Previewing West Virginia.
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December 28, 2021
December 27, 2021
2021 Minnesota Game Poster No. 13: West Virginia
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| Click to enlarge. |
Previous game posters:
In our Cactus Bowl poster, a parody of Pitfall!, Goldy swings from a giant saguaro cactus over a pit in the Sonoran Desert. In the distance are the McDowell Mountains, and below the ground lurks West Virginia's musket-wielding Mountaineer.
The version of Pitfall! I used as the base for the aesthetic was the ColecoVision port because it had a more vibrant color palette than the original Atari 2600 release, though I ended up not sticking strictly to said palette for the whole thing. The sprite designs, limited by the number of pixels the game could use, are simple and flawed. Rather than correct these imperfections, I decided to stay true to them in most cases. This is why Goldy's chest seemingly has a hole in it, as Pitfall Harry's sprite has the same issue.
Thank you to everyone who viewed these posters or even showed them to someone else. I don't know if a similar series will return for 2022, but I enjoyed putting it together this season.
December 16, 2021
December 08, 2021
We Are Maroon and Gold Episode 177
A smattering of college football notes, some Gophers-related and some not.
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What Might Be the Gophers' Priorities in the Transfer Portal?
The first edition of National Signing Day is next week, but it is also the season of transfers. A year ago, for example, Jack Gibbens announced his decision to join the Gophers from Abilene Christian. With P.J. Fleck preferring to have most (if not all) of his team's high school class locked down by mid-December, Minnesota is also pursuing players in need of a new school.
Typically, there are two reasons to add transfers to your team:
- To build depth, often making up for attrition or lapses in recruiting
- To find stopgap starters to bridge the gap between outgoing veterans and unprepared youth
These aren't isn't hard and fast rules, as every situation is different, but for the average, reasonably well-run college football team, that is why transfers are important.
This post will examine where the Gophers might need to plug some holes with experience.
Quarterback
Potential need: depth
Minnesota looks unlikely to look for someone who would have a real chance at supplanting Tanner Morgan at quarterback. But the team may have to make up for losses behind him on the depth chart. As the second-choice passer, Zack Annexstad offered experience in the program and as a onetime starter. Maybe Cole Kramer or Athan Kaliakmanis is ready to take second-team snaps (either individually or splitting them), and maybe Fleck wants one or both of them to see garbage-time snaps in preparation for a potential starting role in 2023.
However, he may prefer a more veteran hand as the backup. Additionally, the departures of Annexstad and Jacob Clark will put the Gophers at four scholarship quarterbacks once commit Jacob Knuth signs. If the Gophers want to go back to five to gain some experience at the position, or to protect themselves further from the (low) risk of giving a true freshman meaningful snaps, a transfer might provide that. Though finding the right fit — an upperclassman who understands he isn't supposed to play next year and possibly ever — could be difficult, successfully finding one might be beneficial. Maybe there's a native of the Upper Midwest who wants to be closer to home or a junior college transfer wanting a season in a Big Ten program.
December 03, 2021
We Are Maroon and Gold Episode 176
Minnesota's win over Wisconsin and big-picture Gophers notes, including the potential of a Kirk Ciarrocca reunion.
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December 01, 2021
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