Golden Gophers, Coach Tim Brewster Look to Improve upon Dismal 2007 Season

At least it can't get much worse. Coming off a 1-11 season, the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Head Coach, Tim Brewster, are looking forward to the  2008-2009 football season.

For the Gophers, the improvements start on the sidelines.  Ted Roof, former Duke head coach, replaces Everett Withers as Defensive Coordinator and life-long Minnesota resident Dan O'Brien takes over as Director of Football Operations which should greatly help in the recruiting process. 

The Gophers lost four seniors to the NFL, notably Safety Dom Barber, younger brother of Dallas Cowboy, Marion, and wide receiver Ernie Wheelwright. 

Wheelwright's nine touchdowns in 2007 will be tough to replace but look for junior Eric Decker to have a breakout season as soon as the two-sport athlete finishes his baseball season. 

Decker will be joined on the wings by junior Marcus Sherels and sophomore Ralph Spry.  Look for Dallas-Skyline freshman Da'Jon McKnight to fight for playing time and watch for Tight End Nick Tow-Arnett to be a quiet offensive star. 

The quarterback position is the one with perhaps the most competition.  Adam Weber had a great freshman season and watching him this Spring, he looks even better and ready to battle incoming high school star and Vince Young-esque MarQueis Gray (Indianapolis - Ben Davis) for the starting position. 

Coming off a 2007 campaign in which the Gopher defense ranked last in Total Defense, giving up 55 touchdowns and 518 yards/game, it can only improve. 

The addition of Roof and a talented group of incoming Defensive Backs should help the Gophers get out of the cellar.  15 of the incoming 31 recruits are defensive players while five of these young men are ranked in the top 50 of ESPN's defensive recruit rankings. 

Brewster needed to show his recruiting potential and he did, garnering a national ranking of 16th and a number three ranking in the Big Ten; both according to Rivals.com.  Though the 2007 season was tough to swallow, it seems that the Gophers have begun putting the right pieces together, particularly on defense.

The Golden Gophers are ready to get back to the middle of the Big Ten pack as well as back to the teams of the Glen Mason era which played in seven bowl games in eight seasons. 

I think the Gophers are capable of a 6-6 season but look for the Big Ten schedule to provide the toughest competition and for the Gophers to finish 4-8 or 3-9. 

The Gophers open against Northern Illinois on August 30th at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.