 

[MrC]

-TCU was a 16 pt favorite the last I heard. Lines are mostly meaningless, except that they give us a hint about perceptions of the matchup.

I agree with most of what you wrote but have to disagree with this last point. Lines are very meaningful. The are the result of the collective input of many persons who are willing to put money, not just opinions, on the outcome.

Not too long ago, the idea the Gophers would only be 16 point underdogs to the #2 ranked team would have seemed damned unlikely. The idea they would have the ball with the opportunity to win as time ran out would have seemed more unlikely still.

This may sound like moral victory apologetics, but the Gophers are clearly an improving team. In retrospect, holding TCU to their lowest point total last year was a sign of that improvement. Maybe this year will be incredible, or maybe incredibly frustrating, but as long as we continue to see improvement, there is every reason to stay excited about the future.

 

[nsmike]

Horned Frog fans have also said that the Gophers defense may be the best they face all year. They point out that Boykins missed two guys who were wide open for touchdowns and they state that Patterson went back to being conservative like he did with Baylor last year.

I see no fault in their thinking. TCU is a better football team and we stayed within 6 points. We never lead in the game and we never really threatened...even when we had an on-side kick opportunity near the end.

Leidner is our Joe Kapp when we could really use a Fran Tarkenton. He's serviceable and will give us his best effort, but he won't make teams have to game plan around him.

We have a slightly above average football team, but we are not a top 10 squad. We will be a tough out for any team that faces us and we should win more than we lose. If we can get another New Years Day bowl game, after everything shakes out, that would be wonderful. Onward and upward to Fort Collins!

Surprisingly I agree with most of this and and 100% agree on the Leidner comment I underlined. While I agree we're not top 10, somewhere between 16 and 25, by the end of the season wouldn't surprise me if we can get the O-Line healthy. I looking forward to seeing how Nebraska and Wisconsin play.

 

[gopherncostarica]

I would not say so much that TCU controlled the game, but that they took better advantage of their opportunities. It would have been a different game if Nugget does not fumble the ball, or if the refs would have called a fumble instead of forward progress on TCU's fumble. TCU did play better overall, but i won't take anything away from the gophers in that they held their own against the number 2 ranked team in the nation and their heisman hopeful QB.

 

[Sparlimb]

I think Boykin got hurt last night (he was cramping for sure) and that changed their entire offense. He could still throw and run a little, but he wasn't feeling great in the heat. They dominated on offense for the first few drives, but after that they slowed way down. Any Frog fan saying they let up is lying through his teeth (do frog's have teeth?). We had a drive to win the game, albeit with 27 seconds left. The fact our best QB couldn't even get us a first down is moot.

We missed the td on Nugget fumbling away his starting spot, but TCU also fumbled deep in our territory, so those wash. Boykin also missed 2 easy touch down passes which led to field goals. Which I think goes back to him not being 100%. It was a hot night and both teams had injuries. On to Colorado and the altitude.

 

[kisarazu]

I think Boykin got hurt last night (he was cramping for sure) and that changed their entire offense. He could still throw and run a little, but he wasn't feeling great in the heat. They dominated on offense for the first few drives, but after that they slowed way down. Any Frog fan saying they let up is lying through his teeth (do frog's have teeth?). We had a drive to win the game, albeit with 27 seconds left. The fact our best QB couldn't even get us a first down is moot.

We missed the td on Nugget fumbling away his starting spot, but TCU also fumbled deep in our territory, so those wash. Boykin also missed 2 easy touch down passes which led to field goals. Which I think goes back to him not being 100%. It was a hot night and both teams had injuries. On to Colorado and the altitude.

The texas horned frog (or toad) is actually a lizard, and does have teeth.

 

[GophersInIowa]

Horned Frogs fans are saying they controlled the game. They say they got conservative at the end to avoid running up the score and embarrassing Gary Patterson's good friend Jerry.

Are they really saying that? The only time they got conservative was way at the end when they were trying to run out the clock. Even then they still passed the ball and Boykin ran it twice. When they were up 20-10 in the 4th, they threw the ball 4 out of 6 plays in their drive to kick their last field goal. On that drive, Murray was called for PI on a long pass down field. Yep, really conservative there.

 

[#2Gopher]

I would not say so much that TCU controlled the game, but that they took better advantage of their opportunities. It would have been a different game if Nugget does not fumble the ball, or if the refs would have called a fumble instead of forward progress on TCU's fumble. TCU did play better overall, but i won't take anything away from the gophers in that they held their own against the number 2 ranked team in the nation and their heisman hopeful QB.

So is this the correct ruling as to the fumble?

 

[vagopher]

The notion that Patterson became conservative to avoid embarrassing his good friend Jerry strikes me as being narcissistic. I just finished watching a replay of the game, and I saw no evidence of this. Yes, after Minnesota scored in the fourth quarter to narrow TCU's lead to 6, with, I believe, 1.37 on the clock, they tried to run out the clock. But that's just smart football, and frankly, it worked. I understand that TCU fans, after a painful failure to be included in the CFP last year, are looking for a season in which they win out and dominate all of their opponents, in order to assure their CFP inclusion this year. But the truth of the matter is, our defense played very well, and deserves much greater respect than many TCU fans are apparently giving it. Our offense, unfortunately is another matter, though, our fourth quarter touchdown drive gave me hope for the future. If the offense can match that drive going forward on a consistent basis, I think we are in for a very special year. I am particularly excite by the play of some of our younger players, such as Huff. Let's hope can regroup and beat a good Colorado State team next week.

 

[Some Day...Is Coming!]

How about this, the Gophers out scored TCU 17 to 13 over the last 3 quarters of the game,.


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[GopherinPhilly]

They are ranked #2 in the country. We are not ranked. They were 14 point favorites. They returned 10 starters on offense including 4 seniors on the o-line. We lost by 6 and held their offense to 23 points and we had the ball at the end with a chance for a win.

Mistakes, missed opportunities and so on both sides. We gave them a TD with the fumble on the whiff block inside our 20 and we fumbled going into the endzone. They missed 2 wide open td passes. Change one of the plays in favor of the Gophers and we probably win...change one in favor of TCU and we lose by the line. So it is football and that is why the games are played.

And TCU lost to Baylor because they couldn't run for a first down at the end of the game. They almost lost to us for the same reason. They missed the playoffs last year because of this weakness. It wasn't conservative it was Patterson testing his team...they failed that test but still won the game because we aren't Baylor's offense. I am certain their coaches are not pleased with the performance and are glad they don't play us again.

 

[MNVCGUY]

They are ranked #2 in the country. We are not ranked. They were 14 point favorites. They returned 10 starters on offense including 4 seniors on the o-line. We lost by 6 and held their offense to 23 points and we had the ball at the end with a chance for a win.

Mistakes, missed opportunities and so on both sides. We gave them a TD with the fumble on the whiff block inside our 20 and we fumbled going into the endzone. They missed 2 wide open td passes. Change one of the plays in favor of the Gophers and we probably win...change one in favor of TCU and we lose by the line. So it is football and that is why the games are played.

And TCU lost to Baylor because they couldn't run for a first down at the end of the game. They almost lost to us for the same reason. They missed the playoffs last year because of this weakness. It wasn't conservative it was Patterson testing his team...they failed that test but still won the game because we aren't Baylor's offense. I am certain their coaches are not pleased with the performance and are glad they don't play us again.

My take on things falls basically in line with what you have here. In football there are always the 1 or 2 plays that could swing things one way or the other but the bottom line with those is that there is no real way of knowing how changing that one play (nugget not fumbling, or Boykin hitting one of his open WR) would have affected everything after it.

Holding that offense to 23 points is impressive, it probably will be the lowest total they score all season and maybe by a pretty wide margin. Unfortunately we don't have the kind of offense that could take advantage of how great the defense played and exploit a TCU defense that essentially had 8 new starters I believe (6 lost to graduation, 2 other key guys not playing).

No shame in losing to a top 5 team and the play of the defense tells me that we are going to be in nearly every game this year. I just hope our offense can do enough to not waste those great defensive efforts when we get them.

How the team plays this weekend will tell us a lot about how the season is going to go. They had months to prepare for TCU and get jacked up about playing a night game on National TV vs. a top flight opponent. CSU could be a dangerous road test coming off a game like the one we just played so will be interesting to see how the players and coaches respond and what kind of effort they come out with against CSU.