Sorry L.C. but I can not agree that the better team won. Yes they may have been bigger, but we matched up with them pretty well overall. In the end, they did not beat us, we beat ourselves. This is a type of game/team we need to start playing more often and winning if we ever hope to get to the next level. Just my $.02.

We'll have to disagree, then. Ohio nearly won the game because:
1. Ohio did a fantastic job with field position. Minnesota started drives on average at their own 19, including ones that started at their own 6, 10, 13 and 14, and they never started beyond their own 37. This was partially because of Minnesota's problems on special teams.
2. The turnover
3. For much of the game, even though Ohio couldn't really stop Minnesota's defense, they slowed them down enough to give Minnesota an opportunity to stop themselves, which they did several times
4. Even though the Minnesota defense pretty much shut Ohio down, Ohio had a few explosive plays early, and used them to get points. Passes to Heitzman for 38, and to White for 39 got 7 points, while the fumble got another other 7. Other than that, Ohio had only two real "drives" in the game, one in the first half for a TD, and one in the second half for a FG.

Ohio got itself in position to win. Minnesota had to drive the length of the field, and had to get a TD. Unfortunately Wells did not hang on to the interception, and unfortunately Minnesota did score.

Still, this call at the end was pretty bogus.

FWIW, the Minnesota fans are puzzled by the delay of game call, too. They think it is unbelievable that they called it in this situation, and that they have never seen it called before.

He was not talking about the players, but about my comments above. In this case we had one team that dominated the line of scrimmage and who was generally able to sustain drives, and gain big chunks of yardage on the ground, and another team that was opportunistic and who relied on strategy, field position, explosive plays, and turnovers. The team that could sustain drives won in the end, and that was what I was referring to when I called them the "better team".

I don't think Ohio was bad, and I was impressed by Ohio's offense today. Rather I think that Minnesota is better than I expected.

Am I not mistaken that some were mentioning Minnesota as an outside chance to win the Big Ten western division (or whatever they are calling it these days after the infamous leaders and legends division?) The same team that almost beat TCU?

In other words with two very questionable calls, some big time mistakes on our part especially in Minnesota's final drive, we still almost pulled this one out. We certainly are not considered the pearl of the MAC, Toledo and BG seem to have the love of the conference glitterati (if the MAC even has a glitterati,) and yet we almost win in the Gopher State.

We may in fact be the little engine that could exposing a flaw in the tracks that will eventually lead to the derailment of the Big 10 West.

RE: Losing sucks
Posted: 9/26/2015 9:43:16 PM
allen wrote:
no moral victories here. We lost a game we should have won.


colobobcat66
I think the correct word is " we could "have won. The Gopher folks I talked to afterwards thought they should have blown us out. Should is overused. It was a close game that could have gone either way. I am disappointed, but extremely proud of the team. We lost to a pretty good team and could have won. I hope the injuries heal quickly.

Question: From my vantage point -- at the other end of the field -- it looked like Yaz's "practice kick" (the one that cost us the dubious delay of game penalty) went through the uprights and would have been good. Can anyone with a better vantage point confirm or refute this?

Yes. Minnesota Star-Tribune confirms that "Delay Of Game" kick WAS GOOD.

"kicker Josiah Yazdani was flagged for delay of game after drilling the ball through the uprights."

And even Minnesota's coach has never seen that call. "Kill said he couldn’t ever remember seeing that penalty called on a kicker. It pushed Ohio back to the 41."

Solich also says he made a mistake doing hail mary and should have tried kick from 58

http://www.startribune.com/gophers-score-on-final-drive-t... /

That flag goes in the Pantheon of Calls That Boned Us.

And yeah, if that pick happens, it's probably ov-ah.

But I'll put the most blame on the stupid unsportsmanlike in the second quarter that made a 3rd and long into a first down on what became a scoring drive. Ohio can be a really dumb bunch of guys at times. And I think it's the biggest impediment to next level status.

I also agree with Pete here.

WARNING. . . MONROE SHOULD BE SITTING DOWN WHEN HE READS THIS AND HAVE THE HOME DEFIB UNIT HANDY . . . I'M GONNA CRITICIZE THE COACH.

Given that we frequently have these dumb unsportsmanlike calls I sometimes wonder if Frank isn't as strict a disciplinarian as he should be. While all teams have bonehead penalties every now and then, it seems to me that we have much more than our share. What are the thoughts of others on this issue?

As far as officials are concerned they are all the same office with the same training and assignors.

Just watched the replay in slow motion. the kick was wide left.

Chicken crap call, they don't throw the flag in the NFL when they kick on a last minute time out. I have seen a ton of NCAA games too that has never got the flag in that situation. I hope Minnesota gave the officials the game ball.