Faceoff

Ding dong, Brewster's dead. Who's next?

PHERSY: So Feldy, we got what we've been asking for. Tim Brewster finally is out as the Gophers head football coach. I wrote in the Faceoff print edition over a month ago that I wouldn't attend another Gophers game as long as Brewster was head coach. Of course, that came minutes after I walked out of TCF Bank Stadium the day the Gophers lost to USD.

So, Brewster's dead to us. And we can celebrate.

But instead of celebrating, it's time to find the right candidate to take over this program. We have an amazing stadium and a very dedicated fan base. The athletic budget isn't as bad as people say it is and the talent pool here in Minnesota is in the same boat ... no, we're not Texas or Florida, but there is enough talent here to compete.

Anyway, Joel Maturi is searching for a new coach, immediately. Of course, that's the big problem ... I'm not certain Maturi is capable of handling this task. He likely should have been fired the day Brewster was let go.

But it appears Maturi will have a big hand in this. So Feldy, we better give the guy help. There is no shortage of names out there right now. Scott Linehan, Marc Trestman, Lesie Frazier and Darrell Bevell are a few of the names out there now.

Who are you taking Feldy??? Give me a name and back it up. I'm pretty sure you'd be a better AD than Maturi, so you better prove me right.

Gophers will play ... USC!!!

PHERSY: This is no joke, the University of Minnesota football team will play a home-and-home series with the University of Southern California ... yeah, USC!!! The series starts in 2010, with the Gophers hosting USC on Sept. 18. What a way to start off the season. Probably a massive loss for the Gophers, but still, it's a good sign that the program is at least willing to play a national power. I was a little shocked when I saw this. I guess Glen Mason isn't in charge any longer!

Can't wait for that new stadium to open!

Can the Gophers win at the Horseshoe?

PHERSY: So, we're still a good five days away from the Gophers game out at Ohio State, but I've been thinking a great deal about the matchup.

The Gophers are 17 1/2 point underdogs, the last time I checked (which was like five minutes ago). Now, I'm not saying that's a bad line. We're talking about an unranked team playing a road game against a top-10 team. However, I think the Gophers cover that spread, easily.

The Gophers beat the Buckeyes at OSU in 2000. The last time they won out at OSU prior to that? I wasn't even born yet!

Ohio State is ultra talented, with guys like Malcolm Jenkins, Terrelle Prior, James Laurinaitis, Brian Robiskie and Chris Wells, to name a few. The Gophers certainly don't have that kind of star power.

But something tells me this plucky Gophers squad will make a game of this thing. I certainly think they can cover the spread. Though I've made many crazy calls (ie, saying the Gophers will win eight games) about this team, I won't predict a victory in Columbus. But I say the Gophers cover the spread and are in the game in the fourth quarter, with a chance to steal a Big Ten road victory.

Of course, everyone's fear is that the Gophers will lay an egg out there. I just don't see it happening, though. Feldy's guy Brewster will have Gopher Nation ready for the big game!

Gopher nation takes a hit

PHERSY: Well, by now you all know how high I've been on Gophers football. But today those of us in "Gopher nation" took a major hit.

It was announced today that Gophers running back Duane Bennett suffered a torn knee ligament in the game against Bowling Green and will be out for the season. Here's the AP story.

This is a major blow to the offense. Bennett has not been electric, but he's been steady. And that's really what Tim Brewster's offense needed.

Now, I'm guessing the Gophers will turn to Jay Thomas, or maybe one of the youngsters they signed in the offseason. Thomas is working on two re-built knees himself, so who knows how he'll work out? I guess the good news is that Brewster can work in a new running back this week, against Montana State, a team the Gophers should pound. The new guy can gain some confidence early on and hopefully that will help in the long run.

It's still a big setback for the Gophers. Hopefully it doesn't slow them down when they hit the Big Ten schedule.

Oh yeah, and did you all notice how Feldy came back on here today, and he didn't mention a thing about my Gophers? Well, Feldy better get ready to start writing some apology letters. I can already predict his response ... it's two weeks into the season!! You'd think he'd give me some props, though, for predicting a Gophers win against Bowling Green. But that's how Feldy rolls!

* * *

FELDY: Wow, is your shoulder OK? Did you hurt it patting yourself on the back? Let me know when the Big Ten season starts and I'll start caring about what the Gophers do. Would I be impressed and surprised if they start the season 4-0? Yeah, I would (and I'm sure Timmy B. really cares what I think). I will actually give you credit for one thing, Phersy. It's looking like the Gophers have a realistic shot to become bowl-eligible. You're still going to have to convince me that Preacher Timmy is a good head coach. Good recruiter? Yes. Good head coach? Uh-uh. I feel bad for fans who shelled out cash to watch Montana State and Florida Atlantic come to town the next two weeks, especially after Tim-Tim said last year that he doesn't want to play teams the caliber of North Dakota State. He wants to shoot for the big time. Wow, he and Joel Maturi should be embarassed to trot out a home schedule like they have this season. Why bring in N.D. State (the No. 1 team in the FCS) when you can bring in Montana State?

Things are starting to go the Gophers way!

PHERSY: The Minnesota Gophers finally caught a break! It looks like they should be in good shape this weekend against Ohio State, and now it appears they might even be the favorite! The Buckeyes will be without their third-string quarterback this weekend ... I don't see how they could possibly win a game without him.

We comin!!!!!! Gopher nation ... unite!

Anyway, so the OSU third-string QB was caught "allegedly" soliciting a prostitute. Good times over there in Ohio.

Now, if only their first two QBs could get caught doing something illegal (don't rule it out) between now and Saturday, maybe the Gophers really would have a chance.

As it stands, though, I don't see the Gophers coming within three touchdowns (this may be nice) of the Buckeyes.

Watching the Gophers ... can't ... stop ... laughing

FELDY: So maybe we should be happy we can't watch the Gophers football team regularly on TV.

Purdue returned the opening kickoff for a TD. Great start to the Big 10 season in the Brewster Era. Adam Weber has a pick returned for a TD. Gophs wide receiver fumbles. It's just comical. Now, Rochester's Mike Sherels makes a good play -- blocking a punt -- and the ball bounces right to Jamal Harris, who had nothing but 50 yards of open turf in front of him. There was no one around him and he dropped it, just flat fumbled it and Purdue recovered.

This has provided more laughs than Saturday Night Live. I don't know how else to describe it ... well, maybe "sad" or "embarrassing' if you're a Gophs fan.

Say what you will about Glen Mason, but at least he had his teams ready to play almost every game. This is the first time I've seen the '07 Gophs, but I've listened to some of the other games on the radio, and it sounds like Brewster's Crew hasn't been mentally or physically ready to go once this season.

Well, I take that back. They'd be .500 if they played in the MAC.

***

PHERSY: Feldy, it's too painful to watch this team. They're very bad. It will be a race between the Gophers and Northwestern for last place in the Big Ten. But I've said all along, as long as they beat Iowa, I don't care if they win another game.

Are we sure Glen Mason wasn't coaching the Gophers?

FELDY: Glen Mason out, Tim Brewster in. Bowling Green 32, Gophers 31. Ahhhhh, the more things change …

I guess there's no sense in analyzing the Gophers' play last night in their season-opening loss, since pretty much everyone in Minnesota couldn't see it.

But how much analysis is needed? Tim Brewster spent eight months talking about bringing Gopher Nation (is there such a thing?) to Pasadena, then his team gave up two TDs to Bowling Green -- BOWLING GREEN! -- in a span of eight plays. It was 21-0 for the Greenies, or Bowlers, or whatever they're called, at halftime.

It's time now for coach Brewster to muzzle himself for awhile, stop thinking about the Rose Bowl, and worry about how his team is going to handle Miami of Ohio and Florida Atlantic.

Brewster deserves some time -- a couple of years, even -- to show what he can do as a head coach. It's also time to stop telling us how good this year's team is and time to prove it.

***

PHERSY: Feldy, Feldy, Feldy. I'm disappointed in you. Give Tim Brewster a break. It was the first game. And really, if Brewster wasn't so excited, would we have been excited? There's very little talent on this team. There are myriad unproven QBs on the roster, not one of them Big Ten caliber. And with four important guys kicked off the team, there certainly isn't much depth.

This team shouldn't be good this year. Anything they accomplish will be because of Brewster. I'm not measuring what this guy does until the 2009 season. If he hasn't accomplished big things by then, then I'll be ready to throw him under the bus.

As for now, it's going to be a rough season. But we shouldn't have expected much. If they go 1-11 and beat Iowa, I'll be fine with it.