Buck Bravo

by Guest Blogger Bobby Springfield

No doubt this will be a tough season with games against Air Force, California, Syracuse, Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan State, Purdue, Northwestern, Iowa and South Dakota State.  Coach Brewster deserves our all out support in my opinion.  He has tried everything possible to recruit and inspire us with a competitive team.  Give him a break.  Better yet, give him support as it will be a very demanding season.  This is a defining third year for him and his program.  He has had some tough breaks with the coaching staff and some of the players leaving, but he is our coach and our team needs our support.  I feel that the negativism and sarcasm in some of the media wear down our coaches and our fans.  Where is the support?

We have a big ten team and we play visibly on a national level.  What a great asset for the university and our community.  Minnesota is on the map!

Love him or leave him, coach Mason put together a competitive team and some great victories were earned by the gophers over his ten years as head coach.  Can you imagine the pressure he faced with responsibility for around 100 players and coaches, and back at that time a less than supportive administration?  Constantly recruiting with the dome as his draw.  We know there are almost as many local detractors as there are supporters for gopher football.  Remember the previous administration and the failure to get the stadium going?  The ruthless press incessantly criticizing the coach even when he was at 7 or 8 victories.

Get behind the team now, they need us more than ever. The players are going to face brutal competition, cheer them on in the outstanding new venue.  Most of all, rise above the Minnesota disease known as pessimism and refuse to give up on this team or this program.  Show the country this is a great team at a great university in a great state.  It is the best we have, and our support will make it better.  Do we really want another coach to leave?

Can’t wait to see the gophers in the new stadium playing the best teams in the country.  Go Gophers!!!

Quarterback Tom Parish of Arrowhead High School in Hartland, Wisconsin has committed to play football for the Gophers.  At 6′3 200 pounds with a 4.6 second forty yard dash time, Parish has the measurables to be a good fit for the Gopher offense.  While the recruiting services have yet to rate Parish, his Rivals.com profile can be viewed here, and his ESPN profile can be viewed by clicking here.

Lamonte Edwards of Woodbury High School has become the fourth recruit to commit to Minnesota’s 2010 class.   At 6′2, 215 pounds with a 4.48 forty yard dash time Edwards will likely play either running back or linebacker for the Gophers.  According to recruiting services, Edwards also had offers on the table from Wisconsin and Iowa.  Edwards exhibits talent on both sides of the ball in his Youtube video, but his ability to maintain balance after contact and his pursuit of the ball on defense are the highlight of his highlights.  

Although Edwards has not yet been rated by the recruiting services, you can expect him to be a four or highly rated three star recruit based upon his measurables and the reports of people who have seen him play.  Edwards will play in a new stadium in front of his friends and family starting in 2010.  Lamonte Edwards, welcome to the Gopher Nation.

With Todd Heupel and Major Applewhite apparently not in the running, there are a few names out there as to who may be the new offensive coordinator for the Gophers:

1. Mike Hohensee - Hohensee is a former Gopher quarterback and has been a head coach in the Arena League for eight seasons. Marcus Fuller has more information at this link.

2. Jeff Horton - Horton is currently an assistant coach with the St. Louis Rams and has also coached at Wisconsin. The Daily Gopher has an article in prose at this link.

3. Mike Markuson - Golden Gopher Football blog has an interesting name in the comments section of an assistant coach at Mississippi who is from Minnesota. Read about Markuson here.

So, who do you think will be the next offensive coordinator? If you select option four, please elaborate in the comments section: