Run the North | Golden Gophers football

[Caesar]

Heisman moment for AJ Turner in that win

[ShireNiner]

Mick Smith said PUT SOME RESPEKT ON MY NAME

huge win. Turner is the star but the pieces around him doing their part. Gotta wonder if his W&T will make it through the season tho. How the other AJ step up without the Heisman contender behind him may define their playoff hopes

Mick Smith is about to go off for not even being listed as a coach of the year candidate

I am debating benching Turner for the easier game coming up, his W&T is really low.

big win in the big house!

Always nice to beat a cheating progam like Michigan.

Career defining win there.

I expected more tbh. Miami was way harder and so was Washington. Looking at the schedule, Michigan was overhyped.

watershed moment for the program

Sark on that sauce already

We are now a threat in the Big Ten, time to take the Gopher seriously.

[ShireNiner]

Heisman moment for AJ Turner in that win

The race isn't even close, he better not get robbed.

[Captain Canada]

That's huge, holy shit. Good win, brother.

[ShireNiner]

That's huge, holy shit. Good win, brother.

thank you, the 2pt conversion in OT was my biggest decision to make so far. It was lucky.

[ShireNiner]

Why Mick Smith Went for Two and Why It Mattered for the Future of Minnesota Football


Smith brings in the two-point conversion to win in OT over Michigan (ShireNiner Network

By: Aiden “AJ” Wexler , Minnesota Reporter

Mick Smith didn’t hesitate, as soon as the ball was caught for a touchdown, the coach put up two fingers and kept the offense on the field.

When Minnesota scored in overtime against No. 3 Michigan, the stadium noise was still bouncing off the upper deck, and the math was already clear. An extra point would extend the game. Two points could end it. Smith never looked down the sideline for a second opinion. He didn’t slow the moment down. He kept the offense on the field and signaled for the play that would decide the night.

The decision is one Smith has thought about since the end of last season. Smith has been here long enough now to know exactly how thin the margin is at the top of the Big Ten. Last season, Minnesota lost the conference championship by two points. Weeks later, the Gophers fell to Georgia in the Citrus Bowl by one. Two games, two trophies, three total points separated a great season from an average one. Those losses didn’t come from being overmatched; they came from moments when Minnesota played it safe instead of playing to win.

Smith has talked all season about “being aggressive,” and against Michigan, he finally put the words into action. In overtime, against an undefeated team with more talent and more experience, extending the game only favors the roster with more five-stars. Smith knew that. He also knew everyone in the stadium, and everyone watching at home expected the ball to go to AJ Turner.

This Minnesota team is built to be powered up the middle. Turner is averaging nearly 8 yards per carry and is rarely stopped in the backfield. AJ Brand is a young quarterback who, a week ago, messed up a pitch on the option for a safety against Notre Dame. Giving the ball to Turner was the safe choice and the smart choice. Smith took the brave choice.

A play-action roll-out. The same type of play that Ohio State sacked Dylan Wittke on at the end of the championship game when Minnesota fell short. "Last year, Wittke was the quarterback; he does not have the agility or speed of AJ [Brand]. We felt this time around if the end was there, Brand could outrun him for just enough space to throw."

When Brand rolled out, the play looked dead from the start. Options one, two, and three were covered, and two linebackers were coming in fast. For a second, it looked like Smith made the wrong call again and was going to be the talk of the media for the next week as the coach who could not win the big game.

Instead, Brand threw back across the field to find the fourth option. Winning the game and giving Smith the credibility all coaches aim for. He's no longer the new coach in the conference; now, he's a contender.

What did you think of this story?

---

Aiden “AJ” Wexler is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering Minnesota Gophers Football. He previously covered local high schools in the Minneapolis area. He is based in Minneapolis, MN. Follow AJ on Twitter @AidensFake.

More from ShireNiner Football Nation:

• Cheeseman for Heisman, too early to discuss?
• Titans jersey, yay or nay
• Aggies bounce back after Tigers defeat

---

---

Comments

[Count]

8 yards per carry is insane

[ShireNiner]

8 yards per carry is insane

That's why he is going to win the Heisman.

[redsox907]

8 yards per carry is insane

That's why he is going to win the Heisman.

better sell your soul to the W&T gods

[djp73]

Big time play