ATTICUS MARSE: Hello Gopher fans. It’s Atticus Marse.
REGAN GURGUIS: And Regan Gurguis.
MARSE: With the Minnesota Daily, and you’re listening to the Gold Standard, a podcast dedicated to the University of Minnesota sports. And this week, Gopher fans, I don’t know if we’re ever gonna want to talk about this week again. The Gophers lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes 41-3.
GURGUIS: And they lost both games in their series against, University of Minnesota Duluth, the Bulldogs.
MARSE: But let’s start with football. My spearheading statistic that I took from this is the punter had more yards than the entire offense for this game. I think that really just says everything you need to know about a football game.
The offense just really couldn’t get anything going throughout the process of this game. The defense, despite the score actually played relatively well. 14 of their points came off turnovers slash punt return touchdowns, which is not their fault in the slightest. They really turned it around and the second two quarters. And overall, I think the defense the past two weeks has in general played really well all things considered.
Now talking about the offense. Drake Lindsey went 16 for 28, threw for 109 yards, zero touchdowns, and three interceptions. Our highest rusher was actually a freshman Xavier Ford who had 25 yards.
Fame Ijeboi struggled. Darius must have been dealing with that injury again, and he just couldn’t get out there and get any snaps. Coming off that Nebraska game we thought that was in the past. It’s clearly still bothering him enough to keep him sidelined. And in a big game that kind of shifts your entire offensive game plan.
You come in thinking you’re gonna be able to mix in your run game. If your run production disappears and Iowa’s secondary knows that you are trying to throw the football. It makes it so hard for a freshman quarterback to go through his reads against a secondary that knows what he’s trying to do.
Because I felt like every time I watched his pass, he was so quick to go to the check down. That’s understandable. You threw three picks. You’re not gonna want to take any more shots in a game like this. I think there was, there was no plan B and a lot of hesitancy offensively this game.
GURGUIS: And, you know, one of the things that P.J. Fleck said is, some of these mistakes just happen with young quarterbacks. And as a team, they have to realize that, you know, this is gonna happen. He said that there are gonna be really, really dark times and tough times, and then there are gonna be some really good times.
And that’s just kind of part of the development process. But, I think this game for Lindsey is probably gonna be one of the darker and tougher times that P.J. was talking about. Just a bad loss.
MARSE: When you’re in the position, Minnesota is financially where you’re not gonna go out and splash the cash in NIL. You’re gonna have to like develop your players and that comes with inexperience sometimes. It’s something that’s gonna happen with a freshman quarterback except for Julian Sayin I guess, Ohio State’s quarterback, he’s just perfect or whatever.
But most, most freshman quarterbacks don’t just perform at a high level. I mean, he’s shown flashes still. To be honest, from a freshman quarterback is about as much as, as you can ask for.
GURGUIS: Something that Fleck said was that Lindsey has just a really good resolve and that he’s good at kind of responding and understanding places that he’s gone wrong. And, and I would say as someone who watches all the games and, and oftentimes is in the press box during the games, I would have to agree with Fleck.
I do think that if you’ll listen to him during interviews, you know, Lindsey really does take the brunt of everything. Even if it was a tough defensive game where maybe the defense wasn’t performing the way that they needed to, or the o-line wasn’t performing, Lindsey’s still gonna be the first person to kind of take that on to himself, which I think is a trait of a great leader. And will only grow and develop as he gets older and has more experience with the Gophers.
MARSE: And speaking of leadership, I need to give some flowers to Anthony Smith tied for the lead for sacks in the Big Ten this year. And also Karter Menz is in 10th with four-and-a-half sacks.
And Anthony Smith has seven sacks. Draft stocks going up for him. To be honest, I love the guy. Big personality and an anchor. And that’s just something you’d love to see. He didn’t get a sack against Iowa, but having that presence of a rusher that’s getting you seven sacks this point in the year.
GURGUIS: And to have that big of a leader on the defense as well, I think really shines a light on the Gopher’s defense, which is kind of what you need. You know, I think someone who maybe isn’t really into football, all they really know is the quarterback. And so it’s nice when one of the big names on the team isn’t just the quarterback, right. It’s on the defensive end, and I think that that’s, that’s important as well.
MARSE: Despite the ill will that sports fans tend to come at losses like this with and the panic. I don’t think this is a sign to panic when you consider the factors that made the game play out like this.
GURGUIS: Well, and if you wanna talk about a young developing team, we should talk about the Gophers men’s hockey team. 15 of the 25 players of either freshman or sophomores. And then there are a couple of upperclassmen that are transfers from other schools.
The Gophers lost the majority of their players to professional leagues, which is great. That’s, that’s what you want. You know, you want a team that breeds professional players. I would say that it is showing a little bit in their play. Their season record is 2-5-1.
This series was rough. It was rough to watch, it was rough to report on. And I think no one knows that better than the Gophers and then like Bob Motzko and everyone on the team. The first game in the series on Friday, the Bulldogs shut the Gophers out 3-0.
That is the first time in 104 games that the Gophers have ever been shut out. So it wasn’t great. One of the things Motzko kind of said at the end was, he said that, that they played well for the first four minutes and the rest 56 minutes were bad. It wasn’t great hockey. He talked a lot about making sure that they improve on execution for the game on Saturday and, and I would say that I think they did.
I think their execution was a lot better. They didn’t get shut out that time. They were actually able to score a goal, which was scored by freshman forward Tate Pritchard. Nathan Airey was sick on Tuesday, didn’t play in practice on Tuesday, and that is also why he didn’t start the first game of the series. And then he ended up getting Tander Ludtke sick., but he did start the second game.
The lesson of this weekend of Gopher sports is that, you know, two of the biggest sports that we have at Minnesota are young, and they’re gonna make young mistakes, and that’s just gonna happen. And they will grow. But as of right now, they are still making those mistakes.
MARSE: You know who didn’t make mistakes against Duluth? The Gopher women’s hockey team!
GUIRGUIS: Yeah.
MARSE: The Gopher women’s hockey team pulled out two big wins against Duluth coming off a series split with number two Ohio State. And they are playing Halloween night at 6:00 p.m. against the Badgers.
GURGUIS: The Gophers men’s hockey team will also be in Wisconsin that weekend and is playing October 30 and November 1. I was at the home playoff series last year, where the women’s Gopher hockey team lost against the women’s Wisconsin team and there was a hundred percent more Wisconsin fans in that like an arena than Gopher fans. There just was.
Wisconsin women’s hockey fan base is dedicated. They’re loyal and the Gophers should learn from that because we have a, you know, very good women’s hockey program that I feel like isn’t paid enough attention to. Cheer the women’s hockey team on just as much as you cheer the men’s hockey team.
MARSE: Basketball is starting up. The state of North Dakota has been eviscerated. The Gophers had a couple exhibition games against North Dakota and North Dakota State which were both won handily. Cade Tyson scored 26 points.
GURGUIS: Oh my God, I have so much to say about Cade Tyson. What a great, great guy.
MARSE: Yeah go for it.
GURGUIS: I interviewed him over the summer for a story about all the new guys, right. Really there were only three players from last year that stayed on the Gophers, one of which being big name Isaac Asuma. Cade Tyson was one of the guys that I interviewed and he was really nice.
This year I’m definitely gonna be following it way, way more closely than I have the past two years. I’m excited to see Medved out there, and to see what he does with the team. And I’m excited for the new guys. I’m excited to kind of see how that team dynamic shifts.
MARSE: Gopher basketball’s gonna be something on the rise in the long term future. Right now, the whole team is transfers, barring Isaac Asuma. That’s kind of also just the nature of NIL college sports too. It’s fun to have someone with that Minnesota connection who cares about the program and understands the ethos of the program.
Being able to come in and, I mean, he took Colorado State to the tournament last year. He knows how to build up a basketball program. All I want is the Gophers to make the tournament one time while I’m in college just so I can turn on the March Madness game and it’s Minnesota.
GURGUIS. No, for sure. Another kind of sad Gophers sports news, women’s soccer team, their season is done. They lost against Purdue, 0-2. Their final overall record was 6-8-3. But I think this was a season of learning for the Gophers soccer team. And hopefully next season they come back stronger and learn from it.
MARSE: Women’s volleyball lost against Purdue. Purdue was ranked number 11.
And now we’re heading off to the pro sports corner, yeah! The Vikings should have played the Broz baby, that’s all I’m saying. Carson Wentz was clearly having injury problems the entire game, and they just kept throwing him out there thinking something was gonna change. Nothing changed. The offense never got going. He threw for 144 yards, 15 for 27.
Justin Herbert put on a show against the Vikings defense. The Vikings’ quarterback problems were incredibly apparent this game. And the Charger’s exact opposite quarterback status. Quarterback is the most important position on the football field. And quarterbacks win MVP every year for a reason.
And if you do not have a consistent number one quarterback that you trust under center that has a relationship with your wide receivers, you are not going to win football games. Watching Wentz struggle as much as he was, I don’t see the reason you wouldn’t put in your young quarterback who is healthy, let him take a drive.
Give him a drive. Give him a chance to show what he can do. Next week the Vikings have the Lions. We’re gonna see if J.J. McCarthy’s injury comes back to bite him in the ankle again. One Minnesota sports team that did pick up a win was the Timberwolves, and they started off, they started off the year 2-1.
GURGUIS: They won against the Pacers. Indiana’s not having a good start.
MARSE: At the game tonight. Anthony Edwards had to leave early.
GURGUIS: Due to a hamstring injury.
MARSE: He suffered early in the game. We don’t have much information right now, but that’s something to keep your eye out for Timberwolves fans. Julius Randle still dropped 31, so Timberwolves were able to etch out a win to start off the year. So hopefully the Timberwolves can lock it in.
Minnesota United Playoffs tomorrow night, Seattle Sounders, at Allianz Field. Minnesota United needs more attention from the state of Minnesota because they are good. The game experience is electric, so.
GURGUIS: It is electric. I’ve gone to a couple games. That’s great.
MARSE: If anyone listening ever has an opportunity, Minnesota United is great.
GURGUIS: And also, I feel like the tickets are normally not super expensive either. Definitely check that out. It’s nice when you can get inexpensive sporting tickets.
MARSE: We’ll see how Minnesota United lines up for this game, but this is, this is gonna be great. Playoff MLS soccer is one of my favorite playoff systems to watch in any sport. So I think if you, if you have the opportunity, just give it a listen in.
GURGUIS: Yeah.
MARSE: This episode is by Atticus Marse.
GURGUIS: And Regan Gurguis.
MARSE: And produced by Atticus Marse and Ceci Heinen. As always, we appreciate you listening in, and feel free to send a message to our email box at [email protected] with any questions, comments or concerns. I’m Atticus Marse.
GURGUIS: And I’m Regan Gurguis.
MARSE: And this has been the Gold Standard.
