Friday Randomness Thinks About Feeling Bad For Tim Brewster, Reconsiders

Hey Tim Brewster, still enjoying your tenure as head coach at the U?

First, Tim Brewster embarked on a Minnesota worst 1-11 season, which included an NCAA embarrassment of a defense and a loss to North Dakota State. That couldn't have felt good.

To his credit, Brewster dusted him self off and started anew. He put together a heralded Class of 2008, filled with high-level wide receivers and touted quarterbacks. This looked great on paper until the roof started caving in.

First, Brewster was forced to give up on Harold Howell a would-be sophomore out of Florida that was touted to be a return man with the lightning in a bottle quality of a Devin Hester. Howell was horrible, couldn't catch a punt and obviously couldn't find it within him to excel academically. That couldn't have been fun..

Yesterday, Brewster's own son, Clint Brewster, a one-time verbal commit to Illinois, has decided to leave his father's 1-11 football team behind and pursue other options. Homers can spin this by suggesting that the younger Brewster was expendable because the Gophers have depth. Sophomore Adam Weber poised to return as the starter, veteran backup Tony Mortensen remains and two allegedly talented newcomers in JUCO transfer David Pittman and hyped dual-threat quarterback Marqueis Gray are arriving this fall.

But in all honesty, we can't really know what members of Brewster's class of 2008 will ever wear maroon and gold. It has been reported that Brewster's class, which ranks by most any measure in the upper echelon of the Big Ten, may see it's numbers fall after the academics czars at the U have their say. You see, some of these prized recruits can't pass their entrance exams and can't gain admission by other means. Sid Hartman tells us Brewster isn't too happy about this.

I can't imagine he would be.

Yes, it's been a rocky year-plus for Brewster. But, then again, some of us were convinced Brewster was a public relations disaster last year when he allegedly decided to go on an anti-Notre Dame rant and call Charlie Weis a fat slob. Michael Floyd apparently is more concerned about substantive coaching then waistlines.

Enjoying the Tim Brewster era yet? Despite what he'll say, I'd guess he's not either.

*** I read this as Tubby Smith bitch-slapping Billy Gillispie. Nice. Tubby, as president of the NABC, is saying college coaches should chill on the recruitment of pre-pubescent athletes. I totally agree with this.

*** Congratulations if you have Comcast, you will now be able to watch your favorite Big Ten team on cable.

*** Hawkeye State at Black Heart, Gold Pants, chronicled a recent conversation between Tim Brewster and Ron Zook. Classic.

*** Easy target that he is, Tim Brewster is a recruiting machine. He racked up recruit number six for his Class of 2009 recently in Sartell's Nick Rengel. Minnesota was the only BCS major to offer Rengel. However, North Dakota State made an offer, so at least Brewster was able to out maneuver a DII team.

That's it for today. Everyone have a good weekend!

Brewster's Son To Transfer

Via the Star Tribune we learn today that Tim Brewster's son Clint is going to transfer. You'll remember that Clint Brewster was a big "get" for the new football coach. The quarterback recruit had verbally committed to Tim's alma mater, Illinois, but withdrew from that pledge to play for his father.

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

Clint's decision is hopefully based on the fact that the Gophers have become surprisingly deep at quarterback. Sophomore Adam Weber is poised to lead the Gophers under center for the second year of Minnesota's attempt to install the spread coast offense. And Coach Brewster's big get during this recruiting season was MarQueis Gray, a quarterback that is hyped to be a perfect fit for the spread coast. The Gophers are also bringing in JUCO quarterback David Pittman, though it has been speculated he would play a position other than quarterback.

However, losing any 4-star player isn't good. Adding in that it is the coaches son leads me to two thoughts.

1) This might show me that Tim Brewster has been honest with his son. Perhaps Coach Brewster told Clint that Weber is the quarterback of the present and Gray is the quarterback of the future. It would only be natural for the father in this situation to want his son to be in a position to succeed. Because of actual talent at Minnesota (wow, can't believe I said that) the opportunites aren't in maroon and gold for Clint. If this is the case, I applaud the transfer.

2) This might show me that Coach Brewster is worried about the public relations of playing his son over the likes of Pittman or Gray. If Clint Brewster honestly wins a job over his competitors, jerks like Patrick Reusse and me will surely pen an article or post talking about nepotism. Playing Clint Brewster could be seen as a lose-lose situation for the coach, unless of course the son performs above expectations. If this type of thought went into the transfer, or Coach Brewster's decision to anoint an otherwise raw quarterback like Weber to the starting role, then I shake my head at the news of the transfer. After all, Clint Brewster came into to camp last year as the only quarterback with experience in the spread coast.

Personally, I'll remember Clint Brewster for his antics after the Gophers lost to Winsconsin last year. He, according to the Bucky kicker, sprinted across the field and used some naughty words to basically say 'Wisconsin sucks.' Classy.

Other reading: Gopher Nation asks "What was your favorite Clint Brewster moment?"

Links: Clint Brewster Grabs Headlines

With a 1-11 season now in the rear-view mirror, there has been plenty of Internet discussion on Tim Brewster's first year at Minnesota. In this assortment of linkage, I'll bring you a host of takes on Brewster (Tim and son Clint), Gophers football, Tubby's recruiting class compared to Kentucky's and our standard potshot at Dan Monson.

We'll start with the Tim Brewster discussion.

** In looking for a silver lining for the 2007 Minnesota football season, PiPress columnist Tom Powers takes a few typical shots at Brewster:

You're probably wondering what good came out of all this. Where is the silver lining? After all, the team went 1-11 after the coach had visions of Rose Bowls dancing in people's heads. So you're rehashing Year 1 of the Brewster regime in search of that elusive bright spot.

Exactly.

People are thinking about Gopher football. They are talking about Gopher football. Maybe what they're saying is: "That Tim Brewster is an idiot." Nevertheless, the program is on their minds. And that's tangible progress in what had become a sea of apathy.

And ...

Some of the more jaded will insist they won't allow themselves to be suckered in by the hype again. They'll give 10 reasons why they're done with the Gophers. Then they'll give 10 more. And if no one interrupts, they'll keep talking nonstop about the disappointing season. Talking about Gopher football. Discussing Gopher football. All this, even as they are gritting their teeth.

So folks will keep on eye on Brewster's recruiting. After all, he says he's really good at it. Let's see if he is for real.

"I'm so driven to make us great again," he said.

And when they tee it up to kick off the 2008 season, everybody will be watching. How can that be terrible?

** We all have come to learn that Tim Brewster likes to talk. But I didn't learn until now that his son picked up the jabbering gene. A couple media reports indicate Clint Brewster had a little post-game altercation with Wisconsin's kicker. The STrib's report can be found here. Meanwhile Sunday Morning Quarterback and Badgercentric take the younger Brewster to task for his role in the spat. Here's a pull-quote from the STrib.

Wisconsin kicker Taylor Mehlhaff also accused Gophers freshman quarterback Clint Brewster, son of the head coach, of jawing at him after the game.

"I just went over to say good game to their kicker and this kid, the coach's son, comes over and I don't want to say what he said, but he just said, 'You guys are terrible' and this and that, we're 1-10 and we should have beat you and this and that," Mehlhaff told Wisconsin reporters. "I'm just like, 'Wow.'

"I was giving their guys high-fives ... and telling them good game. I just couldn't believe anyone would come up and be like that. And then he said, 'How many kicks did you miss today?' That's pretty bold. I just said, 'I've got to go celebrate the axe.' "

According to team policy, Clint Brewster is not available for interviews until he plays in a game.

You know, we really have to hand it to these Brewesters. They really know how to grab a headline.

** In this Scout.com article, Tim Brewster remains "relentlessly optimstic."

** In this AP article hosted by The Sporting News, I acutally like the way Brewster comes off. He expresses discontent, yet remains positive about the team's youth. His quotes in this article strike me as honest and sincere. That-a-boy, Timmy. The AP writer leads with a fact lost at times by many pundits--including myself--that his tenure started off with a public relations disaster that was completely out of his control. Think Videophone Sex Gate.

** Tim Brewster's team-worst 1-11 record also wasn't lost on Denver Post writer Terry Frei. But in this column, Frei makes a solid argument for why Minnesota fans should give Brewster at minimum 5 years. I agree, but as I've said before, Brewster needs to deliver on his recruiting promises and show growth in the coming years as our general on the sidelines.

OK, now on to other matters. ...

** It took overtime against Idaho State, but Dan Monson now has his first victory of the season.

** I've been waiting for an opportunity to bring your attention to a new Minnesota Gophers blogger. From The Barn , as the name would suggest, concentrates on the happenings inside Williams Arena. The blog is still young, but off to a very nice start. Here is the blog's latest post, in which the writer calls the Minnesota-Iowa State game tomorrow "the most important game since the Gopher’s NIT loss to Cincinnati a few years back."

** There were a few links to choose from for this final topic. But some Kentucky fans find it unfathomable that Tubby Smith's first recruiting class at Minnesota could even be discussed in the same breath as Billy Clyde's first class at Kentucky. The fact that Kentucky fans are even discussing this should be considered great news for Minnesota basketball fans. Ski-U-Mah!

Camp Battles: Quarterback

There is a consensus opinion among political consultants that suggests that you win the day if you can turn your candidate's weakness into a strength. For Tim Brewster's Golden Gophers to succeed on the field this year, our new coach, a good PR man in how own right, will need to turn perceived Gophers weaknesses into strengths.

To do that, Brewster will need to make the right decision between junior Tony Mortensen, sophomore Adam Weber and true freshman--and his son--Clint Brewster.

In countless previews, writers have called for the Gophers to have a losing season often because of the quarterback situation. Three-year starter and the U's all-time leading passer Bryan Cupito is gone, leaving a considerable void. So in this first part of a three-part series on worrisome positions, I'll look at the quarterback battle, a position that has been the talk of camp. In the coming days I'll take a look at the secondary--remember Michael Floyd said he wanted to go to a school with excellent cornerbacks--and the wide receivers.

Recent reports would indicate, even though Brewster says not to read into it, that Weber might be winning the day. Coming into camp a betting man would have wagered on Mortensen, who has been in the program four years. A cynic might have suggested that Clint Brewster the coveted quarterback out of Colorodo was the odds on favorite.

Here's the Star Tribune's Chip Scoggins on the quarterback battle from Wednesday's paper.

Gophers redshirt freshman quarterback Adam Weber took the majority of snaps with the first-team offense on Wednesday morning, but coach Tim Brewster cautioned not to read too much into that.

"You guys all know that could change quickly," Brewster said

Weber is a local kid, having attended Mounds View before graduating in 2005. His father, Bobby Weber, played defensive back for the Gophers in another era.

Between Weber, Mortensen and Brewster, it's the Mounds View grad that offers the closest thing to a dual-threat at the quarterback position. Previous reports indicated Mike Dunbar was installing an option into the offense. It would seem Weber is the quarterback that could run such a play effectively. Scoggins, in a different article, sums up the competitors' strengths this way:

Each quarterback possesses different skills and qualities. Mortensen has good size (6-3, 230 pounds) and doesn't appear to get rattled easily. He is similar to Cupito in his roll-with-the-punches demeanor. This is Mortensen's fourth season in the program, so he should have an understanding of what it takes to compete at the Big Ten level.

Weber is the best athlete in the group and gives the offense a dimension in the option game. He also has a strong arm and a fiery competitive streak. But he needs to show the coaching staff that he also has command of the offense.

Clint Brewster reportedly has a strong arm and is the son of a coach, which typically means he has a good feel for the game. He also played in a spread offense in high school. It's unusual, however, for true freshmen to be physically and mentally prepared to step in and start right away.

While Weber reportedly has perhaps a more diverse game, Mortensen, a Hutchinson, Minn. native has the benefit of experience. He has played in a handful of games since he made his debut filling in for an injured Cupito in 2005. That 2005 game against Wisconsin, as a redshirt freshman, was his only start for the Gophers. He has since made eight other appearances, and has competed just 11 of 34 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown.

While most of that time has been in mop-up duty, Mortensen hasn't exactly set the world on fire when he's gotten the opportunity.

The longshot in the race has to be the coach's son. Some, including me, worried that Clint Brewster would be favored in the race to succeed Cupito. And even if he wasn't "favored," there was the possibility that such a perception could emerge that would hurt Minnesota's chances of recruiting top-caliber quarterbacks in the seasons to come.

Reports indicate that Clint Brewster is taking some snaps in camp with the first team, but that Mortensen and Weber are taking more. That should indicate the real battle is between Mortensen and Weber.

Brewster is a true freshman, but he has the advantage of having played in the spread offense in high school. It should be no secret to Gophers fans that the days of Glen Mason's run always offense is behind us and the ever-popular spread offense is upon us. And it has reportedly been a challenge for Weber and Mortensen to pick up the new schemes.

The coaching staff treated spring practice like a classroom setting. They bombarded the quarterbacks — and the offense as a whole — with an avalanche of information in a short time span, knowing full well the result might be mass confusion. And it was at times.

"It was pretty unreal," Weber said. "That first day it was like, 'Boom, here it is.' You're kind of like, 'What?' There were a couple of days when you go out to practice and your head is still spinning from the meeting you just had."

Said Mortensen: "It was frustrating because some guys would be on one day and five other guys were confused. It wasn't clicking. It was tough for us. We kind of looked sloppy at times."

For a quarterback to have success in the spread, he must be able to make quick decisions, be able to read defenses and understand his blocking schemes. All of that is important because many defenses attack the spread by blitzing from different angles. So, Brewster's experience running the offense can only count in his favor. But staring down a 17-year-old blitzing linebacker on the high school playing field is more than slightly different than staying calm in the face of an Ohio State linebacker.

And while spring practice was surely trying for Weber and Mortensen, published reports indicate they have made strides and become more comfortable under center as preseason camp continues. Weber told the Star Tribune he's made the most progress.

Weber said he has made the most progress in his ability to identify protection.

"The protections are what killed me this spring," he said. "Not knowing who is blocking. Especially in this offense when you spread the field, [defenders] can come from all over the place. If you don't know where to throw it you're dead."

Brewster has said he is looking for his quarterback to be a leader in the huddle and to run the team with composure. But we won't know who has won that contest until the days before the Gophers face Bowling Green.

My bet? Adam Weber will be your opening day quarterback.