University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Set To Kick Off Tim Brewster Era
9/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
GOPHERS LOOK TO EXTEND FIVE-GAME WINNING STREAK IN SEASON OPENERS
The Minnesota football program officially lifts the curtain on the Tim Brewster era Saturday night, when the Golden Gophers host Bowling Green in the Metrodome at 7 p.m. (CDT). The game will kick off the 124th season of intercollegiate football at Minnesota, which will be playing its season opener at the Metrodome for the first time in three years.
“New” will be the theme running throughout Saturday’s opener for Minnesota, as the Gophers debut a new coaching staff, new schemes on both sides of the ball and plenty of new personnel. The game will even air on a new network. The Big Ten Network will be on hand to televise the game with Jim Kelly calling the action and former NFL offensive lineman Richard Baldinger providing the analysis.
Minnesota enters Saturday’s matchup looking to extend its winning streak in season openers to six. The Gophers, who have earned postseason bowl berths in seven of the last eight seasons, have not dropped a season debut since falling at Toledo in 2001.
THE SERIES
Minnesota leads the all-time series with Bowling Green, 1-0. The lone previous meeting between the Golden Gophers and Falcons came in Minnesota’s 1986 season opener, when a freshman named Darrell Thompson rushed for 205 yards and scored four touchdowns in a 31-7 victory at the Metrodome in the head coaching debut of John Gutekunst.
THE COACHES
Minnesota’s Tim Brewster is in his first year with the Golden Gophers and his first season as a head coach. Bowling Green’s Gregg Brandon is entering his fifth season as the Falcons’ head coach and owns a career record of 30-19.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE GOPHERS
New Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster will open his debut campaign with a veteran roster that features 41 returning lettermen, including 17 starters (6 offense/8 defense/3 specialists). The veteran lineup also welcomes back statistical leaders from 2006 in numerous offensive and defensive categories.
One spot that will be new for Minnesota in 2007, however, will be quarterback, with record-setting signal caller Bryan Cupito exhausting his eligibility in 2006.
Redshirt freshman Adam Weber and junior Tony Mortensen could both see action in Saturday’s opener. Mortensen entered training camp with the brunt of experience, even starting the Wisconsin game in 2005 as a redshirt freshman. But, by the end of camp it was Weber who was primarily running the first team and it appears that he will get the starting nod at quarterback Saturday.
Both QBs will have an opportunity to operate behind a veteran offensive line that enters the season with a combined 63 starts. The unit is anchored by senior All-Big Ten candidates Tony Brinkhaus at center and Steve Shidell at left tackle.
Plenty of experience also returns within the Gophers’ receiving corps, with wide outs Ernie Wheelwright and Eric Decker and tight end Jack Simmons leading the way. Several newcomers could also figure prominently in Minnesota’s passing attack, including true freshmen Tray Herndon and Ralph Spry.
In the backfield, running back Amir Pinnix will be looking to build on a stellar 2006 campaign that saw him rush for 1,272 yards. It marked the eighth straight season that Minnesota has produced a 1,000-yard rusher. True freshman Duane Bennett and sophomore Jay Thomas also had strong training camps and should also see plenty of touches.
On defense, eight starters are back with junior defensive end and sack machine Willie VanDeSteeg returning as one of the headliners. He leads a line that is coming off a very productive training camp that just may have positioned it to emerge as one of the Big Ten’s biggest surprises.
Veteran Mike Sherels, Minnesota’s leading tackler in 2006, and running mate John Shevlin are two of the Big Ten’s top linebackers and will be joined in 2007 by Steve Davis, who made the move to SAM during the offseason after making 23 starts at defensive end during 2005 and 2006.
The Gophers’ secondary will be a young but talented group. Strong safety Dom Barber led Minnesota with four interceptions in 2006 and will counted on to solidify a unit that could feature two true freshmen in the starting lineup - Curtis Thomas at free safety and Ryan Collado at right corner.
GOPHERS GOLDEN IN SEASON OPENERS
Minnesota will be out to extend its winning streak in season openers to six when the Golden Gophers take on Bowling Green Saturday in the Metrodome. The winning streak is currently the longest string of season-opening wins since the Gophers reeled off 12 in a row from 1976-87. Minnesota has not dropped a season debut since falling at Toledo in 2001 and is a sparkling 10-2 in season lid-lifters since the 1995 campaign. The Gophers are 86-31-6 (.724) all time in season openers.
DOME SWEET DOME
Minnesota’s record over the past 12 years in season openers is certainly solid at 10-2, but the Golden Gophers have been even better in home debuts. Since the 1995 season, Minnesota is a perfect 7-0 when opening its season at the Metrodome. In all home debuts since 1995 - Minnesota opened its season on the road in 1996, 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2006 before playing at home - the Gophers sport an unblemished record of 12-0. Minnesota will be making its first season debut at home since the 2004 campaign on Saturday after starting each of the past two years on the road.
NON-CONFERENCE DOMINATION
Minnesota has proved to be tough on non-conference opposition during the regular season in recent years, especially in the Metrodome. The Golden Gophers enter their 2007 season opener riding a 14-game winning streak vs. non-conference opponents at home. Minnesota has not suffered a setback to a non-Big Ten team in the Metrodome since falling to Ohio, 23-17, on Sept. 9, 2000. Overall, the Golden Gophers have won 19 of their last 20 non-conference regular-season games, with the only setback coming last year at then No. 22 California.
THE BOOK ON BOWLING GREEN
Bowling Green returns 53 letterwinners, including 14 starters, from last year’s 4-8 club that finished tied for third in the Mid-American Conference’s West Division. The Falcons will be out to return to the form they displayed during the first two years of head coach Gregg Brandon’s tenure in 2007. Brandon, who is heading into his fifth season at the helm, guided Bowling Green to a combined record of 20-6 during 2003 and 2004, with back-to-back bowl appearances.
Similar to Minnesota, Bowling Green’s training camp witnessed a heated battle at the quarterback position between returning starter Anthony Turner, a junior, and sophomore Tyler Sheehan, who saw action in four games as a true freshman last season. Sheehan appears to have won the job and will direct an offense that led the MAC in rushing (175.7 ypg) last season while averaging 19.5 points per game.
Running back Chris Bullock put up 69.9 ypg a year ago and returns as the Falcons’ leading rusher. He is expected to split time with true freshman Willie Geter. Bowling Green also returns its leading receiver from last season in junior Corey Partridge (65.8 ypg).
On defense, the Falcons welcome back six starters, including middle linebacker Erique Dozier, who collected 98 tackles in 2006. Defensive end Diyral Briggs is also back to lead Bowling Green up front after collecting 69 tackles and seven sacks last season.
MAC DADDIES
Though Saturday’s opener vs. Bowling Green will be just the second meeting all time between the Gophers and Falcons, Minnesota does have a long history with the Mid-American Conference. Through the years, the Gophers have been dominant in their games against the MAC - which date back to 1969 - going 23-2-1 (.904) vs. the league’s current membership. Minnesota faced two current members of the Mid-American Conference last season and came away with lopsided victories in both games, outscoring Kent State (44-0) and Temple (62-0) by a whopping 106-0 margin. In fact, the Gophers have scored at least 40 points in each of their last five games vs. current MAC schools. Minnesota will square off with another Mid-American Conference member next week, when Miami-Ohio visits the Metrodome.
OHIO GOPHERS
With 11 players on its roster from the Buckeye State, Minnesota boasts more players from Ohio than any state in the Union except Minnesota. In fact, the number of Ohio players on Minnesota’s 2007 roster is the same as the number of players hailing from the neighboring states of North Dakota (0), South Dakota (1), Iowa (2) and Wisconsin (8) combined. Minnesota’s 11 Ohioans include: Dominic Alford (Cleveland); William Brody (Garfield Heights); D.J. Burris (Kenton); Mike Chambers (Cuyohoga Falls); Ryan Collado (Cincinnati); Jason Giannini (Canton); Blake Haudan (Toledo); Justin Kucek (Canfield); Mike Maciejowski (Columbus); Justin Valentine (Columbus); and Ernie Wheelwright (Columbus).
To download a PDF of the complete version of Minnesota’s weekly game notes please click the link at the top of the page.
