I am one who would like this program to be really good, play at a level above a mid-major, and more like a P5 team.
Having said this I always step back and put my realistic hat on to acknowledge we are a mid major school with a limited sport budget and only able to recruit up to 3 star players.
With these 2 statements in mind I did watch the game yesterday and have to make the following points:
1) Say what you want about the play calling, penalties at the wrong time, etc. etc we were still in it to the end.
2) We did play our best game in terms of special teams, no turnovers, and pushed MN to have to march down the field with 2:30 minutes left and in need of a touch down to win. Remembering that MN is a team that has not played well in their 1st 3 games, and there was a real possibility that they would falter in some manner and not make it to the end zone. They were under extreme pressure and they did deliver. This game could end up being their turnaround game for the season. If so great for them.

In conclusion: I am not all that disappointed in the outcome. As a team we have made a marked improvement over LY. I was one that actually thought we would be 2-2 at this point, so to be 3-1 puts us in a good place going into conference play. Vick showed something in this game that the entire team saw, willing to play injured. It was also clear that he demonstrated his leadership all game long.



GO BOBCATS

Agree that Vick showed tremendous leadership and guts. That said Minny knew early on that Vick no longer had to be accounted for as a run option making it much easier to defend us. Our QB run option is a large part of our total package that became non existent especially in the 2nd half. It just seems to be a curse with us during the Solich years that we are constantly trying to overcome QB injuries. From Everson to Boo to Theo to TT to Vick to Sprague we just always have QB injury issues. Tough to overcome that and it just constantly bites us in the -as!

It was a great effort, good enough to beat a solid B1G team on their home field. For that, they should hold their heads high. What disappoints me...the only thing, really...was the play call on 3rd and long from the Minn 11 on the last FG drive to put us up 4. Come one, coaching staff. Testicular fortitude. Balls. Show some. 11 yards away from a TD that in all likelihood might seal the win and, at the very least, guarantee no worse than OT at that point. Make an effort to get the ball towards the end zone. We have a solid senior QB, put the ball in his hands and let them try to make a play to win the game. A hand off at that point, to me, was going for the ankles of Minnesota instead of going for the jugular. You're a MAC team playing on a B1G team's field on their homecoming, play to win. Take a chance.

Are you really going to insist to me that running the ball on 3rd and 10 was a higher probability of converting a 1st down or punching the ball into the end zone in that situation? Really?

Expecting bcat2 to be rational or to ever admit that the coaching staff could not be perfect or to see the diff between a first down run for a td and a run on 3rd and long on a short field (caveman conservative..no one's done this since the ball's been oblong) is expecting the sun to rise in the west.