2008 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

NCAATeamFootballSeason
Year=2008
Team=Minnesota Golden Gophers


ImageSize=200
Conference=Big Ten Conference
ShortConference=Big Ten
Division=
CoachRank=
APRank=
Record=6-1
ConfRecord=2-1
HeadCoach=Tim Brewster
OffCoach= Mike Dunbar
DefCoach= Ted Roof
OScheme= Spread
DScheme= 4-3
StadiumArena=Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Champion=
BowlTourney=
BowlTourneyResult=

The 2008 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team is the second under head coach Tim Brewster. They began play on August 30, 2008 at home against Northern Illinois from the Mid-American Conference. The next game will be an away matchup versus Purdue, on October 18, 2008.

Preseason

On February 21, 2008, it was announced that Ted Roof would replace Everett Withers as the Gophers new defensive coordinator. Withers had previously announced that he was taking the defensive coordinator job at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. [ [http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/15840427.html U hires new defensive coordinator ] ]

chedule

CFB Schedule Entry
date = August 30
time = 6:00 PM cite web|url=http://www.gophersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=38605&SPID=3280&DB_OEM_ID=8400&ATCLID=1505506|title=Kick times set for Montana State, Florida Atlantic games|publisher=University of Minnesota|date=2008-07-02|accessdate=2008-07-06]
w/l = w
nonconf = yes
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Northern Illinois
opprank =
site_stadium = Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
site_cityst = Minneapolis, MN
gamename =
tv = BTN
score = 31-27
overtime =
attend = 44,059CFB Schedule Entry
date = September 6
time = 6:30 PM cite web|url=http://bgsufalcons.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/060408aab.html|title=Home Opener vs. Minnesota Slated for ESPNU Broadcast|publisher=Bowling Green Sports Information|date=2008-06-04|accessdate=2008-06-05]

w/l = w
nonconf = yes
homecoming =
away = yes
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Bowling Green
opprank =
site_stadium = Doyt Perry Stadium
site_cityst = Bowling Green, OH
gamename =
tv = ESPNU
score = 42-17
overtime =
attend = 23,184CFB Schedule Entry
date = September 13
time = 11:00 AM
w/l = w
nonconf = yes
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Montana State
opprank =
site_stadium = Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
site_cityst = Minneapolis, MN
gamename =
tv = BTN
score = 35-23
overtime =
attend = 43,929CFB Schedule Entry
date = September 20
time = 11:00 AM
w/l = w
nonconf = yes
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Florida Atlantic
opprank =
site_stadium = Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
site_cityst = Minneapolis, MN
gamename =
tv = BTN
score = 37-3
overtime =
attend = 41,003CFB Schedule Entry
date = September 27
time = 11:00 AM
w/l = l
nonconf =
homecoming =
away = yes
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Ohio State
opprank = 13
site_stadium = Ohio Stadium
site_cityst = Columbus, OH
gamename =
tv = BTN
score = 21-34
overtime =
attend = 105,175CFB Schedule Entry
date = October 4
time = 11:00 AM
w/l = w
nonconf =
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Indiana
opprank =
site_stadium = Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
site_cityst = Minneapolis, MN
gamename =
tv = BTN
score = 16-7
overtime =
attend = 40,511CFB Schedule Entry
date = October 11
time = 11:00 AM cite web|url=http://fightingillini.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/051208aaa.html|title=Illinois Homecoming Game Time Set|publisher=Illinois Sports|date=2008-05-12|accessdate=2008-06-05]

w/l = w
nonconf =
homecoming =
away = yes
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Illinois
opprank =
site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
site_cityst = Champaign, IL
gamename =
tv = ESPNcite web|url=http://www.gophersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8400&ATCLID=1593631|title=Minnesota-Illinois Will Air on ESPN|publisher=GopherSports.com|date=2008-09-30|accessdate=2008-09-30]
score = 27-20
overtime =
attend = 62,870CFB Schedule Entry
date = October 25
time = 11:00 AM cite web|url=http://purduesports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/051208aab.html|title=High-Noon Homecoming|publisher=Purdue University|date=2008-05-12|accessdate=2008-09-21]
w/l =
nonconf =
homecoming =
away = yes
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Purdue
opprank =
site_stadium = Ross-Ade Stadium
site_cityst = West Lafayette, IN
gamename =
tv =
score =
overtime =
attend = CFB Schedule Entry
date = November 1
time = 11:00 AM cite web|url=http://nusports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/051208aaa.html|title=Big Ten Announces Start Times for 2008 Homecoming Games |publisher=Northwestern Sports Information|date=2008-05-12|accessdate=2008-06-05]

w/l =
nonconf =
homecoming = yes
away =
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Northwestern
opprank =
site_stadium = Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
site_cityst = Minneapolis, MN
gamename =
tv = ESPN/ESPN2/BTN
score =
overtime =
attend = CFB Schedule Entry
date = November 8
time =
w/l =
nonconf =
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Michigan
opprank =
site_stadium = Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
site_cityst = Minneapolis, MN
gamename = Little Brown Jug
tv =
score =
overtime =
attend = CFB Schedule Entry
date = November 15
time =
w/l =
nonconf =
homecoming =
away = yes
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Wisconsin
opprank =
site_stadium = Camp Randall Stadium
site_cityst = Madison, WI
gamename = Paul Bunyan's Axe
tv =
score =
overtime =
attend = CFB Schedule Entry
date = November 22
time = 6:00 PM cite web|title = Iowa-Minnesota Football Game Time Set|url = http://hawkeyesports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/051308aaa.html|publisher = HawkeyeSports.com|date = 2008-05-13|accessdate = 2008-06-05]
w/l =
nonconf =
homecoming =
away =
neutral =
rank =
opponent = Iowa
opprank =
site_stadium = Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
site_cityst = Minneapolis, MN
gamename = Floyd of Rosedale
tv = BTN
score =
overtime =
attend =

Roster

Game notes

Northern Illinois

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Huskies
R1=0
R2=10
R3=10
R4=7
Home=Golden Gophers
H1=7
H2=3
H3=14
H4=7The Golden Gophers opened the 2008 season hosting a Saturday night game against Northern Illinois. After receiving the opening kickoff, Minnesota compiled a 16-play, 90-yard drive that chewed 8:50 off the clock and ended with an 8-yard TD pass from Adam Weber to Eric Decker. Northern Illinois responded early in the 2nd quarter with a 2-yard TD run from Justin Anderson, and a pair of field goals knotted the halftime score at 10-10. Two big plays by the Golden Gophers set the tone through the 3rd quarter — a 53-yard TD catch by Jack Simmons and 61-yard TD run by Duane Bennett that staked Minnesota to a 24-13 lead. The Huskies answered with two long TD bombs of 91 and 52 yards from Chandler Harnish to Nathan Palmer. As Minnesota began their final drive of the game on their own 26 yard line with 5:25 on the clock, they trailed NIU 27-24. Weber led a methodical drive down the field, completing all 5 of his pass attempts until the Gopher offense stalled in the red zone, bringing up 4th and 1 from the NIU 3. Rather than electing to kick the field goal and send the game into overtime, coach Brewster put the offense back out on the field, and they rewarded his aggressiveness. Bennett converted the 1st down on a short run, and the Gophers immediately ran the same play for a 1-yd TD. After putting the ensuing kickoff out of bounds and giving the Huskies the ball on their own 40, the Minnesota defense batted away a Hail Mary pass into the endzone as time expired to preserve the 31-27 victory.

Bowling Green

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Golden Gophers
R1=7
R2=7
R3=7
R4=21
Home=Falcons
H1=0
H2=10
H3=7
H4=0Bowling Green hosted their first Big Ten opponent ever as Minnesota traveled to Doyt L. Perry Stadium for a Saturday night game. Bowling Green was confident after coming off a 27-17 upset at #25 Pittsburgh the previous week. Despite being road underdogs, Minnesota showed no sign of nerves as they once again scored a TD on their first drive and never relinquished the lead, cruising to an easy 42-17 victory over the home Falcons. The story of this game was turnovers. After a relatively uneventful first half that ended with a Gophers lead of 14-10, Bowling Green's Roger Williams fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half. Starting the drive at the BGSU 23, Minnesota promptly marched in for the score. After a Falcon touchdown made it 21-17, BGSU turned the ball over on each of their next three possessions, each turnover ultimately resulting in a touchdown for the Golden Gophers. The 28 points off turnovers proved to be the difference, as Minnesota won consecutive games for the first time since November 2006. This was also the first road victory for the Gophers under coach Tim Brewster.

Montana State

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Bobcats
R1=6
R2=7
R3=3
R4=7
Home=Golden Gophers
H1=0
H2=21
H3=14
H4=0Montana State traveled to Minneapolis to take on the Gophers for each team's 3rd game of the season. Despite being heavily favored over an FCS opponent, Minnesota played in a lackluster fashion from the get-go, and actually trailed 6-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Golden Gophers' offense woke up in the 2nd quarter, and put 14 points on the board on consecutive drives. Just when it appeared that Minnesota may have begun to put the game out of reach, Montana State's Demetrius Crawford returned a kickoff 100 yards for a TD. Minnesota was able to answer with another touchdown to make the halftime score 21-13 in their favor.In the second half, the Gophers returned to their power running game of old, and their offense consisted mostly of true freshman DeLeon Eskridge toting the rock, and adding two more scores to his one from the first half. He finished the game with 114 yards and 3 TDs, proving himself a capable replacement for previous starter Duane Bennett, who was lost for the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury during the Bowling Green game. Despite their less-than-spectacular performance, the Gophers managed to hold on for a 35-23 victory, and began a season 3-0 for the first time since 2005.

Florida Atlantic

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Owls
R1=0
R2=3
R3=0
R4=0
Home=Golden Gophers
H1=10
H2=6
H3=7
H4=14The Gophers hosted the Owls for a Saturday morning game in Minneapolis. Minnesota looked to be the better team almost from the beginning, and finished with a 37-3 rout of Florida Atlantic. The defense continued to show its vast improvement over the 2007 version, holding FAU to a mere 3 points, the lowest total by a Minnesota opponent since a 62-0 rout of Temple in 2006. The Golden Gophers forced 4 interceptions by Owl QB Rusty Smith, widely considered to be a potential pro prospect. The offense was formidable as well, gaining a season-high 441 total yards. QB Adam Weber continued his solid, steady play, but did tally his first interception of the season on an ill-advised throw into triple coverage in an attempt to force the ball to WR Eric Decker in the end zone. The Gophers entered Big Ten play with a 4-0 record for the first time since 2005.

Ohio State

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Golden Gophers
R1=3
R2=0
R3=3
R4=15
Home=Buckeyes
H1=7
H2=13
H3=7
H4=7

Indiana

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Hoosiers
R1=0
R2=7
R3=0
R4=0
Home=Golden Gophers
H1=0
H2=7
H3=6
H4=3

Illinois

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Golden Gophers
R1=7
R2=0
R3=7
R4=13
Home=Fighting Illini
H1=0
H2=3
H3=3
H4=14

Purdue

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Golden Gophers
R1=
R2=
R3=
R4=
Home=Boilermakers
H1=
H2=
H3=
H4=

Northwestern

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Wildcats
R1=
R2=
R3=
R4=
Home=Golden Gophers
H1=
H2=
H3=
H4=

Michigan

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Wolverines
R1=
R2=
R3=
R4=
Home=Golden Gophers
H1=
H2=
H3=
H4=

Wisconsin

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Golden Gophers
R1=
R2=
R3=
R4=
Home=Badgers
H1=
H2=
H3=
H4=

Iowa

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Hawkeyes
R1=
R2=
R3=
R4=
Home=Golden Gophers
H1=
H2=
H3=
H4=

Awards and honors

See also

* 2008 Big Ten Conference football season

References