I needed the Gophers to give me a classic shot of adrenaline. I knew it wouldn’t take much. They just needed to look competetive and I was standing right next to the bandwagon. And trust me… it didn’t take long. My blood was actually running a little hot to start. Morgan had an ugly interception early, which is out of the ordinary, and the Gophers played really bad special teams, which is pretty normal.

But then, the Gophers got their footing and so did… the tight end????? This Bryce Witham touchdown cannot be completely confirmed because ESPN thought their commercial lineup was more important. It was 4th and goal. But if it did happen, Kirk Ciarrocca is glad he didn’t have to see it.

Multiple time Alabama LJ state champ and indoor TJ National Champ Noah Igbinoghene shows off his speed with this 96yd kickoff return TD. #OutbackBowl pic.twitter.com/43mT8BDhJa

— Travis Miller (@TravisMillerFlo) January 1, 2020

An SEC team got scored on, so naturally ESPN stayed in commercial rather than actually show it #OutbackBowl pic.twitter.com/lSXc5ssVj6

— Someone’s An Idiot (@SomeonesAnIdiot) January 1, 2020

After that, it was the Mo Ibrahim opening act, followed by the headliner, Tyler Johnson. Watching this game, you would have thought the Gophers were Buster Douglas and Auburn was Mike Tyson. In fact, I’d like to order an investigation on whether or not the ESPN crew was still hammered after a night of hanging out with the Auburn staff. They had a few notes on Tanner Morgan and Antoine Winfield Jr. but had no idea the Gophers actually had anyone else on their roster.

Luckily, they were able to pull up their phones and find a few facts on Tyler Johnson. We all know how much he loves Rashod Bateman and is proud of all the accolades he is receiving… but clearly the Minneapolis North alum wanted to remind Minnesota who their greatest ever still is, for now. Auburn had no answer, but when someone is making catches like this one in the back of the endzone, well.. there’s no cheat sheet for that test.

But, he wasn’t done.

MY GOD! Look at this catch by Tyler Johnson!!!!!!! #GoldenGophers pic.twitter.com/auUMWNdGyf

— Boo Boo Shoester (@FTBeard11) January 1, 2020

Ty has a new #Gophers bowl game record with 10 receptions this afternoon. #OutbackBowl pic.twitter.com/Ho6n3Or1gt

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) January 1, 2020

TOUCHDOWN MINNESOTA?

WHAT. A. PLAY? Morgan hooks up with Johnson again and goes for a 73 yard touchdown!!! 31-24 Minnesota leads Auburn. #OutbackBowl (?via @espn) pic.twitter.com/K6xTyHJfAW

— The Sideline Report (@SidelineReport_) January 1, 2020

This game was a team effort, though. The defense suffocated Auburn for most of it. Bo Nix is going to be really good. He’s really the only reason why Auburn stuck in this game. He made a lot of plays on 3rd and 4th downs. But for the most part, none of the usual bowl game shenanigans that Gus Malzahn uses were working, no matter how much ESPN tried to wish it into existence.

Every time Auburn would counter, the Gophers would hit them back with a haymaker. The Auburn defense looked lonely and confused by the end of this game. They were tired and dragging every limb on their body. It was fun. It should get Matt Simon his full-time Offensive Coordinator job. Our offense looked better than it has at any point this season.

It was an absolute clinic of what Gopher Football is, and forever will be as long as PJ Fleck is here.. and if you listened to his postgame comments, he doesn’t sound like he wants to go anywhere, anytime soon. I love this man.

“I’m just so proud to be a Gopher.”

“We want to be a blue blood someday.”

This man. #Gophers #RTB #OutbackBowl

(cc: ??@USC_FB) pic.twitter.com/FPH0lwM6Ul

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) January 1, 2020

11-2… who woulda thought?

PJ Fleck and Me… that’s about it.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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#msfdaily: ONE. LAST. TIME. #outbackbowl #tampa #auburnszn #gophers #gopherfootball #gophersfootball #minnesotafootball #minnesotagophers #pjfleck #fleck #uofm #universityofminnesota #uofmn #gogophers #rtb #skiumah #elite #auburn #auburntigers #auburnfootball

A post shared by Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) on Jan 1, 2020 at 5:18am PST

It’s officially New Year’s Day and I hope everyone’s recovery from a historic night, is going smoothly. While you recover and I look out my window at a Tundra built only for the eventual Frozen 3 Movie… the Minnesota Golden Gopher Football Team is getting ready for their last game of the season, in 70 degree Tampa FL, where the team will play in its most important bowl game since the 60’s.

It’s a big moment in this program’s history and an even bigger one for the future. But,I can’t help but think about the present.

What an incredible season this has been… and I got to cover it in-person. I got to watch the biggest games of the season unfold from the pressbox and got to bring PJ Fleck and players to the people (of Twitter) LIVE, after the biggest wins and losses in this program’s history. For a guy who fell in love with major MN sports teams far earlier than he fell for any woman other than his mother, that’s a surreal thought… and it’s only the beginning for Minnesota Sports Fan.

But, it’s the end for 2019 Minnesota Gopher Football. In a season that has given this fan and all of the others around the state and country… “all the feels” that many fans have never had. Now, they’re 7-point underdogs to a team that’s already established itself as what we want to be… Auburn plays in these types of bowl games every year. They have the 5-star talent and bowl experience that Minnesota fans have only dreamed of since the 60’s. The odds are stacked against us… let’s be honest.

But, I’m not nervous…. or overly excited. I mean, I’m excited… but not ready to break through walls like the Kool-Aid Man. In other words, I feel much different today than I have all of the 2019 college football season. I’m calm…. and I hate it.

The goal was to get to a New Year’s Day Bowl game, and here we are. I feel like a Minnesota Twins or Wolves fan, who just wants to be in the playoffs but never actually cares about winning the whole thing. My own complacency makes me want to puke… but what else are we supposed to feel? The Gophers don’t need this game to forward their program. This year has been phenomenal and nothing that happens today will change that. I’ve tried pumping adrenalin into my veins all week, but to no avail. I’m much more emotionally invested in the Twins’ refusal to field a 2020 playoff-competitive team.

But all of that can change FAST and I NEED TO FEEL ONE MORE TIME! I NEED that Gopher adrenaline coursing through my veins again. All it will take is a competitive 1st half. Before you know it, a W will become a life OR death situation and every fiber of my being will be hanging onto the results of the Outback Bowl and beating Auburn.

If the Gophers can come in more focused than me… and make the 1st half a competitive matchup, I’ll be hooked again and the @RealMNSportsFan handle on Twitter will be screaming swear words again, as if the teams on the field can hear the likes roll in. That’s all I want from today… I want to care. I want the Gopher Football feels again… just one more time before we go into complete hibernation.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

On Tuesday’s episode of Minnesota Sports & Stuff, Eric and Seth are talking BIG moves (not) by the Twins… and previewing the Outback Bowl!