A Good Year for the Outlaw

Surprising 1st half for the Gophs. Leading the mighty Illini 7-3? I’m happy with that. No, I’m thrilled with that. But the Illini will win. Minnesota is getting better, but they’re not good enough to beat the Illini today. If they do, I’ll be happy to be wrong.

Two things, however, bugged me. One minor, one major.

The minor: Minnesota has a tight end wearing #15, and a starting D-back wearing #15. They are two different guys. This is stupid. I’ve seen it before in college ball, and it’s stupid. I know back in the day when the Nebraskas and Ohio States of the world would dress 120 guys on home Saturdays, they had to do it, but they always buried the duplicate numbers deep on the bench. In this case, Minnesota has 60 players in uniform (if that is indeed still the NCAA limit when you’re on the road), and two of those 60 have the same number, and they’re both starters. Stupid.

The major: But not as stupid as this…I hate the rule where the guy makes a fake fair catch of a punt, “the play is dead upon the return man catching the ball after signaling for the fair catch”. What bullshit. The Illini just got a gift when their punt returner faked a fair catch, then fumbled at the 17. They shouldn’t blow the whistle and stop the play. It shouldn’t be a dead ball. If a guy wants to pull an illegal fair catch – in Illinois’ case the return man is definitely trying to deceive the defense, and the refs are RIGHT to call a penalty – and then run, he should suffer the results. The play should go on. Just throw a flag, and see what happens. If he fumbles, Minnesota should have a choice…take the penalty, or take the ball. Obviously, this could turn out to be the single biggest play of the game. It might have been 14-3 or at the very least 10-3 at the half if it weren’t for this stupid rule.

UPDATE: Minnesota hangs on and wins a game no one thought they would. Illinois runs all over the field in the second half and Juice Williams is incredible, but turnovers do in the Illini. Clearly the more talented team right now is Illinois, but I wouldn’t call Minnesota just lucky today. They forced turnovers and did what they had to do to win. Any Big 10 road win is an earned one. I’m stoked that I was wrong.