Who Makes Sense As the Gophers' Next Offensive Playcaller?

Co-offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. will not return to Minnesota for the 2022 season. The struggles of the Gophers' offense this season, as well as the decline of quarterback Tanner Morgan, have been well-documented, and I've covered them here. This was a necessary move.

Though it'll probably take some time before we know the answer to this question, it's reasonable to ask as the search starts: Who might succeed Sanford as playcaller?

The names that I list below — those of two internal candidates and five external ones — are not the product of any reporting. They are instead coaches I think the Gophers could or should consider to fill this opening on their staff because of their talent and potential fit, and who could conceivably view calling plays at Minnesota as an upgrade to their current positions. Maybe they don't fit for one reason or another in a way we can't see from the outside, whether that be personality or how their career goals align with joining the program at this point. But with what perspective we have, the candidates below have some logic behind their inclusion on this list.

Internal Candidates

Matt Simon — Co-OC, WR Coach

Simon is perhaps the most obvious candidate on several levels, among them his long-running ties to P.J. Fleck. When Simon played receiver at Northern Illinois — Fleck's alma mater — Fleck was his position coach. After graduating, he started his coaching career as a quality control coach on NIU's staff with Fleck. Two years after Fleck followed Greg Schiano from Rutgers to the Buccaneers, Simon had his job as the Scarlet Knights' receivers coach. When Fleck became head coach at Western Michigan, Simon joined as receivers coach, a position he's held on Fleck's staffs since then.

2021 Minnesota Game Poster No. 12: Wisconsin

Click to enlarge.

Previous game posters:

Ohio State

Miami (OH)

Colorado

Bowling Green

Purdue

Nebraska

Maryland

Northwestern

Illinois

Iowa

Indiana

Our last regular-season game poster features Goldy in the place of the protagonist of Dig Dug, blowing up Bucky Badger with an air pump as he leaves the top of the tunnel. There are two white flowers and one large red one to indicate that this is Game 12. The high score is 185100, referencing the year of the University of Minnesota's founding (1851).

I originally made a larger version of this, with a full game map, but the interesting part of the art was always Goldy and Bucky. So while I've generally tried to mimic what I'm parodying as closely as possible, I decided to crop the design for aesthetic purposes. I threw a bit of snow on the ground because of what time of year it is, but like with the Illinois poster, it doesn't appear we'll actually get any snow in the Twin Cities before Saturday.

One thing I thought as I was making this one is that, in a way, its tone resembles old college football paraphernalia, where the home team is depicted enacting some comic violence upon the mascot of the visitors. This would usually be on a button or program. Considering some of the content of those, it's probably best that we don't revive that era. But there's a humor to the genre as a whole, and I'm fine momentarily embracing that in a harmless way before a major rivalry game.

Next week... Well, there is no next week, most likely. Chandler probably will not be able to throw together a poster in time for the Big Ten Championship, should Minnesota somehow reach it. But for the bowl game? We'll see about that.

We Are Maroon and Gold Episode 175

Some Minnesota notes and previewing Wisconsin.

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Midweek Review: Minnesota 35-14 Indiana

A hiccup in the first quarter of the Gophers' trip to Bloomington had the feeling of foreboding, but it soon turned out to be nothing. Facing a depleted Indiana team, Minnesota settled into the game and made quick work of the hosts. Now all that's left is a visit from Wisconsin after Thanksgiving — but first, it's worth reexamining a rare comfortable win.

1. The running game carried the day.

It wasn't flashy, nor was it anywhere near Minnesota's best rushing performance of the season. It was just a consistently good afternoon from the Gophers' offensive line and running backs. Ky Thomas led the way with 105 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. It was another day where he demonstrated his balance and vision, shuffling away from would-be tacklers and picking up extra yards by spotting areas into which to run.

We Are Maroon and Gold Episode 174

Some last thoughts on missed opportunities at Iowa, plus previewing Indiana.

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

2021 Minnesota Game Poster No. 11: Indiana

Click to enlarge.

Previous game posters:

Ohio State

Miami (OH)

Colorado

Bowling Green

Purdue

Nebraska

Maryland

Northwestern

Illinois

Iowa

In our poster for the Gophers' 11th game, Goldy (and P.J. Fleck) travel to Bloomington and meet Indiana head coach Tom Allen in front of the Sample Gates, located at the entrance to Indiana University's "Old Crescent." Allen greets his challengers with his program's mantra, "LEO."

The style is modeled on the "overworld" of the second generation of Pokémon games, whose Silver edition is perhaps the video game to which I have devoted more time than any other in my life — even granting how little I've played it since I was probably 12 years old. (NCAA Football 14 is probably its chief rival.) It didn't make sense to have Goldy as a trainer, since he's not human, so like Pikachu in Pokémon Yellow, he follows Fleck around. The building to the left is meant to represent Franklin Hall, home to Indiana's media school.

Though a battle scene might make more sense as a more overt homage to Pokémon games, I thought I had covered too similar a ground with my Iowa poster. I admit that this is among the simplest art I've made in this series, but I am fine with simplicity. Also, having visited the IU campus and found it quite nice, I wanted to pay tribute by portraying one of its landmarks.

Coming next week: a Border Battle poster to close the regulars.

Midweek Review: Minnesota 22-27 Iowa

1. The Gophers lost because their head coach played scared on 4th down.

P.J. Fleck was defensive in his postgame press conference about his decisions to kick four field goals. "You always want touchdowns," he said. But the truth is that he did not coach like it.

Not on 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line, given the chance to start building an early lead on a team without much of an offense. Not on 4th-and-1 from the 14-yard line to close the first half. Not on 4th-and-2 from the 11-yard line, when Minnesota trailed by 4 points in the second half. Fleck had opportunities to be aggressive but chose to take the points.

His most defensible kicking decision was a 4th-and-9 attempt from 53 yards out — which itself was questionable. Deploying Dragan Kesich for the kick made some sense, considering how limited Matthew Trickett's range is and the power in Kesich's left leg. But Kesich had yet to try a college field goal. Based on what I've seen from him in warmups and in August's open practice, Kesich's kicks are often line drives. Long field goal attempts sacrifice height for distance, but Kesich might be especially prone to low kicks. That heightened the possibility of a block, which is what happened.

Beyond those risks: 53-yard field goals don't often succeed. I haven't seen much accuracy from Kesich in the samples I mentioned. An unblocked attempt might have just missed. The odds of converting on 4th-and-9 weren't good either, but the reward was greater. Even if the Gophers made it but stalled out afterwards, they at least would have set up an easier field goal.

I'm not saying Fleck definitely should have gone for it in this spot, but doing so would have been a valid choice. (That he did not punt in that spot is only worth so much praise.)

The larger point is that Fleck had yet another game where he coached not to lose rather than to take the game. That is inexcusable any week, but to take such a conservative approach in a vital game for Minnesota's chances in the West — against a rival — is particularly egregious. That he was appropriately aggressive one time does not change the fact that Fleck's mismanagement throughout the game made the difference. He must change, or his team will keep losing the same way.

We Are Maroon and Gold Episode 173

Unpacking Minnesota's unexpected loss to Illinois, previewing Iowa, and looking at the rest of the college football slate this weekend.

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

2021 Minnesota Game Poster No. 10: Iowa

Click to enlarge.

Previous game posters:

Ohio State

Miami (OH)

Colorado

Bowling Green

Purdue

Nebraska

Maryland

Northwestern

Illinois

We've finally come to the first poster I made for this season of Gopher football, that for the Iowa game. Unlike other posters, this one isn't modeled on any particular game as much as a genre, specifically fighting games like Street Fighter and Tekken. Goldy and Herky face off on the field at Kinnick Stadium, with the lights shining down and the children's hospital in the background. Each mascot's health bar is in increments representing one win in the series history: 62 for Minnesota, 50 for Iowa. Floyd of Rosedale sits between each bar.

As I said in my original post for the Ohio State poster, I started working on this as something to share among a few friends. A couple of hours into my work, it became clear this was going to be a more expansive project, so I decided to use it for a different purpose and disseminate it to a wider audience. I'm quite proud of how it turned out. Though everything here is traced, doing so pixel-by-pixel to create something like this is a meticulous process. The pictures I found of Goldy and Herky I had to make into sprites. Each chairback in the stands I placed myself. I even made a pixelized Iowa flag to wave from the top of Kinnick's east stand. I put a tremendous amount of work into this, and I hope you find worth in it.

Next week, Goldy goes to Bloomington for Chandler's penultimate game poster of the regular season.

Midweek Review: Illinois 14-6 Minnesota

1. For the second time this season, the Gophers were embarrassed on their own field.

It's not that it wasn't surprising. Though just over a month before, Minnesota fans bore witness to a similar sight — even down to the opposing team's most prominent color — that didn't make this instance more palatable. If anything, it made it worse in their minds: We knew this could happen, and here we are again. And that's what stung more than the surprise: the familiarity. 

Minnesota's loss to Illinois Saturday was inexcusable. Was it as great an upset as the loss to Bowling Green? No. Is it the first time this season that the Illini have gotten an improbable road win? Also no. But for all the talk P.J. Fleck and his players have given about being vulnerable every week, and treating every game like its own championship, to suffer the same fate twice makes those words ring hollow. To have done so for the same reasons that have cost the Gophers games in the past reflects a refusal to break from the way they want to play, regardless of if it is the right way. To have spoiled any chance of a trip to the Rose Bowl before even facing their toughest challenges is the kind of slip-up that embittered this program's fan base long ago.

Because despite what Fleck said coming into the game and has said in its aftermath, Illinois is not a good team. Minnesota, given as much as a 90-percent chance of winning by certain projections, should have made quick work of the visitors. But a hopeless offensive performance, compounded by mismanagement, killed all chance of victory.

We Are Maroon and Gold Episode 172

Some big-picture Gophers talk after a blowout win over Northwestern and P.J. Fleck's extension, plus a preview of Illinois.

A note we missed: Artur Sitkowski is out for the season.

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

2021 Minnesota Game Poster No. 9: Illinois

Click to enlarge.

Previous game posters:

Ohio State

Miami (OH)

Colorado

Bowling Green

Purdue

Nebraska

Maryland

Northwestern

My Gophers game poster this week is based on the title screen to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, one of the most beloved video games ever made. Instead of Hyrule Castle, though, the structure in the foreground is the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis. The city's skyline is in the distance and reflected on the water instead of mountains. To reflect the transition into November, ice is beginning to form over the top of the Mississippi River, and the sky is a dreary grey. Meanwhile, Goldy's silhouetted face is in the clouds. The title itself, done in the style of the original font, features the state of Minnesota in place of the Triforce and an oar where Link's sword would be.

A friend to whom I showed this a few weeks early said this was my best poster. I'm not sure I agree, but I do feel good about it. My biggest regret is that Minnesota takes up too much space, obstructing the view of a skyline I tried to make look true to its inspiration. If you want a clear look at it, here you go.

I have nothing else to point out except that a month ago, when I finished this, I thought it would be colder in the Twin Cities by now. Certainly, I figured, it would have snowed once, right? Alas, that is not the case, and my poster looks a season ahead of schedule. It wasn't worth correcting at this point, both due to the time required during a busy week for me and because I like the way it looks just fine. At least my being wrong means that it will be nice at the game on Saturday.

Next week's poster is the one that started this whole project back in March, for the game against Iowa. Consider coming back here to see it.

Midweek Review: Minnesota 41-14 Northwestern

Domination is not always pretty, or even interesting. The Gophers' sixth win of the year was neither. But it was what they needed to do against a bad Northwestern team whose specific weaknesses made for a favorable matchup, and now Minnesota sits alone atop the Big Ten West.

1. The Gophers stuck to their usual philosophy and were rewarded.

As I said at the end of last week's post, Northwestern was going to allow Minnesota to run the ball. The Wildcats field one of the worst run defenses in the country, giving their run-first visitors a distinct advantage Saturday.

It played out predictably: For the second straight week, Minnesota ran for more than 300 yards. Over their eight drives, the Gophers gained an absurd 84 percent of available yards, by a good margin their highest mark this season. Though there were a few more big runs than they've gotten most of the season, the Gophers did their work in smaller chunks: 3 yards here, 7 yards there, with few negative plays and a perfect success rate in "power" situations (3rd- or 4th-and-2 or shorter). It was hardly flashy, but it worked.