A New Era In Gopher Football?

Will 2009 mark a new era in Minnesota Gopher football?  The new TCF Bank Stadium will open with the Gophers facing Air Force on September 12.  It will mark the first on-campus football game for Minnesota since 1981.

The Gopher football era in the Metrodome began in 1982 when Minnesota won their first three games of the season.  Unfortunately, the Gophers lost their final eight games of the season to finish 3-8.  The Metrodome era came to an end on November 22, 2008 with the arch-rival Iowa Hawkeyes thrashing the Gophers 55-0.  They went on to lose the Insight Bowl to Kansas 42-21.  That marked the fifth-straight loss for a team that started the 2008 season 4-0.  They finished 7-6.

A bunch of losing seasons, a few minor bowl appearances and six head coaches were squeezed in those Metrodome years, but a familiar feel came with most of the seasons.  Disappointment.

Tim Brewster took over the reins of the Minnesota football program in 2007 with the knowledge that outdoor on-campus football was to return to the U of M in 2009.  A first year 1-11 record did not provide much hope for the future, but Brewster followed that dismal season with a 7-6 campaign in 2008.  Not a bad improvement from the previous year, but disappointing considering the 4-0 start.

The 2009 season has just begun.  Before opening TCF Bank Stadium, Minnesota traveled to Syracuse to face a program that is also looking to start over.  Former player Doug Marrone takes over a team that finished 3-9 and in last place of the Big East in 2008.  Marrone will have a fifth-year senior quarterback who has not played football since high school in 2004 (former Duke basketball player Greg Paulus).

Minnesota was a 7.5 point betting favorite to defeat Syracuse in the season opener for both teams.

So what happened in that opening game in the Carrier Dome?  Minnesota need a late rally to top Syracuse 23-20 in overtime.

A new era?  Or not...