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SEG4

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Just for fun I decided to check out the UNLV blog and it was interesting to read what they thought about the Gophers. Their fans believe this is a very winable game and if you have minute its pretty fun to read. Just google UNLV Rebel football forum and there is a Minnesota thread on the second page of their football forum.
 

I, of course, feel differently, but I can't fault them for thinking the way they do. This is also a wake-up call regarding the national perception of Gopher football for those people screaming about Kill's perceived lack of recruiting ability. Take a look at the blogs of all four non-conference opponents, and my guess is that you will see the same thing. That perception trickles down to the high school players as well.
 

I did not go over and read there comments. I am a life long Gopher fan and I can understand why any teams fan base would feel they could beat us. Just look at some of the teams that have beat us in the last 5 years.


PS: We will win this game.
 

It is interesting too how similar their fans are to ours. They feel that if they get an on campus stadium they will be on par to reign in the big time recruits which sounds laughable, but thats what we thought as well. They feel their D-line will give our O-line fits and rebel fans claim to have play makers at RB and WR
 

I've written before that this pre-season may be the most important in several decades. It will be a large part of the scene setter for the Jerry Kill regime of Gopher football. Recruits will pay attention as they set their official visits. Perhaps most importantly, a solid pre-season and an improvement in our in-conference record will encourage the admin to open up the purse strings to help keep the coaching staff together for another year.

Frankly, Kill's optimistic talk has set expectations high enough that big disappointment is possible. But, if Coach Kill has correctly evaluated the progress then this will, indeed, be a season to enjoy the coming rebirth of the Gopher football program.
 


I guess that I am one who does not think this first game is super important, especially if we lose. UNLV can play well, and they usually do once a year, and its usually early in the season. So, if that happens its not the end of the world. Its also hard to figure how a team will come out in its first game. Its a long season, and although I hope we win that first game, I do not think that its a great predictor of how the rest of the season will go. Go Gophers!
 

You are correct. But in the Internet world, it will feel like the end of the world if they lose.
 

SEG4 said:
It is interesting too how similar their fans are to ours. They feel that if they get an on campus stadium they will be on par to reign in the big time recruits which sounds laughable, but thats what we thought as well. They feel their D-line will give our O-line fits and rebel fans claim to have play makers at RB and WR
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I have heard people express this line of thinking about the UNLV D-line around town. Many people are excited about James Boyd switching from QB to DL, he's big enough to make the move. He also had a good spring game, moving to DL the day before the game. I heard that he was the best defensive player on the field, with no practice reps at DL. That might tell something about the quality of the UNLV defense, or that he has huge potential. I quick story about James Boyd. I went to eat at the UNLV dining center one evening during finals week last spring. As I was fumbling for my wallet Boyd walks by with his swipe card and pays for my dinner. I assume that he had $ on that card that had to be used by the end of the semester. But still it was a nice thing to do, especially since I had never met him. He's now my favorite Rebel!
 

denguegopher said:
I guess that I am one who does not think this first game is super important, especially if we lose. UNLV can play well, and they usually do once a year, and its usually early in the season. So, if that happens its not the end of the world. Its also hard to figure how a team will come out in its first game. Its a long season, and although I hope we win that first game, I do not think that its a great predictor of how the rest of the season will go. Go Gophers!
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This game is only important if we lose. If we lose another non-conference game to a an awful program, and UNLV is awful, it will set a terrible tone to start off the season. An occasional upset is going to happen, but having lost to New Mexico State and NDSU already, it would be awful for Kill & co. to lose to either UNLV or New Hampshire this year.
 




Gopherprof said:
This game is only important if we lose. If we lose another non-conference game to a an awful program, and UNLV is awfulagree, but they play well on rare occasions and have beat solid teams, it will set a terrible tone to start off the season. agree, to start the season, but its a long seasonAn occasional upset is going to happen, but having lost to New Mexico State and NDSU already, it would be awfulit would obviously not be a good thing, but it would not be the end of the season for Kill & co. to lose to either UNLV or New Hampshire this year.
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x
 

UNLV is 20-64 under their last two coaches. I couldn't even find the last time they beat a BCS team. I'm not sure what makes you think they are a tough out.

As for it not being the end of the season, it would certainly be a really bad omen to say the least. People should keep their expectations in check and give Kill time to build his program, but there should be some standards. One of those would be no losses to cupcake opponents. The other should be no massive blowouts (30+ point losses). I don't think that's too much to ask for his second season.

If we lost to Western Michigan or Syracuse I could justify that, but UNLV is a bridge too far.
 

Gopherprof said:
UNLV is 20-64 under their last two coaches. I couldn't even find the last time they beat a BCS team. I'm not sure what makes you think they are a tough out.

As for it not being the end of the season, it would certainly be a really bad omen to say the least. People should keep their expectations in check and give Kill time to build his program, but there should be some standards. One of those would be no losses to cupcake opponents. The other should be no massive blowouts (30+ point losses). I don't think that's too much to ask for his second season.

If we lost to Western Michigan or Syracuse I could justify that, but UNLV is a bridge too far.
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You make some good points. However UNLV does not do not play all that many BCS teams (a couple a year?). I recall that Mike Sanford, the previous UNLV coach, defeated Iowa State and Arizona State and he killed Utah (27-0), but the Utes were not a BCS school at the time. Most of those wins were 6 or more years ago. I also think that UNLV has a more recent victory over Wisconsin than the Gophers do. I agree, the Gophers should win the UNLV game, yes UNLV is a cupcake and I will be very disappointed if we don't win, but the game is not an automatic W. I think that it would be a better move to judge Kill on the season and not individual games, although everyone hates losing to cupcakes and getting blown out.
 



If we lose to UNLV it sets us way back. We have been a bad team in the second or third best football conference in the country. UNLV is a bad team in a bad conference, the Mountain West Conference. If Kill is going to say the things he's said about this team being better, they need to win this game. I have no doubt that we will, but don't kid yourself about it's importance. Without this win, for example, a bowl game becomes almost impossible.
 

This team needs to show it can win the games it is supposed to win. Over the course of last season, the Gophers improved, but it is a new season. A loss to UNLV will alter a lot of people's perceptions about this team, and not in a good way. With the passing game being questionable, UNLV may go all-out against the run, and dare the Gophers to pass. If we burn them a couple times, they will have to respect the pass. I expect the Gophers to be an improved team, but until we see them on the field, we just don't know.
 

I understand that the Gophers are a work-in-progress under Kill, BUT.......a loss in the 1st game of the season to an (apparently) less-talented opponent would set a very bad tone for the season. The media (Reusse, Eric Nelson, Souhan, etc) would use the loss against the team for the rest of the season, and it would have the potential to negate some of the fan optimism, and make selling tickets for the home games that much tougher.

I really think the Gophs need to put up a Big win in at least 2 of the non-conference games - a game where they blow the other team off the field and win going away. That is what the program needs to generate excitement and sell tickets.
 

Early Vegas lines have had us as high as 12 point favorites.

Is it too early for a "predict the score" thread?
 

We lost to North Dakota St and New Mexico St at home last year. Is anyone honestly surprised that UNLV fans think they can win this game? I'm generally an optimist, but some of you people need to temper your expectations/demands. I'm not going to write the season off if we lose this one game, but it sure sounds like some of you will.
 

The score?

If the NMSU/NDSU team comes out: 17-20

If the Iowa/Illinois team shows up: 49-14

*I don't think anything in the middle is possible - it will either be a route or a close "heartbreak in the heat".
 

there were games last year where it seemed Claeys was ignoring what was happening on the field and stubbornly stayed the same.
 

Rescooter said:
The score?

If the NMSU/NDSU team comes out: 17-20

If the Iowa/Illinois team shows up: 49-14

*I don't think anything in the middle is possible - it will either be a route or a close "heartbreak in the heat".
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Disagree.

I'll go with Gophers 44-17:)
 

I would be disappointed if we didn't beat the Rebels by at least 5 TD's. Hauck lost 12 starters from last years team; most in the Mountain West. They lost their last three games by a combined score of 132 to 40! ( Air Force, San Diego State, TCU) Hauck doesn't believe much in JC recruiting. They brought in 1 JC kid out of the 20 they signed. The class was ranked one of the lowest in the Mountain West. Wisconsin beat them last year 51-17 at Madison. The year before they beat them in Vegas 41-21. Hauck demoted his two coordinators and and advanced two others on his staff. Sam Boyd stadium holds 36,800. You can expect about 20-25,000 unless the Gophers bring out more fans than expected. Fact. Tickets will not be hard to get out front if you are going and do't want to pay the 40.00 through the Gopher ticket office
 

mattw1067 said:
We lost to North Dakota St and New Mexico St at home last year. Is anyone honestly surprised that UNLV fans think they can win this game? I'm generally an optimist, but some of you people need to temper your expectations/demands. I'm not going to write the season off if we lose this one game, but it sure sounds like some of you will.
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UNLV is much much worse than North Dakota State. Much worse.
 

This team will be better prepared for a season opener than any, ANY team in the last 35 years. Minnesota in a rout. Not close. Nearly over at the half. Shortell plays the 4th quarter. There, I got it out. No retractions.
 

I pretty much agree with everything that Prof is saying.

This game is only big if we lose, if we win. . .well, we should.

I said last year that losing to New Mexico State was completely unacceptable, even in Kill's first season. This game is similar.
 

Anything less Hiwayman, and your buying rounds the rest of the night.
 


The environment will be a factor. Even after sundown, the temps will be in the 90's and fluid loss is always a factor. Players and staff must be careful to drink plenty of liquids.
 

Tully55 said:
The environment will be a factor. Even after sundown, the temps will be in the 90's and fluid loss is always a factor. Players and staff must be careful to drink plenty of liquids.
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Really??? None of us were aware of this. :banghead:
 

Tully55 said:
The environment will be a factor. Even after sundown, the temps will be in the 90's and fluid loss is always a factor. Players and staff must be careful to drink plenty of liquids.
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The weather could be a factor also.
 

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