Tom Powers: Gophers' bowl hopes aren't so sunny after missed op...

What a perfect Saturday afternoon for college football. The pageantry, the tradition, the horror ... The Minnesota Golden Gophers lost a game they should have won Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium.

[Geno]

Sadly, it's becoming clear whoever comes up with the Gopher's football game plans, and calls the offensive plays isn't up to the competition.

[soocroix]

Earlier in the week, Brewster said his team was better in year 2 than in year 1; then in year 3 than in year 2. Huh! Mason's last team was better than Brewster's this year. This guy has to go - NOW! All hot air! This season is the worst of all - in spite of all of the 'great" talent that this windbag has recruited!

[guy]

Show Brewster the door.

[Punky Hater]

Fire brewster NOW

[Mike]

And who cares if they go or don't go to a bowl game? Brewster gets another few weeks to practice and maybe search the streets outside the stadium for a useable offensive lineman.

[Wahoo McDaniel]

The Gophers should switch offensive and defensive coordinators again. This would only be Brewster's 4th defensive coordinator and 3rd offensive coordinator in three years of being the head coach. Perhaps this could be done this week prior to playing those plucky Jackrabbits. This should help insure the Gophers, their coaches and fans end up with free corn chips!

[oxboro]

switching coordinators obviously isnt the answer..switching head coaches just may be, Maturi should be fired for hiring Brewster

[TopGunn]

Oxboro,

Remember, Maturi hired Tubby Smith. Give him credit for that.

[Mad Dog Gus]

Brewster looks very unhappy standing on the sidelines...there is no fun with this staff. His team was ill-prepared to play a team with several weaknesses, especially that Illinois had the worst rushing defense in the league, yet the Gophers came out throwing deep passes.

Minnesota is in the Big 10, has a new stadium, and should be able to recruit equally with Wisconsin and Iowa...yet they hire a coach with no proven track record, and a personality of a prison warden.

My money is on South Dakota State next week, and I'll take Iowa and spot Minnesota 50 points.

[frank sherman]

How could you make a mistake not knowing where the Fiesta Bowl is held? It,s at University of Phoenix Stadium,not in Tempe,where AZ State plays.

[Tom]

I dont know what it is about the U of M that it cannot attract the top H.S. talent in MN and in the nation. But Iowa and Wisconsin has no problem. And its just not in football. Its basketball as well, though Tubby has had some success in recruiting players to come or stay in MN. Tubby success mainly comes from a tradition of winning as well as name recognition. Tim Brewster??? Who the h*ll is he? A QB coach from the Broncos??? What???

Its obvious now he was never the answer but he sure can b.s. his way through a conversation and press conference - which is how he got past the interview process for the coaching vacancy.

I dunno. Maturi got it right with Tubs. Might wanna consider giving Holtz a call.

[oxboro]

TopGunn wrote:

Oxboro,
Remember, Maturi hired Tubby Smith. Give him credit for that.

you are corrrect

[The Loon]

Tom, Coach Brewster was the tight end coach of the Denver Broncos.

PS As Tubby Smith contacted us and asked about the job, I am not sure Joel did much more than take what was given to him.

[The Loon]

If you go to games around the country at places like, or better than, Madison or Iowa City you would quickly come to see what we had at the Dome was bush league at best. I thought "game day" at Toledo was clearly superior to what we had. Now we have what everyone now realizes is better. But, do not kid yourself at all, we have only moved out of the Big Ten basement of stadiums, not the top half. My fear with the hiring of Brewster was that he would ruin the opening season of TCF and waste the "pop" we could have gained with TCF. That may be what is happening now. Certainly the past two games have been super ugly football, win or loss.

[Larry]

Too bad Minnesota is not a good team either Tom

[oxboro]

It is an embarrassment if the Gophers even accept a bowl bid this year

[Hayden Fox]

A Bowl Game?..are you kidding me? Who cares? They truly suck, plain and simple and deserve nothing. A multi million dollar stadium for this program is a travesty that should be investigated..and who did Brewster have to sleep with to get his job?...and to keep it?.....

[E Paul Lian]

Tom, I believe you are mistaken, unless things have changed, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will be held in Glendale, AZ at the University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the NFL Az Cardinals. The Insight Bowl will again be held at Frank Kush Field at the ASU Stadium in Tempe.

The Insight Bowl would be a nice reward after a so so season. The Gopher fans for last years' game spent a lot of money, the merchants, restaurant and bar owners LOVED the Gopher fans.