Higgy's Handshake - The Full Nelson

Posted by Higgy

"Here we go again."

That's what I - and I'm guessing most of you - were thinking as our 35-13 lead with five minutes to play in the third quarter became a 39-35 deficit. As Minnesota fans, we're conditioned to have our hearts ripped out in excruciating fashion right when we start to allow ourselves to get cautiously optimistic, or even hopeful.

We had turned around an increasingly negative vibe with a solid road win against an injured Northwestern team that was riding a similar downward spiral. Then our hopes got a serious lift with an impressive, and even dominant, win over Nebraska. Then we laughed off our status as 9.5 underdogs en route to another dominant performance through nearly three quarters, rolling up a 22-point lead and limiting Indiana's explosive offense to just 13 points. Good feelings were both justified and earned.

Is good fortune finally starting to fall on our squad?

But, as Gopher fans are accustomed, things started to bottom out right when we were at our highest point. Quick Hoosier touchdowns. An injury to our improved starting QB. A failed fourth down conversion. A failed fake punt. More touchdowns. Suddenly, a four-point deficit and a chance for much of the good will of the previous two weeks to go up in flames.

Since Jerry Kill and his staff was hired, we've been searching for that moment that our fortunes are finally changing. Many - including myself - thought last week's win over Nebraska was just that. But we were wrong.

Philip "Full" Nelson rode back onto the field on his majestic steed and put together a drive we'll long remember. He quickly was faced with a big third down, but calmly completed in professional fashion to learning-on-the-job phenom Donovahn Jones. Then he hit Maxx "Double X" Williams for a 50 yard score, and we were back on top.

But surely it wasn't meant to be, right? I mean, we're the Gophers. We snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Indiana quickly marched to the nine yard-line, and our fate was all but sealed ... until Indiana out-Gophered the Gophers.

Though they had gashed us straight-ahead at will, the Hoosiers, for whatever inexplicable reason, called a swing pass. Minnesota had the right defense called. A combination bad backwards throw and catch meshed with Brock Vereen breaking it up, then the always-heads-up Aaron Hill swooped in, scooped up the ball, and delivered as improbable a Minnesota victory as I can remember. Those bounces never go our way. This time, it did. And I'm taking it as a sign.

After Saturday, he's worthy of an infographic.

Now it's time for me to extend my weekly handshake to a deserving Golden Gopher based on their performance. This week's was a tough call as previous winner Aaron Hill, David Cobb, Double-X Maxx Williams and Derrick Engel were all deserving, but this week's Higgy's Handshake is emphatically extended to SOPHOMORE QB PHILIP NELSON.

The Full Nelson was on display in his first start since the Iowa disaster. He had the type of day throwing the football that we all envisioned when he chose Minnesota over Wisconsin. The potential flashed against Purdue a year ago and again in the bowl game. But Saturday's was his best performance to date, going 16-for-23 for 298 yards and four scores through the air.

However, the handshake is extended to Nelson for his resilience, because that quality shone brightest in both his performance Saturday, and our victory. One month ago Nelson appeared down and out as our starter. The Lamplighter played great against San Jose State, Nelson was awful against Iowa and Leidner looked pretty good on the road at Michigan, and I thought that was going to be it for Phil. I even worried that Mitch would take all the snaps the rest of the year and Phil would transfer.

But instead, Nelson embraced his new relief role, and played it to perfection, coming in and sparking the offense in wins over Northwestern and Nebraska, re-establishing himself as our QB1. In both of those wins, he looked more confident. He threw the ball better. He made better - and quicker - decisions.

Continue to lead, QB1.

That led to Saturday when he was at his best. The coaches opened up the playbook and Phil responded. From the first-play Hail Mary to the two touchdowns to Derrick Engel to a check-down to David Cobb that I thought best displayed his development. Phil took the snap and started rolling right only to have an Indiana defender unblocked, bearing down on him. Against Iowa, this would've been a deer-in-the-headlights sack. Saturday, he pulled up, set his feet and dropped a perfect pass to Cobb, who did the rest for a 20-plus-yard gain. Growth. Development. Maturity. It's all starting to show.

But then Nelson took a hit and limped off the field and headed into the locker room. Suddenly Indiana was scoring, we were stalling and things looked hopeless. That's when Phil came back in and rescued us with the game-winning drive I mentioned before. Once again, resiliency was at the heart of his success.

That trait didn't just lead to a win Saturday, but it fuels optimism going forward. It's looking more and more every week that we have a quarterback of leading us to new heights, and that is certainly worth a handshake from the Classy Gentlemen.

EXTRA POINTS

-I'm starting this singing the praises for David Cobb as the honorable mention handshake recipient. After Iowa and Michigan I thought he wasn't cut out to run against B1G defenses. I was wrong. He's been spectacular. I love the way he's been hitting the holes. When he sees a seam he turns on the jets, he shows patience when needed and rarely gets taken down by an arm tackle or the first defender. He's been a joy to watch during the winning streak, and I apologize for doubting him. I liked what he did in the passing game as well, both catching a couple key passes and doing a great job deflecting blitzers.

There's lots to like from our view in Section 117.

-Not highlighted enough as a HUGE key to victory: the defense stopping not just one, but a pair of two-point conversions. If Indiana converts the first, then they kick the PAT the second time and the Double X 50-yarder only ties the game. Then when IU gets to the nine, they kneel it a couple times and kick the game winning field goal. Same thing if they only convert the second. Then the Maxx score only puts us up by a point. In either scenario, the ridiculous swing pass never happens, Hill never scoops it up and saves the day, and we're talking about another Gopher collapse. Two huge plays that were rarely mentioned in hindsight.

-Prior to the season we heard that this was the first season in the Kill era that we finally have depth on the offensive line. That was proven Saturday as center Jon Christenson was lost to a serious leg injury and Tommy Olson filled in admirably. Sad to see Christenson go down, as I've heard and read nothing but great things about him off the field, and he's done a great job at a very tough position this season, but Olson was a big-time recruit who can hopefully seize his new opportunity.

-How nice is it to have a good punter? Peter Mortell was honored as B1G Special Teams Player-of-the-Week for his role in the field-position battle, and he's been a big part of our success all season. The Gophers have done great in the field position battle in all seven wins, and the horrific punting of the Brewster era - I mean, it was bad - is becoming a repressed, distant memory.

-All of a sudden a position of glaring weakness is becoming one of strength. There were serious questions at WR heading into the season and even into the B1G schedule, but Derrick Engel is emerging as a legitimate No. 1 - I love the way he adjusts to the ball in the air - and Donovahn Jones is really coming on and even Drew Wolitarsky is starting to show his potential. I loved the quick pass out to Jones and his moves after the catch, and am glad we're getting him more and more involved in the game plan.

-It's hard to make of what happened to the defense during the collapse, but I'm trying to be optimistic and think of two things - No. 1 - we were lucky Sudfeld didn't play the whole game. And No. 2 - that tempo is tough to play against for an entire game, and eventually they were going to get their points, it's just fortunate we were up by as much as we were and answered with the big TD. Plus, our defense stopped the two aforementioned two-point tries and came up with the big turnover at the end, so there are a few good things to take away.

Thumbs up for seven wins ... and counting.

-Broadcast notes: How many times did the color commentator Saturday use the term "catchable ball?" I'll tell you. Every time the Gophers passed. Either he was talking about how Nelson delivered a "catchable ball" or, if the pass wasn't on target, he would let us know it wasn't a "catchable ball." I thought it was over the top live, then preposterous when I re-watched the game.

-Hey Stewart Mandel of SI.com, first you don't mention the fact that Minnesota won three-straight games as underdogs of at least 9.5 points all while playing under an acting head coach while the head coach works his way back from addressing his issues with epilepsy, but then you spit right in our faces by embedding a video of Northwestern's Hail Mary win over our team in 2000. As a Wildcat alum, I suppose you needed that after five straight losses, including one to us and the latest on a Hail Mary. But I thought it was ironic that clip surfaced the same week we finally won a game with an improbable break going our way for what feels like the only time in history.

-(To be read in an NFL Films or Hollywood movie trailer voice) Saturday. TCF Bank Stadium. A chance at 8-2. A chance at glory. A chance at January. Penn State. Minnesota. Be there.