We Are Maroon and Gold Episode 134

                    

Gopher men's basketball, some football notes, and what we'll take from 2020.

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We Are Maroon and Gold Episode 133

                   

The end of the Gophers' season.

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Midweek Review: Minnesota 17-20 Wisconsin (OT)

Minnesota and Wisconsin fans would each rather their teams lose Paul Bunyan's Axe than not play at all, so regardless of the outcome Saturday, the fact the trophy was on the line at all for the 130th time felt like a gift. Maybe not a gift they should have gotten, considering the risks of playing any sport in a pandemic, but one that felt good to receive anyway.

In the end, however, the Badgers are the ones who won the Axe. It was a tight, at times ugly contest in which 14 of 23 possessions ended in either a punt or a field goal attempt. If Wisconsin had lost, the story of the game would have been about absent players (both new and held over from previous weeks) and an underperforming quarterback. Instead, it's about how Minnesota intentionally ran into a brick wall and couldn't take capitalize on their opponents' difficulties moving the ball.

We Are Maroon and Gold Episode 132

                  

College football coaching changes, examining Minnesota's win in Lincoln, and a preview of Wisconsin.

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Midweek Review: Minnesota 24-17 Nebraska

Minnesota's return from COVID-19-forced hiatus went better than expected. Despite all the holes in the Gophers' depth chart, they left Lincoln with a 24-17 win over Nebraska that elevates their record to 3-3 (and keeps the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy in Minneapolis). It was an impressive but at times frustrating win that demonstrated each team's significant flaws and gave the victors hope that those flaws may have started to improve.

We Are Maroon and Gold Episode 131

                 

Previewing Minnesota-Nebraska.

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We Are Maroon and Gold Episode 130

                

The cancellation of Minnesota-Wisconsin the various good and bad of Minnesota's recent victory over Purdue, and the Thanksgiving weekend college football schedule.

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Midweek Review: Purdue 31-34 Minnesota

 1. The officials blew this game.

Just roll it.

I mean, this is just irredeemably bad. I have not seen a worse offensive pass interference decision, and I will likely die before seeing a worse offensive pass interference decision. Purdue fans should be livid. Jeff Brohm clearly was.

But hey — the Boilermakers had 52 seconds left and four downs within Minnesota territory. They had their chance to come back from this call and win in spite of it. It's not like the officials missed anything on Josh Aune's game-sealing intercep —

Ooheauuggghh.

Yeah, that's bad. I could point to an earlier phantom defensive pass interference call that saved what became a Purdue touchdown drive, and I can say the officiating was bad both ways (and it was), but there's not anything that will help. At the most important point of the game, Purdue got screwed. Twice. Though Minnesota had two timeouts and could have won anyway, that was no guarantee. Minnesota is beyond lucky to come out of this game the victors.