Tailgates & Tums

The vibes were immaculate.

The tailgates lots around the stadium were filled with heavy traffic of smiling, excited Gopher fans. Black and gold flags, tents, and shirts were in the minority on a day of August weather, the earliest in the season that Floyd of Rosedale has ever been contested. A late afternoon downpour failed to dampen spirits or send people packing; nervous energy and cautious optimism followed the crowds to Huntington Bank Stadium.

Max Brosmer picked up where the tailgate left off and it appeared that, like the previous two weeks, the coaches were letting him cook. Before the half, he was 17 of 26 for 165 and two touchdowns. The defense that clocked Minnesota's first back to back shutouts since 1962 held the Hawkeye's improved offense to 107 yards. Few times has the Minnesota spellout at Huntington Bank been louder than it was after Elijah Spencer's touchdown.

At Halftime, something happened. Back to back Iowa touchdowns in 5 and 7 plays. Minnesota chose to run the ball, three and out. Both O-Line and D-Line were dominated by Iowa in one of the most comprehensively disastrous 3rd Quarters since the Tim Brewster era. When the clock wound mercifully down, what had been one of the smallest and quietest Iowa crowds in my 25 years of fanhood now dominated the emptying stands and their chants filled the concourse. I walked back to Washington Avenue ramp alone in frustrated silence. In the parking spot next to my truck, a fistfull of half-crushed antacid tablets lay on the concrete.

Medicine? Or Metaphor?

The change in offensive strategy in the 2nd half was puzzling in the moment and perplexing in retrospect. Post-game PJ Fleck referenced Iowa's fast scores out of halftime as "...like a boa constrictor, and you better start scoring some points really quick." Yet in his press conference this morning he referenced a conscious decision to run the ball and nurse the lead.

Coach Fleck is unquestionably a smart guy, so perhaps he had a plan to convert that cognitive dissonance into positive action. For the fans, we are reduced to trusting what is said, but believing what is done. And what we've seen is a tendency over time to revert to comfortable conservatism in big game situations, which Saturday's effort seems to have reinforced. One might reasonably question if the objective data (1-7 record against Iowa in 8 years) supports this approach. Maybe something new might be warranted; 79 rushing yards isn't it.

Next week Minnesota faces a Michigan team that ran the ball 46 times for 290 yards against USC, and only needed to throw 12 times. If Minnesota focuses on the run again in the Battle for the Jug, we will be in for a very long Saturday.

Let. Brosmer. Cook.